Time absolutely flies by, doesn’t it? It feels like only yesterday anticipation for the Nintendo Switch 2 was at an all-time high. When the console was officially announced, gamers (myself included) couldn’t wait to get their hands on Nintendo’s latest console, with rumours about first-party titles flying absolutely everywhere.

But that was more than a year ago. The Switch 2 celebrated its first birthday in June, after enjoying a strong launch and earning its place among the best of the current crop of consoles. There have been a number of great first and third-party games released on the Switch 2 as well, including brand new exclusives alongside games launching simultaneously on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Older third-party games have also been ported over, bringing them to new audiences. Nintendo players have had a huge range of great games available on their preferred platform than ever before. It all sounds great on paper but, as with everything, it’s not quite as straightforward as that. So what is the Nintendo Switch 2 really like in 2026, and is it worth getting one now?

Read more: **Best Nintendo Switch 2 games, reviewed **

• Why we love it- Best hybrid console on the market
• Best console option for local multiplayer games and families

• Seamless switch between docked and handheld modes

• Take note- Lack of top quality first-party exclusives

• Majority of ported games play much better elsewhere

If I had to describe the Nintendo Switch 2 in one sentence, it’s pretty much a bigger and more powerful version of the original Switch. It has a 7.9in 1080p LCD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, bigger Joy-Cons as a result, and is primarily black with signature colourful trim around the controller sticks and where the Joy-Cons connect magnetically.

When docked, it can run at up to 4K and 120fps on compatible screens, has 256GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot allowing for expanded storage, between two and 6.5 hours of battery life depending on what games you’re playing, and weighs 534g with the controllers attached and 401g without. That weight is significant to note because, although it is bigger and heavier than the original Switch, it still feels comfortable to hold when playing handheld, even during longer play sessions.

In terms of the console itself, the Switch 2 plays it very safe compared to the original Switch but, with that older hardware being so popular, why fix something that isn’t broken? There’s still a huge market for the Switch 2, and the hardware itself is successful in that regard as it refines rather than revolutionises.

Like the original Switch, the Joy-Cons make couch co-op so simple and accessible, as the console comes with two naturally detachable controllers. Because this lends itself to playing with others, it’s much more suited to couch co-op and younger families, with a pick-up-and-play feel rather than feeling like you need to sit down for hours on end to have a meaningful session, and the games available reflect that.

Speaking of the games, there are more options to play on Nintendo hardware than ever before because of the range of first and third-party titles. As mentioned, this sounds incredibly promising on paper, but it’s not quite as simple as that.

Starting with first-party titles, there are one or two genuinely exceptional games, including Donkey Kong Bananza and Pokemon Pokopia. But since the Switch 2 launched, out of all the games released at the time of writing, these are the only ones that truly stand out to me.

There have been releases such as Hyrule Warriors, Kirby Air Riders, Mario Tennis Fever, Star Fox and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, to name a few. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with them, but they just don’t set the world alight or make me think, “Wow, these games make me want to play my Switch 2”.

Perhaps controversially, I’ve completely gone off Mario Kart World. After a couple of months, I went back to playing Mario Kart 8 and its DLC, which I still play to this day simply because I find it more fun and engaging. The sections connecting tracks together in Mario Kart World can feel a bit dull, with not much going on, and it just doesn't consistently offer what I’m looking for in an arcade racer.

Even the Switch 2 Editions of games can be a bit hit and miss. The upgrades for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are exceptional because they address performance issues and long loading times. But then there are Super Mario Party Jamboree and Animal Crossing Switch 2 Edition, which could have gone so much further than they do, although they do look a bit better.

A huge plus point. though, is backwards compatibility with original Switch games. If you have a lot of Switch games and want to play them on Switch 2, the vast, vast majority of them are supported, meaning you can seamlessly move across your library. Original Switch cartridges work too. Moving data across from an original Switch to a Switch 2 is incredibly straightforward.

Moving on to third-party titles, there is a wider variety of games available on Nintendo hardware than ever before. There have been key day-one releases for certain huge games, such as Resident Evil Requiem, with more and more ports coming to the Switch 2.

It’s very commendable to have such a plethora of games available, but how some of them run is an altogether different story. I’ve found some ports to run really well, such as Cyberpunk 2077 and Pragmata, but on the whole, the majority of them do not run anywhere near as well as they do on other consoles.

That is to be expected, to an extent, given the Switch 2 is naturally less powerful than the likes of a PS5, Xbox Series X/S or PC. It’s amazing to have these games running at all but, unless the Switch 2 is the only way you can play them and you’re only looking at getting one piece of gaming hardware, it’s hard to recommend playing third-party games on Switch 2 over other platforms.

For me, it’s more about accessibility on the platform than the ports genuinely being really good on the whole.

A recent example of this was Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. It’s one of the best-looking games out there on PS5 and a title I really enjoyed, yet on the Switch 2 there were frequent moments where I found issues with the resolution, detailing and performance, which completely took me out of the immersion. Yet there are some exceptional and stable ports, such as Cyberpunk 2077, and if you want everything in one place, the Switch 2 is a great option.

The Switch 2 is easily the best hybrid console on the market at its current price point. It’s now much less expensive than other hardware that's available, which, in the current climate, is incredibly important, and it offers a wide selection of high-quality games across different genres, which it didn’t necessarily do before.

Nintendo consoles are still the best when it comes to standout couch co-op and family experiences, too. It’s the best-value option if you want to play fun games with friends or family members of all ages.

Key specifications

• Display:7.9in 1080p LCD, up to 120Hz
• Docked output:Up to 4K at 60fps with HDR
• Battery life:2 to 6.5 hours (usage dependent)
• Storage:256GB internal storage (expandable via microSD Express)
• Weight:534g (with Joy-Con 2 controllers attached), 401g (without Joy-Con 2 controllers)