My Switch 2 Direct Post-Mortem

My thoughts on the hardware, games and more

It finally happened: the big Switch 2 Direct, there were baffling moments, disappointing moments and a few moments that had me grinning ear-to-ear, let’s have a recap together.


THE HARDWARE

In general? I was incredibly impressed with the power of the Switch 2 and it was a nice change of pace to have Nintendo give us a really good look into the raw specs which is something they have neglected to do in the past. As I predicted in my post a little while back, it looks to be about on-par with the PS4 Pro in terms of power which is more than adequate and I don’t see the console becoming underpowered at least for the next 3 years.

I have been using a 1440p monitor for 5 years now which looks great with my PC games but leaves Switch titles looking muddy so the higher resolutions available are much appreciated.

The Joy-Con 2, like its predecessor, looks about as ergonomic as a cheap pair of primary school scissors (that’s grades 1-5 if you’re in the USA) but the actual controller grip looks a lot nicer in the hand; mouse controls look adequately comfortable but I don’t see myself using them much outside of FPS games and Civilization VII and it’s certainly not going to be as nice as a proper mouse.

The optional camera has been subject to a lot of mockery in certain online circles but it looks well-made and I like the idea of it, although I don’t see myself buying one unless it goes on sale. The Switch 2 microphone being built into the console and not the Joy-Con 2 or the grip does puzzle me a little.

The Switch 2 Pro-Controller looks like a moderate upgrade over the original but yet again, I doubt I’ll buy it as I’m fine with the default Joy-Con grips.


UI AND SOFTWARE

My apologies for the image quality, this is the grainy picture we have of the Switch 2 UI so far and it’s on the UI and services front that I have to rip into the Switch 2 just a little bit.

Firstly, I dislike the fact that the Gamecube’s addition to the NSO + Expansion Pass service has seemingly disqualified games like Metroid Prime 2 from being remade and the Wind Waker HD Remaster from ever being ported. I don’t like streaming services, I don’t like not owning my entertainment, I don’t want to pay for the service when I already own these consoles. I’m especially miffed in Wind Waker’s case about this because the Wii-U HD version is the definitive way to play that game as it cuts down on the god-awful endgame fetch quest.

”Okay.” You might be thinking. “So just play on original hardware and don’t pay for the service, what’s the big deal?” This has been my way throughout the Switch 1’s life but now, from Spring 2026, the Switch 2’s voice chat and screen-sharing features are going to be locked behind the subscription! This is pretty outrageous if you ask me.

Lastly, and the less-egregious issue is that the UI is exactly the same. I’m not massively bothered by this myself but it would have been nice to have given it a better look, maybe with a splash screen for each game; I won’t comment on themes and colours yet because we just don’t know.

To end this section on a positive, the data transfer and game sharing features look really cool and painless and the E-Shop seems to not run like an Xbox 360 now.


THIRD PARTY GAMES

I think the selection of third party titles Nintendo have gone with are absolutely perfect. Rather than picking up the scraps and making crappy, cloud-based versions of other games like during the original Switch’s early life Nintendo have cherry-picked about 90% of the releases from the past 5 years that made a big impact and has showed us that they will run beautifully on the console.

I had zero expectations in regards to the third party line-up so I was very pleasantly surprised.

I think most multiplatform gamers used the original Switch as a bit of an indie and retro machine; for my part, I have all the old Doom games, Quake and most of my indies on there, Nintendo seem to have picked up on this and showed off an absolute treasure trove of indie sequels like the fabled Silksong and Enter the Gungeon 2. They absolutely know their audience.

Out of the selection? I think I will get Civilization VII on launch day since the Civ VI port for the original console went so well and despite my fatigue with the formula, From Software’s upcoming Duskbloods will likely wind up in my Switch 2 library next year.


FIRST PARTY GAMES

For months and years to come, I think this aspect of the Switch 2’s launch will be the most debated.

I’ll get the controversial one out of the way first: Nintendo’s decision to charge money for the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour: a piece of software that is quite clearly an instruction manual with optional minigames is absolutely laughable and they are rightfully being pelted with proverbial tomatoes over it.

With that out of the way… how amazing does Mario Kart World look!?

I think everyone expected some truly massive new tracks with the new 24 player limit but it never even occurred to me that they might go full on Forza Horizon with the game and after seeing that enormous, beautiful map, the array of new characters, the different race types and hearing that jazzy upbeat music I cannot wait to play this game. I even broke my physical only rule to make sure I would have this with the console when I very luckily managed to secure a pre-order yesterday evening. This is a system-seller, hands down.

Another game I was really happy to see but doesn’t seem to be getting so much attention is Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. I played the original game on the Wii-U a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed my time with it and although I didn’t like Age of Calamity as much I think the power of the Switch 2 will really elevate this third entry. This will be a pre-order for me.

Now for the other title that got a big reaction… finally, a new Donkey Kong! Part of my heart sank when Donkey Kong popped up on screen instead of the conspicuously absent plumber but Mario fans can wait a little longer, it’s been too long since the Kongs were in the spotlight. The game looks amazing too! The music, the visuals, the destructible environments, Donkey Kong looks so expressive in this game and the trailer was absolutely drenched with charm and with Bananza coming only the month after launch, I think we’ll all be having a great Summer with this console.

I’m not very familiar with the Kirby franchise: in fact, I’ve only played the first 2 and haven’t finished a single one but I hear Air Riders is something that could be very special.

One part of this first party showcase that did disappoint me however, was Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, don’t get me wrong, the game looks amazing and I’ll be getting it on launch… but when does it launch, Nintendo? Give us the damn date!

The Switch 2 Edition games all look gorgeous and it seems Mario Party Jamboree will be vastly improved by the Switch 2 camera and microphone, I was actually planning to finally replay/finish Tears of the Kingdom in June so I could see myself paying for the upgrade.

Lastly, I’d like to point out another small game that’s been really overshadowed: Drag X Drive. I’ve seen a lot of negative reactions to this one but honestly? Dual-mouse controlled wheelchair robot basketball is the kind of quirky nonsense I buy Nintendo consoles for and I’ll absolutely be playing this. This also has to be the least-preachy, coolest and most fun looking bit of disability representation and visibility I’ve ever seen in gaming.


PRICING AND CONTROVERSY

I think most people would agree that the Switch 2 and its bundle are at a fair price; I predicted a while ago that the Switch 2 would cost roughly £350-400 and saved up £500 just in case. In the UK it wound up costing £395.99 alone or £429.99 with Mario Kart World. Fair enough. Unfortunately, the prices for Switch 2 games so far, particularly physical ones, have cast a gloomy and unpleasant shadow over the launch.

These games are, to put it mildly, significantly more expensive. In the UK, most Switch games will set you back about £40-45 and a select few cost about £60. These prices can be higher or lower but generally, this is how it is; by comparison, PS5 and Xbox games will cost between £60-70. The Switch 2 games have risen to match the competition in price digitally and physical copies have jumped the hurdle and gone further beyond what gamers expect to pay. This is an even bigger problem in the US where Mario Kart World costs £80.

I’m not going to sit and defend a multi-billion dollar company, neither will I sit and throw a tantrum over the price increase and cancel my pre-order but I’d like to give my perspective on this.

On one hand, as a physical-only consumer I feel penalised for playing the way I want to play and it’s disheartening to see Nintendo jump the gun and make the cost of modern gaming even higher when times are so hard. The conspiracy theorist in me thinks they might be purposefully sabotaging physical sales in order to cut physical media entirely later on and given that consoles like the 3DS and PS3 had to be redesigned and had significant price cuts after launching at an unappetising price point, maybe the Switch 2 should suffer this fate and have Nintendo’s newfound hubris sting them a little.

On the other hand it’s no secret that Nintendo’s proprietary Switch game cards have a higher than normal manufacturing price, additionally, it is only a price increase of about £4.99 over the competition and it’s been clear for a number of years now that physical editions of Nintendo games are the premium package. Older gamers and Nintendo fans like me talk a lot of smack about preserving physical media so maybe it is right that the most ardent supporters shoulder some of the manufacturing and logistical burden via an extra cost. The new game sharing features of the Switch 2 do also get more games into more peoples’ hands without necessarily making a purchase too.

In conclusion? I don’t know what the answer is. These aren’t talking points I drummed up for the sake of sitting on the fence, all of the above are genuine thoughts I have on the matter all I can say is that I will continue to purchase physical and expect my library to grow a lot slower from now on.


SUMMARY


The controversial pricing and barely-changed operating system have definitely put a bit of a damper on things and I was hoping for a stronger first party showing at the Direct but the launch is still 2 months away and Nintendo will probably be in full-steam ahead marketing mode now so I doubt we’ve heard the last of the upcoming games. Just give me a release date for Prime 4 and I will be at peace.