I’ve had the Nintendo Switch 2 for one day and I’m not impressed – Reader’s Feature

A reader gives their first impressions of the Switch 2 and is disappointed by what they see as a lack of new features and a weak line-up of games.

There’s nothing in gaming more exciting than a new console. Especially if you get it day one and know you’re getting it as early as anyone else in the world (even most journalists, as it turned out). Figuring out what all the sockets do, attaching the Joy-Cons for the first time, plugging in the dock… I loved all that stuff and it’s very obvious that this is a well designed and thought out bit of kit.

I got my Switch 2 on Thursday and so I’ve played it for around 12 hours, as I write this, and after the initial excitement ran out I have to say that I do have a lot of concerns. Most of it is with Nintendo and the games but the console has some issues too.

The LCD screen is a nasty backwards step from the OLED Model, and it really makes me not want to use it. I know it would’ve been too expensive with an OLED screen, but I do wish they’d given us the option at launch, rather than just try and make us double dip in a couple of years.

I also worry about the connection between the Joy-Cons and the console. I know Nintendo think it’s fine with the magnets and everything, and it is clever, but it worries me because it feels like it could snap, even if they say it won’t. But perhaps I’ll just get used to that.

The other more vague thing is the fact that the dashboard and interface is identical to the original Switch (at least after its most recent update) and that makes it feel like less of a brand new console. I prefer the way Sony does things, with each new PlayStation having a new interface that builds on the previous one, and sometimes isn’t quite as good, but at least it feels new.

This lack of new feeling stretches to the games too. Mario Kart World is fun but it’s basically just Mario Kart 8 for 24 players but with no anti-gravity sections. There’s also the open world but as people are starting to realise this adds absolutely nothing to the game.

It has nothing to do with the Grand Prix mode or Knockout Tour and there’s very little to do if you just free roam. It’s an impressively big world but the only thing you can do is complete little tasks and get stickers for your kart.

Maybe there’s more to it than that, because I admit I haven’t played it that much so far, but I don’t see anything online saying there is. Which makes me think that after only a few hours I’ve seen everything the game has to offer.

I’m not saying it’s not a good game but it’s not a very original or ambitious one and the one thing that does make it different from the others is a complete non-event.

The next problem is that there’s basically no other games beyond that. It’s all just third party games that have been out for ages already and I either already have or don’t want. So, stupidly, I bought Welcome Tour, because at least it was new and it was cheap.

But it’s not even a game. It’s just a bunch of boring quizzes and rubbish mini-games, with a ton of text to read through like you’re swatting up for a test, which you basically are. The graphics are completely boring and it’s not funny or charming or anything you’d normally expect from Nintendo.

I also got the upgrades for the two Zelda games, as at least they were relatively cheap, and… I can see the difference they make but it’s pretty minor. Unfortunately, that kind of sums up the Switch 2 so far for me.

The launch line-up is really bad, in my opinion, and easily one of the worst Nintendo has ever had, which is weird given how long they’ve had to get ready for this. And yet I bet next week we’ll be hearing about how it’s the fastest-selling console ever or something.

There’s nothing wrong with the Switch 2, there have been worse launches from other companies, but for me it doesn’t live up to the hype and I’m confused and disappointed that Nintendo has made such little effort with it.

By reader Coolsbane

The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

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