The Glowed-Up Nintendo Switch 2 Is Finally Here

For a company built on nostalgia, Nintendo somehow still knows how to surprise you. The original Switch was lightning in a bottle—a hybrid handheld that reshaped gaming in 2017, made the pandemic vaguely tolerable in 2020, and has since become the go-to console for many. Now, after years of speculation, blurry leaks, and Reddit-fuelled fan theories, the Nintendo Switch 2 has finally landed. And now, it looks like a refined, sharper, smarter evolution.

At first glance, it’s bigger, yes. Bigger Joy-Cons? Sure. But beneath the familiar silhouette lies a serious hardware upgrade. Powered by Nvidia’s custom chip with ten times the graphics performance of its predecessor, a 7.9-inch full HD display with a 120Hz refresh rate, magnetic Joy-Cons that double as trackable mice (yes, really), and a new GameChat feature that introduces real-time video and voice to the once-silent world of Nintendo multiplayer—so you can talk to your friends mid-race in Mario Kart World. It’s Nintendo finally growing up without losing its weird, colourful charm.

Nintendo has always zigged where others zagged. While Sony and Microsoft wage a never-ending graphics war, Nintendo continues building consoles that prioritise experience over specs. That said, the Switch 2 doesn’t skimp on performance.

It’s slightly bigger than the original, with a wider screen (almost 8 inches) that’s noticeably crisper and smoother. The colours pop, the action feels faster, and the built-in speakers sound fuller. The kickstand is no longer a sad little toothpick but a full-length one you can actually use without fear of snapping something. It adjusts to different angles too, so yes—you can finally prop it up on a tray table without a balancing act.

The silhouette is familiar, but everything’s a little more considered. The new Joy-Cons attach magnetically (finally ditching those frail plastic rails), and feel more ergonomic in-hand. Bigger buttons. Wider triggers. A textured grip.

Internally, there’s 256GB of storage—up from 32GB in the original—which is a quiet game-changer. No more juggling save files or hunting for microSDs. Backward compatibility means your old games still work, which is great because you’ll be replaying Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in 120Hz just to feel something again.

GameChat might be the wildest addition here—not because in-game voice chat is revolutionary, but because Nintendo did it. The new “C” button enables in-game voice and video (with an optional USB-C camera), letting up to 12 players talk and screen-share in real-time. You can start a group chat, share your screen, and, if you buy an add-on camera, even see each other’s faces while playing. There are smart safeguards for kids (only approved friends can join), so it’s all pretty clean.

So… Should You Get It?

At $450 (or $500 with Mario Kart World included), the Switch 2 isn’t exactly cheap. But if you’ve ever loved a Nintendo game—or just want a console that’s fun, flexible, and doesn’t take itself too seriously—it’s kind of a no-brainer. It’s a console for grown-ups who don’t want to game like grown-ups.