I Play-Tested the Nintendo Switch 2. Is It the Next Great Video Game Console?

With any new video game console, the question is always Why now? To find the answer, I woke up bright and early on Wednesday morning to attend a hands-on preview of the Nintendo Switch 2—solely because the gaming company has long responded to the question with a machine unlike anything I have ever seen before.

Remember the Nintendo Wii? Grandma and Grandpa rolled on down to the virtual bowling alley for that physically interactive console. Most recently? The Nintendo Switch’s handheld capabilities allowed gamers to play new titles built around exploration and discovery quite literally anywhere in the world—even outside. The other day, I played The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on a goddamn airplane.

So, when Nintendo previewed the Switch 2 (releasing on June 5, 2025), I was a bit confused by a machine from Team Mario that looks and plays fundamentally the same as the system I already own.

In the larger video game industry, of course, that’s nothing new. Every new PlayStation or Xbox is just an expensive computer with better visuals and more seamless gameplay. But for Nintendo? A new console generally arrives because the video game company is ready to showcase an entirely new way to play.

Instead, the Nintendo Switch 2 simply feels like the more mature and fully optimized version of the 2017 console. With a sleeker exterior, larger screen, and the promise of third-party titles previously incompatible with the former console’s software, it’s as if our little Switch is finally grown up and ready to appease adult gamers for the first time in Nintendo’s history as a family computer.

When I finally got my hands on the Nintendo Switch 2, it was clear that this was the system gamers should have had all along. Alongside a preview of the new Mario Kart World—easily the most expansive and best-looking title in the Mario Kart series yet—Nintendo promoted that Elden Ring, Street Fighter, Final Fantasy VII, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Yakuza, Hitman, Cyberpunk 2077, and even the upcoming Borderlands 4 will all run seamlessly on their new high-end console. We’re talking 1080p resolution, 120fps frame rate, LCD display, and 256 gigabytes of storage. Whatever number you’re looking for, It’s here.

Sadly, there are also some scary numbers involved. The Nintendo Switch 2 markets at $459.99. Compared to the Switch’s $299.99 price tag in 2017, the Switch 2 is not easy on the wallet. If it was simply a higher-end Switch—which it is—this would be a different discussion. But if you want to play any new Nintendo game for the next eight years or so, Mario and his friends demand you fork over a hefty fee.

If you’re not afraid to break the bank on the Nintendo Switch 2, I can tell you firsthand that the console is a monumental improvement on the original. I held the device in my own hands and tested out everything from the new Mario Kart to Donkey Kong Bananza, and Nintendo still knows how to make a great game. Plus, the system is surprisingly light despite its larger screen size.

Mario Kart World is a strong launch title.

The strongest addition is the Switch 2's GameChat feature. With an attachable camera, the Switch 2 turns your multiplayer gaming experience into a Zoom session. Whether you and your friends are all playing the same game together from your respective homes, or even playing completely different games, you can talk to and view live feeds of up to 12 people at the bottom of your screen. GameChat alone could explain the Nintendo Switch 2’s steep price. The video game company is asking their console to run modern games at 120 fps while also streaming live audio and video from multiple locations. That’s a lot to ask of a handheld device.

For new titles including Mario Kart World and Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (out July 27), GameChat is a no-brainer. Nintendo clearly saw how much players longed for connection during the Covid-19 pandemic, when everything from birthdays to weddings took place in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Now, they're looking to make those connections even stronger.

Whether or not Nintendo can sell parents enough to buy their kids a $450 new console is Nintendo’s largest hurdle to cross. Same goes for needing to convince more experienced gamers to choose a higher-end Nintendo system over its competitors. 2025 is quite the year for Nintendo to release their most-expensive console to date—and that GameChat feature means squat if all my friends don’t purchase their own Nintendo Switch 2’s as well.

For now, all I can say is that the Switch 2 looks and feels the greatest that any Nintendo console has ever felt. The video game company can make a Mario-themed Elden Ring imitation now should they ever choose to, and I’m sure the number of excellent titles over the next decade will make the console a worthy purchase. After just a few hours play-testing Mario Kart World and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, the Switch 2 will have a place in my home. No doubt about it.