A year later, I’m more impressed than ever with the Nintendo Switch 2

A year ago, I was quick to give too quickly Thoughts on switching 2 When it arrived on shelves amidst a ton of hype. The long-awaited follow-up to one of the most successful gaming consoles of all time felt like it should be a slam dunk.

My idea then was that Switch 2 It was the best mobile gamingbut not something any Nintendo Switch owner needs to buy. And that’s always been the irony: for everything the Switch 2 does better than the Switch, it’s also the same proposition in many ways. It’s another Switch, but with better graphics and some new games that, somehow, didn’t include a new Zelda or 3D Mario.

In 2026, things actually look different. The economy has been brutal, causing the prices of electronics and gaming consoles to constantly rise. Laptops and Steam Decks Gaming Consoles Now climbing to prices Which can reach $1000 and above. year PlayStation 5 and Xbox controllers Also more expensive. Nintendo has also raised prices for its Switch hardware, but not by as much. The price of Switch 2 is Get your first raiseincreasing by $50 to $500 on September 1st. $500 for a Nintendo console is a lot, but it’s now on the lower end of the price spectrum that’s rising higher than I ever imagined. Console gaming is a luxury now.

Here’s the thing: No one needs a gaming console, of course, or ever did. Computers, phones, and tablets can play a lot of games.

However, I greatly appreciate what the Switch 2 brings to the table now. It’s clearer than ever that it can rival current PC gaming rigs in graphics (although that may change soon), and I like that it includes a TV base and modular controllers as part of the package. It’s an easy-to-use, multi-functional, multiplayer game, something that, one way or another, competitors haven’t found a way to imitate or beat.

Sure, the first year of Switch 2 games didn’t have Mario or Zelda, but there were a lot of good games. Donkey Kong Bananza I was impressed, and so did she Metroid Prime 4 (It’s also playable on Switch, but is at its best on Switch 2.) Pokemon Bucopia It came out of nowhere to be the next type of Animal Crossing. There were good and weird random cards too Kirby Air Riders and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book.

Third-party game ports probably impressed me more, just to show that the Switch 2 can run big flagship games. Resident Evil Requiem It is really good. Indiana Jones and the Grand Circle It looks beautiful. There’s Cyberpunk 2077 and… practicalAnd while Madden wasn’t great, it was playable: I haven’t been able to play Madden on the go like this in over a decade.

There are drawbacks. The Switch 2’s battery life is average, lasting perhaps a few hours depending on the game. I have come to accept that. Carry the battery pack, or re-dock. The LCD screen is also good, but it’s not a vibrant OLED. Frankly, the Joy-Con controllers don’t feel comfortable enough, and they lack analogue triggers. I prefer most consoles and other consoles.

Then there are the prices of Nintendo games, which generally trend higher than the same games on other platforms over time. It is said that Nintendo It reduced the price of its digital games Going ahead by $10 earlier this year, which helps a little.

I keep saying you don’t “need” the Switch 2, but now I think it’s worth buying, especially before the price jumps to $500 in the fall. Nintendo Throw in a free game now For the same $500. Considering they’re also some of the better Switch 2 games — Donkey Kong Bananza, Pokopia, and Mario Kart World — which typically cost $70 and up, it’s a good deal. And in this upside-down world, where I usually say wait for prices to drop, we may see console prices continue to rise next year.

I said a year ago that Nintendo would continue releasing Switch 1 compatible games for at least another year. Those days may be over now. With the exception of Rhythm Heaven, which will be released next July, Nintendo’s own games may increasingly be Switch 2 exclusives from now on. Indie developers may still release for both simply because they still have access to over a hundred million Switch owners, but Nintendo’s biggest and best games will be Switch 2-bound from now on.

The Switch 2 will never be the phenomenon that the first Switch was, but it never will be. It’s repetition. But it’s a major upgrade that positions the handheld for the next big games, and it finally has enough great games of its own, even after one year, to justify the drop.

But, you can also stick with it with the original Switch. Just keep expectations low for new first-party Nintendo games.