Switch 2: Switch Harder. Sure, that's a glib summation of one of the most eagerly anticipated games console launches of all time, but it is, nevertheless, apt. The Nintendo Switch 2 isn't the sort of generational leap PlayStations or Xboxes offer, but rather a refinement of what's worked for the last eight years. In short, it elevates, hones, and polishes almost every facet of the original Switch to deliver what is almost its ultimate form.
The similarities are apparent from the moment you open the box: a familiar tablet-like console and two hand controllers, the refined Joy-Con 2 grips. Everything's a bit bigger, and those controllers now snap into the console magnetically rather than slide onto rails, but it all looks and feels like just another Switch. Thankfully, its improvements soon shine through.
Photograph: Julian ChokkattuThe increased size is the most striking difference. The 7.9-inch screen makes for a larger core unit, but the resolution bump to 1920 x 1080 full HD, with a 279 pixels-per-inch density, makes brilliant use of it. Throw in HDR10 support for increased brightness and more vibrant colors and a variable refresh rate of up to 120 Hz for incredibly smooth visuals, and it just about makes up for reverting to an LCD panel. In fact, going back to the 720p, 210-ppi Switch OLED instantly feels muddy in comparison. That said, the mere existence of the Switch OLED makes it feel like a Switch 2 OLED is inevitable.
