Last month, I reviewed the Nintendo Switch 2 for Tom's Guide. Overall, I love the hybrid console, as my enthusiastic write-up proves. And while I did everything I could to replicate various conditions in my testing, there are some real-world scenarios you can’t mimic from your home base, such as taking the Switch 2 on an aeroplane, or whipping it out in a bustling hotel lobby.
I’ve just returned from my first trip with the Switch 2 in tow, and have come away once again seriously impressed with Nintendo’s next-gen handheld/home console. However, the experience of going abroad with the Switch 2 has also further highlighted some of its frustrating flaws.
So, here’s my first experience taking Nintendo Switch 2 on a trip, the good and the bad.
Taking Nintendo Switch 2 on a trip - pros
My hands love the larger size
The Switch 2 is bigger in every way than its predecessor. The larger 7.9-inch display takes all the attention, but the LCD screen is wrapped in an equally beefier plastic shell, and frankly, I love the larger size. As a Steam Deck OLED convert since last winter, I’m now used to larger handhelds, and by the end of the generation, the Switch 1 was feeling uncomfortably small in my palms.
So, when playing the Nintendo Switch 2 for longer periods, such as on a four-hour flight, my fingers were thanking the designer for the larger Joy-Con 2 controllers and overall size. I still prefer playing with a Nintendo Pro controller, but at least now the Joy-Con 2s don’t feel entirely designed with small, child-sized hands in mind. Oh, and the magnetic connectors are still fantastic. It’s a huge upgrade over the old railing system, and a breeze to snap on and off.
Tabletop Mode is a novel option
Speaking of detaching the Joy-Con 2s, the Switch family of systems continues to offer a feature that few handhelds can replicate: Tabletop Mode.
Even if the Nintendo Switch 2 is significantly more comfortable to hold in handheld mode compared to its predecessor, you can take your play experience up a level via Tabletop Mode, letting you prop up the main console unit via the built-in kickstand and give your arms a proper rest.
As somebody who never upgraded to a Nintendo Switch OLED (I stuck with my launch unit till the end), which had an improved flexible kickstand already, I’ve found the Switch 2’s adjustable stand a real revelation. And tabletop mode also proved very useful for playing two-player Mario Kart World on a flight.
The launch library is solid, if not spectacular
I’ve seen more than a few grumbles about the library of available software on Nintendo Switch 2 at launch. You don’t have to search social media far to find people arguing, “Switch 2 has no games,” but I just don’t believe this mocking statement matches up with reality.
Yes, I will concede the Switch 2 is lacking in exclusive software, with only Mario Kart World and Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour offering experiences you can't get anywhere else, but the roster of third-party ports and excellent upgrades to must-play Switch 1 games is nevertheless very healthy at this early stage.
I had a great time on my trip chipping away at my latest playthrough of Cyberpunk 2077, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has completely hooked me all over again after leaving it mostly untouched after wrapping up my original run back in the spring of 2017.
Plus, Mario Kart World, for all my issues with its focus on rally races over traditional three-lap courses, is still the perfect pick-up-and-play title, and I enjoyed a quick race or two while waiting for my gate number to be called.
Taking Nintendo Switch 2 on a trip - cons
Battery life is just straight up bad
There’s just no sugarcoating this one, the Nintendo Switch 2 battery life sucks.
I had a four and a half hour flight as part of this trip, and was reaching for a power pack before we were even halfway to our landing destination.
The battery life is so underwhelming that traveling with a portable charger or having access to in-flight charging is practically a necessity if you want to take the Switch 2 to 30,000 feet. Anything beyond a quick domestic journey, and the Switch 2 isn’t going to touch down with any juice left.
I noted the poor battery life as an issue in my Switch 2 review, but the problem really comes into focus when you’re traveling and can’t always easily connect to a reliable power supply.
Having also taken my Steam Deck OLED on various trips in recent months, I felt the Switch 2 did not stack up well in the battery life department. And if the Switch 2 gets a mid-gen refresh, the battery life needs to be boosted.
What is up with Switch 2 download speeds?
Okay, so technically this is an issue I encountered prior to my trip, specifically the night before, as I was installing games to play on my vacation, but I just do not quite understand what the deal is with Switch 2 download speeds.
Naturally, I have my Nintendo Switch 2 hooked up to the same Wi-Fi connection as the rest of the gaming consoles (and tech devices) in my house. While on PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X, I’m able to download 50GB in about 30 minutes, my Switch 2 needs several hours to download a quarter of that.
Heck, the evening before my trip, I went to download a new update for Hitman: World of Assassination, and while it was a ludicrously huge 112GB update, my Switch 2 informed me that it would take more than 130 hours to complete. That’s less than a gigabyte downloaded per hour!
A quick search tells me I’m far from the only one experiencing this issue, and while various user fixes are currently floating around, none have entirely resolved the seriously slow download speeds for me. I’m just hoping this is a patchable problem and not something faulty within the hardware itself.
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