The best thing I bought with my own money this year was the Nintendo Switch 2, and it's not even close

Opinion
By published

The Switch 2 combines Nintendo fun with an improved design and awesome new features

Switch 2
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

When it comes to tech, despite my job, I am a miserly spender on new devices. My phone is more than four years old, and my gaming laptop just hit that 5-year mark when drives start to di,e and performance falls off.

But when I do purchase, I go all in. This year, one of the few big and best purchases I made was the new Nintendo Switch 2. I’ve had a ton of fun playing original Nintendo games and new third-party titles on it for the last six months.

Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2: $449 at nintendo.com

With bundles possibly going away and prices expected to rise next year, the standalone console could be your best deal right now. It comes with the Switch 2, a set of Joy-Con 2 controllers, a TV dock and a controller holder for the Joy-Cons.
Price check: Amazon @ $449.99, Best Buy @ $449.99, Target @ $449.99, $449 @ Walmart

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I am a review reader, so I waited until the Tom’s Guide Nintendo Switch 2 review dropped before I even decided to buy one. Unfortunately, by then, the Switch 2 was out of stock everywhere.

I didn’t have to wait a year to get a Switch 2 like the PS5 during the height of COVID, but I did follow the Tom’s Guide restock trackers and snagged one more than a month after it debuted.

Despite the wait, the Switch 2 is awesome.

Bigger is better

Nintendo Switch 2 displaying Mario Kart World

(Image credit: Future / Tom's Guide)

I have an original Switch, and it is a great little console, but the sequel is better in just about every aspect. The LCD display, despite not being OLED, is absolutely gorgeous, and the cleaner UI scrolls more smoothly.

At 7.9 inches, compared to 6.2 inches on Switch 1, it's larger and provides a higher 1080p resolution (offering 4K for some games via the dock), a huge leap over the 720p resolution on the original.

The more noticeable and welcome size difference is between the original Joy Cons and the Joy Con 2s. The new controllers are larger, slightly more curved, and feel better overall than the originals. I don’t have particularly large or small hands; even so, the larger Joy-Cons feel much better to play with. The older Joy-Cons are cramped in comparison and hard to go back to after trying the 2s.

Bigger is also translating to games. Mario Kart World is a gigantic playworld that I’m not sure the original Switch could have pulled off. It also means more intense third-party games can finally be played on the handheld while allowing Nintendo to expand what its in-house games are capable of, such as the destructive world in Donkey Kong Bananza.

It’s the little details

A rear shot of the Nintendo Switch 2 with its kickstand down

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Beyond size, it’s the little details that elevate the Switch 2 over its predecessor. The kickstand, for example, is larger and covers the entire width of the console. It’s also made of metal, giving it a sturdier feel and weight.

The redesigned Joy-Con 2 controllers ditched the finicky railing system of the original in favor of magnets that let them snap into place with ease. They can go upside down as well, meaning you’ll never get the 2s stuck like the OGs could if you misalign the plastic rails. It’s so gratifying to just snap the Joy-Con 2s into place.

Additionally, Nintendo added a button on the back, so you’ll never accidentally slide the Joy-Cons off.

Would I change anything?

Money roll on a mousetrap

Unfortunately, despite how much fun I’ve had with the Switch 2 this year, there are three things I would change.

For one, the price is too high. I was able to snag a Mario Kart World bundle plus a copy of Donkey Kong Bananza at Best Buy. The bundle alone is $500, while DK costs another $69.

Partially, the only reason I even considered my purchase was that I had some saved-up holiday and birthday gift cards. Still, it’s a high cost for something that used to be the wallet-friendly alternative to the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, even if their prices have gone up as well.

Second, the gamechat button is functionally useless for the way I use the Switch 2. I’m not paying for the extra subscription to use it, and most of my gaming is solo or with my kids. Personally, I have no need for that feature, and wish the button did other things.

Third, my Switch 2 did not survive contact with the enemy: my child. I have some concerns about durability. I’m still not sure what happened, but they managed to shove or push it off our entertainment center such that when it fell, the thumbstick on the right side of Joy-Con 2 snapped off. I was able to superglue it back on, and everything seems to still work, but it is concerning.

Oh, and battery life could be better, but I mostly play in docked mode, so the 2.5-hour battery life doesn’t bother me too much. I’ll never complain about more juice.

Still, if you have the cash to burn, I can honestly say that the Switch 2 is tons of fun and one of my favorite things I bought this year.

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Scott Younker
Scott Younker
West Coast Reporter

Scott Younker is the West Coast Reporter at Tom’s Guide. He covers all the lastest tech news. He’s been involved in tech since 2011 at various outlets and is on an ongoing hunt to build the easiest to use home media system. When not writing about the latest devices, you are more than welcome to discuss board games or disc golf with him. He also handles all the Connections coverage on Tom's Guide and has been playing the addictive NYT game since it released.

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