So I honestly was not expecting to get my hands on a Nintendo Switch 2 so soon, but I lucked out and my local Walmart had a lot leftover. Normally I don’t get consoles on release day but I am really passionate about my fandom for all things Nintendo and where I haven’t done nearly as many conventions this year I decided this was how I would treat myself.

So after opening the box the first thing I noticed is the Switch 2 is noticeably bigger than the predecessor. Same goes for the joycons and while I think the bigger screen size is nice I think the joycons had the best improvement overall. I found they feel a lot better in my hands than the originals and they feel a lot sturdier. This is something I noticed as I did my unboxing is how everything just felt sturdier. Even the console and the base.

I also got a new pro controller because somebody didn’t realize the ones they had would have worked. In my defense getting everything was a last minute decision right after work. Naturally the controller had the new buttons but what surprised me was how it too felt different in my hands. It was lighter and slightly but noticeably more comfortable.

As far as using the Switch 2 really everything about it other than the new functions such as the chat feature are the same. So it was a really easy transition. Plus the process to transfer all of the stuff from my Switch 1 was really easy and the console provided clear and quick steps to get everything done. I think I was pretty much done outside of re-downloading games in about 20 minutes. I will admit I miss the days where the console transfer process was like it was with the DS to 3DS with Pikmin moving the files as they transferred. As for the new features like chat I think they work rather well and it’s a nice quality of life improvement.

Now to get to the real plus of this console which is how it improves on Switch 1 games. While I loved the Switch 1, and the games I played, I had some performance issues with games like Pokemon Violet and Eiyuden Chronicles. So I made a point to revisit these games to see if I was able to recreate the same problems. With Eiyuden the game ran as smoothly as I hoped and loaded a lot faster but I actually noticed more of a difference with Pokemon. It genuinely looks like a different game with how much it improved and things from a distance load as they should. As much as I loved how it improved I can’t help but be frustrated that this was not the experience I got when I first played the game. Loading times are much faster and visuals are improved for games that ran smoothly like Xenoblade Chronicles X and even Animal Crossing. Though I do recommend making sure you remember the controls if it’s been awhile since playing older games. In a hilarious story trying out Pokémon Arceus the first Pokémon I ran into was a shiny and I completely forgot how to catch it. Lesson learned.

Now I’m sure a lot of you are probably wondering how I feel about the $450 price point and whether or not it’s worth it. It’s not a discussion I want to have in detail if I’m being honest. Though here are my thoughts. I think it’s pricey for a Nintendo console as it’s significantly more expensive than the original Switch, but also much better made. Plus if you have Switch 1 games that don’t perform well I’ve found this to be a nice solution if that is something you’re looking for. So I’m personally happy with it especially as a passionate Nintendo fan. For casual fans I recommend waiting because I’m a firm believer that a console is at its least valuable the day it comes out. It just doesn’t have the library of games to support buying it as a casual fan. That’s why you see me buying Nintendo consoles at launch sometimes, but never consoles for Playstation or Xbox.

So overall the Switch 2 is as you would expect. It’s the same as the original Switch but everything is upgraded. The console is bigger, feels sturdier, the controllers are much better and I love the quality of life improvements. It runs a lot better than the original making playing older games look amazing and run much faster. Even fixing problems with games I’ve had in the past. This review is just really a way of saying it’s just like the Switch 1 but better. Where I think the Switch 1 was previously my favorite console I found this to be a worthwhile purchase and I’m very happy with it. I’m very excited to see what new games are coming out for what I expect to be my new favorite console.