I played Nintendo Switch 2 for 4 straight hours – and so far it feels like a solidly slick evolution

Following extensive hands-on time with Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Mario Kart World, and more, the Nintendo Switch 2 seems like a new-and-improved way to continue the hybrid fun.

How do you follow up one of the biggest video game console success stories of all time? With a sequel, of course. Yet for as typical as doing this may be for the likes of and , there’s something still a tad unusual about a platform-holder as historically inventive and playful as following suit.

Fortunately, for as predictable as the might initially seem, it only took a short while of me getting hands-on with it to find that there are plenty of quirks to enjoy and subtle new ways to play – none of which get in the way of what the eco-system does best. This is very much a successor to the hybrid gaming device we all know and love, only super-charged to compete on a more level playing field set by the console competition.

The most obvious innovation I noticed oddly related to the screen itself. Though merely an LCD screen – and not an OLED as I’d sorely hoped for – the upgrade to 7.9 inches makes a big difference when compared to the original launch model Nintendo Switch from 2017. Coupled with the ability to render games at 1080p now when it is in handheld mode and 4K when docked, playing the Nintendo Switch 2 either way feels like a luxury experience.

was the first game I got to play and see in action, and I quickly found that the slightly increased size of the screen coupled nicely with the increased scope of the game I was playing, making racing while lobbing red shells at Baby Peach all the more enjoyable.

You’d think that a bigger screen size, more processing power, and just generally more impressive tech under the hood of the device would result in a bulkier, heftier feel in terms of weight. After all, if handheld devices such as the have taught us anything, it’s to expect that playing AAA games on the go comes at a price – that price most often being battery life and mass amounts of ventilation.

I was testing on the Nintendo Switch 2 in incredibly controlled conditions, granted, yet even I couldn’t deny just how light it felt to hold in my hands with both Joy-Con connected. In terms of thickness, it’s about the same width as before, yet much like it did eight years ago, Nintendo has stuck to its promise once again of making Switch 2 feel comfortable in the hands.

As for the more understated, matte black design, it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I, for one, am happy that the Nintendo Switch 2 has opted for a colour scheme that feels a lot sleeker and aesthetically smarter than the console that preceded it. It’s a family-friendly device, yes, yet that doesn’t necessitate a need to have loud or garish colour tones.

No doubt variant shades and limited-edition SKUs will come in time, but for now, I may be one of the few who is happy that Nintendo has played it safe. Better yet, despite looking like a matte finish, by the time I was done playing, my Nintendo Switch 2 unit was left entirely free of fingerprint marks from what I could tell. Phew!

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Switching it up

Ever since Nintendo heavily hinted that the Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con would have mouse-like features you’d find with a PC setup, I was one of the many left staggered about its need, let alone its implementation. However, seemingly against all odds, Nintendo has again found a way to integrate this feature naturally.

The feature’s brilliance truly came to life when I played , and I was instructed that I could simply tilt my wrist 90 degrees to engage the game’s mouse controls after playing with two Joy-Cons held in each hand. Guiding Samus Aran’s arm cannon with a scroll rather than a point felt surprisingly natural, even if I can’t imagine an ideal setup in my home where I have a table in front of me. Overall, the Nintendo Switch 2’s new mouse-like functionality felt like a ‘nice to have’ rather than essential, but it’s certainly intuitive.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to try out the Nintendo Switch 2’s new GameChat function during my hands-on preview (much like most of the UI stuff, such as menus, the eShop, or the setup screen). However, it’s good to know that Nintendo is trying to find new ways to double down on the social aspect of the eco-system it's created, building in an easier, alternative method of voice chat, which oddly most put me in mind of the days of Wii Speak.

Whether or not GameChat will function as seamlessly as promised is still up in the air, yet the ability to instantly be invited to or start a chat with friends and then share your screen is a cool prospect. If anything, I’d like to see Nintendo push it further, as GameChat seems ripe for integration with, say, , for any wannabe live streamers who pick up the console on day one.

If there’s one aspect of the Nintendo Switch 2 to be concerned about right now, it’s the lack of first-party games releasing on day one and the relative uncertainty surrounding the games that are available in that launch window. What I played of Kart World, , and Prime 4 were great, yet the reliance on third-party ports might not do much to encourage people who’ve played the likes of to double dip again.

Then there’s the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive versions, which will require an upgrade fee for people who already own them to enjoy in all their new, shinier glory. There won’t be a drought of games to play come June 5, 2025. Yet, in terms of truly new experiences? Luckily, Mario Kart World is one heck of a way to kick off the Switch 2 lifecycle.

Overall, even under strict hands-on preview conditions while being forced to bounce around different games using different control schemes, I’m sold on the prospect of a ‘super’ Nintendo Switch that mostly looks and performs the way I expected. For now, the integration of mouse controls doesn’t seem especially groundbreaking. However, it fills the slot of Nintendo’s obligatory barmy idea without disrupting the established – and much-beloved – Nintendo Switch form factor.

I still have my questions regarding battery life, the slickness of GameChat, and whether or not add-ons like the Nintendo Switch 2 camera are all that necessary, yet I’d be lying if I said frothing at the concept of getting to play 1080p Mario Kart on the go. The stage is very much set for Nintendo Switch 2 to pick up where the original Switch left off, and I’ll definitely be along for that ride.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is set to release worldwide on June 5, 2025.