Eight years ago, Japanese video game megacompany Nintendo released a revolutionary console: the Nintendo Switch. Now, it is in the controversial process of releasing its successor.
Before the Switch, Nintendo was in a bit of a rough spot. The WiiU was a terrible attempt at bringing the handheld and console worlds together, and a lack of sales represented that.
That wrong was righted, and they have since sold nearly 150 million Switches to on-the-go and couch-bound gamers alike.
Now, in comes the Switch 2. A remarkably creative name that matches the remarkable uniqueness of this new console. It’s just like the original Switch but bigger and stronger. That’s nothing new, though; PlayStation’s today have the same silhouette from 1995, after all.
Rather, cost is the primary concern. Hot take: The console price of $449.99 is reasonable.
When you look at the specs, it adds up. The portable screen measures nearly eight inches and features VRR support, with the potential for 4K or 120fps video output. The processors are custom-made by NVIDIA, with a CPU twice as powerful as the original and a graphics card to support locked 60fps gameplay.
The Switch family is unique, as it has both handheld and docked specs, so it’s nigh impossible to compare to other devices on the market. It never hurts to try, though.
Docked, the Switch 2 compares to a PS4 Pro and generally outperforms the Steam Deck, but Valve pulls ahead in handheld-on-handheld combat. So, the price tag for the rig itself makes sense. It’s $90 for Mario Kart, which should leave a sour taste in the mouth.
Of course, the $90 sticker is only for physical copies. Digital downloads of fan favorites are a generous $80. Wait, what?
Eighty clams for a Nintendo game is a bold move, and a ridiculous one. You can try to reason that it’s justifiable because you can play your entire Switch 1 library on the new technology, except you also have to pay $10-$20 for graphics and content upgrades.
It doesn’t matter, though.
Something the company established early is its catalog of exclusive IPs. Regardless of price, Pokémon fans, for example – no hate, as a Pokémon guy myself – will get the console and the upcoming enhanced “Legends Z-A,” because there’s nowhere else to play it.
On top of that, the looming threat of major tech tariffs encourages consumers to preorder the Switch 2 now, because who knows where the price could end up. This fear-mongering is relatively justified but is not a reason to drop hundreds of dollars “just in case.”
The other side of the coin believes the system should be boycotted. Back in 2004 when the DS first hit the market, sales were so diabolical that Nintendo scaled the pricing down. These believers are foolish. Twenty years ago, this worked, but today, unhinged tactics are the norm.
Nintendo’s Switch 2 is a genuinely great upgrade to its predecessor, and in-person demonstrations across the globe show that. The marketing doesn’t do it justice, and corporate greed once again overshadows a meaningful product.
At this rate, we’ll be revisiting this topic when GTA VI standard edition breaches $100. For now, though, preorder the Mario Kart World bundle if you want to, because you’ll get a good experience from it, not because messed-up economic policy is pressuring you to.
Just be prepared to rack up a library more expensive than the 4K TV you’re playing it on.
Mario wants your money — and he’ll get it
Eight years ago, Japanese video game megacompany Nintendo released a revolutionary console: the Nintendo Switch. Now, it is in the controversial process of releasing its successor.
Before the Switch, Nintendo was in a bit of a rough spot. The WiiU was a terrible attempt at bringing the handheld and console worlds together, and a lack of sales represented that.
That wrong was righted, and they have since sold nearly 150 million Switches to on-the-go and couch-bound gamers alike.
Now, in comes the Switch 2. A remarkably creative name that matches the remarkable uniqueness of this new console. It’s just like the original Switch but bigger and stronger. That’s nothing new, though; PlayStation’s today have the same silhouette from 1995, after all.
Rather, cost is the primary concern. Hot take: The console price of $449.99 is reasonable.
When you look at the specs, it adds up. The portable screen measures nearly eight inches and features VRR support, with the potential for 4K or 120fps video output. The processors are custom-made by NVIDIA, with a CPU twice as powerful as the original and a graphics card to support locked 60fps gameplay.
The Switch family is unique, as it has both handheld and docked specs, so it’s nigh impossible to compare to other devices on the market. It never hurts to try, though.
Docked, the Switch 2 compares to a PS4 Pro and generally outperforms the Steam Deck, but Valve pulls ahead in handheld-on-handheld combat. So, the price tag for the rig itself makes sense. It’s $90 for Mario Kart, which should leave a sour taste in the mouth.
Of course, the $90 sticker is only for physical copies. Digital downloads of fan favorites are a generous $80. Wait, what?
Eighty clams for a Nintendo game is a bold move, and a ridiculous one. You can try to reason that it’s justifiable because you can play your entire Switch 1 library on the new technology, except you also have to pay $10-$20 for graphics and content upgrades.
It doesn’t matter, though.
Something the company established early is its catalog of exclusive IPs. Regardless of price, Pokémon fans, for example – no hate, as a Pokémon guy myself – will get the console and the upcoming enhanced “Legends Z-A,” because there’s nowhere else to play it.
On top of that, the looming threat of major tech tariffs encourages consumers to preorder the Switch 2 now, because who knows where the price could end up. This fear-mongering is relatively justified but is not a reason to drop hundreds of dollars “just in case.”
The other side of the coin believes the system should be boycotted. Back in 2004 when the DS first hit the market, sales were so diabolical that Nintendo scaled the pricing down. These believers are foolish. Twenty years ago, this worked, but today, unhinged tactics are the norm.
Nintendo’s Switch 2 is a genuinely great upgrade to its predecessor, and in-person demonstrations across the globe show that. The marketing doesn’t do it justice, and corporate greed once again overshadows a meaningful product.
At this rate, we’ll be revisiting this topic when GTA VI standard edition breaches $100. For now, though, preorder the Mario Kart World bundle if you want to, because you’ll get a good experience from it, not because messed-up economic policy is pressuring you to.
Just be prepared to rack up a library more expensive than the 4K TV you’re playing it on.