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The day of reckoning has arrived and finally, we’ve got an official look at the Nintendo Switch 2 and all it’s going to bring to the table. The eight-year-long wait finally came to an end on Thursday 16 during a short video uploaded online, where Ninty graciously showed off the upgraded handheld. We got confirmation that the Switch 2 is not only called the Switch 2, but that it’s sporting a new all-black color with larger Joy-Con controllers, a larger screen, backwards compatibility, and a new fresh look for the dock- not too different from what I, and the rest of the rumor mill, expected.
We still have to wait until at least April 2, 2025, for the upcoming Direct presentation to see exactly what specs are hiding under the hood. But at a quick glance, it's looking more and more like a contender for one of the best gaming handhelds and a worthy upgrade from its predecessor. With Nintendo Switch 2 backwards compatibility also good to go (with some limitations), I’m hoping we can expect to see games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door running at 4K, and smoother performance from new titles thanks to the handheld’s rumored DLSS capabilities. Rumors have also hinted that it will at least rival the power of Valve’s Steam Deck handheld but even if it falls short, there will still be a lot to love about the Switch 2.
I didn’t get the Nintendo Switch at launch. That may come as a surprise, but my finances were a little different then. Instead, I first got my hands on it shortly after the release of Super Mario Odyssey. For years afterward, it came with me everywhere I went, and became my go-to console. I’ve been playing games portably since the initial release of the Game Boy, but it took the Switch to officially convert me to preferring gaming on the go.
I relished in the ability to play the SNES games of my childhood or destroy people in Smash Bros Ultimate on the go. However, l later got my hands on a handheld that would eventually steal away most of my attention, the Steam Deck. When issued with an LCD model of Valve’s portable powerhouse, I was taken aback by how much more this brought to the portable gaming table. Sure, I couldn’t run Breath of the Wild, or any other first-party Nintendo games, but the novelty of playing AAA games at higher resolutions and, at times, frame rates higher than an average 40FPS, never grew old.
Neither was being able to play nearly my entire Steam collection whenever and wherever I wanted. Or side-loading the device with a multitude of apps and other gaming platforms, from Nvidia GeForce Now to Battle.net. While the Switch can play Switch games, and only Switch games, I transformed the Deck into a portable PC thanks to desktop mode and customized it to my heart's content. Afterward, every time I opened my Deck I was greeted with a clip of Mr Burns from The Simpsons thanking me for "turning him on." Can my Switch do that? No. Which is exactly why sometime during the Summer of 2023, my Switch was left to collect dust, not much unlike Jessie in Pixar’s Toy Story 2, while I basked in the glory of my shiny new tech.
Switching it up for the Steam Deck
By this point, the Switch was beginning to show its age. When I played a Steam Deck for the first time the handheld was already six years old. This was more than apparent as it chugged through my copy of Pokemon Violet back on November 18, 2022. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed my time with Violet and a ton of subsequent game releases from Pikmin 4 to Super Mario Wonder. But the Steam Deck’s ability to play AAA titles without sounding like it was at the end of its rope, made it the preferred choice.
The original LCD Valve handheld is home to its own custom AMD Van Gogh (Aerith) GPU. This, alongside its 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM is partially what gives the beast the ability to load up even Cyberpunk 2077 and do it justice - even if 60FPS is still out of question. The original Switch instead, is powered by a custom-built Nvidia Tegra X1 GPU, and is loaded up with only 4GB of RAM. In the earliest years of its lifespan, this was enough to run Mario's adventures throughout New Donk City and Breath of the Wild, but that's likely more of a testament to the developer's skillset than the Nintendo's processing prowess.
Yet, ever since my introduction to the Steam Deck and PC gaming handhelds as a whole, I never expected the Switch to out-match their pixel-pushing power. Ninty has built a reputation for ignoring the push for more pixels and faster framerates. I don’t know anyone today who purposefully seeks out Ninty consoles because they’re going to offer up the best visuals and performance this generation has to offer. People, myself included, picked up the Nintendo Switch (and are eyeing up the Switch 2) for two main reasons: its unique gameplay gimmick, and the exclusive first-party games.
The Switch’s gimmick of a hybrid system still feels fresh, which is likely why we’re seeing it make a return with the Switch 2. Plus, the added bonus of both handheld's Joy-Con controllers, which can transform into a one or two-player setup at a whim, is still revolutionary. This feature made the original Switch perfect for multiplayer family fun, something the Steam Deck can’t match. Sure, you can hook up multiple controllers to the Deck, especially with a Steam Deck dock in play, but the pure convenience and easy setup of the Switch’s controllers is unrivaled.
Nintendo's true power lies within its games
The real meat of why the Switch 2 doesn’t need to have the same power as other current-gen consoles is, of course, down to its games. Other than mobile platforms, Nintendo doesn’t release its first-party titles anywhere but on its own hardware. If, like me, you need to own and play every single installment in Legend of Zelda, you’re going to have to own the Nintendo hardware to play it on. Want to play Mario Kart 9, which might be on its way? You’ll inevitably need the Switch 2 to take it for a test drive.
So long as the Switch 2 can give these new games justice, and offer up a performance enough to support itself for a few years, that’s all I can possibly wish for. Sure, one day I’d love to see the intricate detail the Steam Deck manages to produce, or even performance that rivals that of the PS5. But those consoles are always there for when I want to transcend the uppermost limits of modern gaming. When I want the charm, whimsy, and life-changing experiences found in Nintendo games, I know exactly where the Switch 2 can be found.
Check out our Nintendo Switch 2 vs Steam Deck guide to see exactly how the specs of both handhelds compare and whether you should consider a Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order. Our Nintendo Switch 2 IR Sensors, and Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con controllers guides are also full to the brim with all you need to know about the upcoming Switch successor.
