The Nintendo Switch 2 is almost here, but if you're a gamer eagerly anticipating its arrival, you might have already seen a few lucky folks—myself included—getting hands-on time with the console and trying out some of the new and returning games set to launch later this year.
Nintendo has been hosting Switch 2 Experience events across the globe, and at one of the most recent stops in London, I had the chance to put the new handheld through its paces and see how both the console and new titles like Mario Kart World stack up against their predecessors.
Nintendo Switch 2: Hands-On
Before I dive in, it’s worth mentioning that the event kicked off with attendees playing the new Mario Kart in TV mode first, then switching over to handheld. After that, we were ushered into a second room where the floor opened up to a wide selection of games—both familiar favorites and brand-new titles.
I managed to try out five games in total, spending around 20 minutes with each one.
Design and Hardware: In-hand impression
The most obvious change when it comes to the Switch 2 is the new, wider, 7.9-inch screen. While visually impressive and great for handheld gaming, it did toe the line of being too wide for true portability for me.
It’s still just as thin as the original Switch, which is a clever bit of design work, but being even wider than a Steam Deck means there's definitely a stronger focus on handheld gaming at home rather than handheld gaming on the move with this particular iteration. On that note, I wouldn’t be surprised if this size was a strategic move to create more contrast with an eventual (though not confirmed) Lite version.
The new Joy-Cons are another major talking point. Nintendo has opted for a sleek matte black design, with subtle color accents around the sticks that nod to the original red and blue. This gave them more of a premium look and feel than the originals, in my eyes, which is a step in the right direction for the next-generation console.
The SL and SR buttons have been redesigned, too—wider, easier to press, and much more like proper buttons than before. It was a bit odd not needing to attach button-rails to actually use them (even if you technically can on the original Joy-Cons), but throughout the day, I noticed that any rail attachments I used were mainly there for the wrist straps. I didn’t get a chance to test attaching and removing the rails, but the straps themselves were mostly similar to what came before.
One of the biggest changes is how the Joy-Cons attach and detach. They now snap into place magnetically, and those magnets are strong. Attaching them feels satisfyingly secure, but removing them isn’t as smooth, at least not one-handed. You need a firm, two-handed grip on the handheld console when you press the rear release buttons. The first time I tried removing the left Joy-Con, only half the controller detached (the top magnet). I was trying to do this with one hand on the console, but still, detaching the Joy-Cons wasn't always a smooth experience.
Like the OLED Switch, the Switch 2 also features a kickstand that allows you to prop up the device and play in handheld mode, but with it placed on a table, desk, or any other surface you can think of, really.
This stand works just like the kickstand before it and seemed sturdy enough when I briefly flipped it out and propped up the device (see below). It supported the Switch 2 and its extra weight without issue, but I couldn't really test if it remained sturdy under suprise movement—someone knocking into the table it's placed on, for example. The environment just didn't allow for it, nor did it allow me to assess the sound quality in handheld mode, unfortunately.
I did, however, get the chance to feel the new "HD Rumble 2" haptic feedback built into the Joy-Cons. Though subtle, the rumbles did add to the experience while playing games, but I'll get more into this in the next section.
As for the other hardware and accessories, I got to glimpse the new camera, which has a tall, slim design, and the new “C” button for party chat, but there was no opportunity to test either.
That said, there was a short video showcasing the "GameChat" mode. From what I saw, it seems as though the entire thing may be slightly overcomplicated and oversaturated with features that, in my opinion, won't get used often. Again, I didn't directly test this, so I can't say for certain, but that's how it looked to me anyway.
Other accessories on show included the wheel add-ons, the Pro controller, the GameCube controller, and so on. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to try any of these either, though I did get to use the Joy-Con Grip, which I felt turned the Joy-Cons into more of a traditional controller than the grip accessories available for the original Switch.
Performance: Noticeable gains in the resolution and frame rate
Performance-wise, the Switch 2 seemed a clear step up from its predecessor. The jump to 1080p handheld resolution is instantly noticeable, and when paired with a buttery-smooth 120fps, gameplay definitely felt smoother and crisper than before.
The Welcome Tour game (more on this later) showcased this best as one minigame, where you had to guess the frame rate each round, gave a good account for just how much smoother and more fluid 120 frames is. Movement and animation just felt better, so the Switch 2 gets a big tick from me there.
HDR support is another welcome addition. I saw it in action during a fireworks minigame in Welcome Tour, where the added contrast and brightness really made the visuals pop. It’s also present in more vibrant titles like Mario Kart World, where color and lighting stood out in a way that definitely wouldn’t have landed the same on older hardware.
Adding to the new and improved visual fidelity is the fact that, in TV mode, the console outputs at 4K and 60fps. It’s a great combo, and while not every game may fully utilize it right away, it's reassuring to know the hardware is ready for it.
That said, there is one slight disappointment: the Switch 2's screen isn’t OLED. After the OLED model of the original Switch raised the bar for handheld display quality, it feels like a bit of a step back. I get that including an OLED panel would’ve driven up the already premium price, but it would have been nice to have from the off, and it’s hard not to imagine a future OLED Switch 2 revision is already waiting in the wings.
One of the more heavily promoted features at the event was using the Joy-Cons like a mouse—flat against a surface, sliding to move a cursor or object. Each Joy-Con I was able to use like this had small black pads underneath, presumably for smoother glide and to avoid damage—just something I thought I'd mention if you use your own Switch 2 Joy-Cons in this mode later down the line.
Firstly, I would say using the Joy-Cons like a mouse worked surprisingly well across different surfaces, even across my jean trousers, but using them as a mouse got tiring quickly. While clever, it feels like a feature reserved for minigames—something that’ll show up in a Mario Party down the line, for example—rather than a major feature at this stage. I played Drag x Drive, which was built entirely around this mechanic, but it didn’t leave a strong impression (again, more on this later).
I wouldn't really call it a major selling point...yet. If developers manage to find creative ways to implement this feature into their games, then it could certainly unlock a whole new set of gaming experiences with a Nintendo console. For now, though, this feature seems more like just a gimmick.
What was more of a selling point to me, but one that wasn't talked about much at the event, was the inclusion of rumble feedback in the Joy-Cons. It’s subtle, in most cases, but can ramp up when needed and when the occasion calls for it. One Welcome Tour minigame demonstrated the full range of haptic feedback, and it certainly helped give these new Joy-Cons an edge over their predecessors, creating something more familiar to what PS5 and Xbox gamers have been experiencing for years.
Nintendo Switch 2: Games I Played
I didn’t get to try every game at the Switch 2 Experience, but I did manage to cover the key titles on show. The only notable miss was Cyberpunk 2077—I was curious to see how the graphics faired on the new hardware, but the queue was massive, and I didn’t want to spend half the event waiting in line.
Mario Kart World: The best game I played on the day
Mario Kart World was easily one of the highlights of my time with the Switch 2. The sheer number of racers on track—24 in total—immediately makes the game feel more chaotic, competitive, and fun.
The character variety is great, too. I got to play as the already popular Moo Moo Meadows cow and Luigi in what looked like a gondolier outfit. A cool twist: you can actually change costumes mid-race by hitting special lunch boxes scattered across the track, which kept things feeling fresh lap after lap.
Knockout Tour was, inevitably, the star of the show for me. I got to play this game mode with 24 others at the event in this multi-stage chaos where the slowest players get eliminated at each checkpoint. I was leading early on, but after getting hit by a barrage of items back-to-back, I dropped to 19th and got knocked out at gate 2 of 5. Brutal, but fun, and a mode I will no doubt be hopping into more often if I pick up a Switch 2 in the future.
I also tried the classic Grand Prix mode, which felt very similar to Mario Kart's of old, but with a more dynamic twist... While playing, I noticed (and Nintendo staff reiterated) that the tracks within each Grand Prix were interconnected and are, themselves, dynamic, shifting between day and night, with weather effects and subtle layout changes that keep you on your toes.
Also, I noticed a new detail: if you clip an obstacle, like an oncoming car, your kart is tipped onto its side and continues to drive on two wheels instead of coming to a full stop as it would in previous games. It’s more forgiving this way, and it means you don't lose all momentum if you make more of a half-error than a complete crash. It's also a mechanic that clearly took inspiration from the new grind rail element to Mario Kart racing—hey, if the mechanic's there, why not use it?
As I'm sure you've seen, there's an open-world element to Mario Kart World, though I’m not entirely sold on it just yet. It might’ve been part of a free-roam lobby area while waiting for a Knockout race to start, but what I experienced felt a bit empty.
The game seemed to have turn assist on, which immediately prevented me from fully exploring, but I did manage to glide off the edge of a raised section and fall into this lake way, way below that kind of acted like Bedrock in Minecraft, blocking you from leaving the digital confines of the game.
This fall right to the bottom of the world took an insanely long time, and once down there, the only thing in sight was a giant ramp to glide back up to the main course. Hopefully, the open-world element feels more alive in the final release, as there is a good chance this was just how this pre-Knockout Tour race lobby was set out. My verdict so far, though, is that Mario Kart World is technically open, but that openness could be mostly empty.
Donkey Kong Bananza: Give me something to break
Donkey Kong Bananza was the next game I tried at the event. In the 20 minutes I had with it, I tackled the intro and the first proper level, and right from the start, it was clear this game is leaning hard into pure destruction—absolutely the right call for a new Donkey Kong game.
Almost every object in the environment is smashable, bashable, or throwable. The only things that seemed immune were the concrete borders right at the edges of the map—like that lake I talked about in Mario Kart World. I get it, though; even open-world games need borders.
The mechanic that I got the most joy from was the ability to rip a massive boulder from the ground and use it like a makeshift stone skateboard. I cruised across the map on it before hopping off and chucking it at a group of enemies like a bowling ball of doom. It’s as ridiculous as it sounds, and certainly fun.
Bananza definitely doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that’s really its selling point, alongside the destruction. But beyond the chaos, it felt like the game didn’t have much else to offer.
Most secrets I came across (hidden bananas, items, etc.) were just tucked behind breakable objects, and the level design seemed to lack creativity. Visually, something felt off as well. And yes, I know a lot has been made about the DK redesign, but it was more than that. The graphics just seemed a bit 'blocky,' and the whole thing just felt like a game that could have been released when the first Switch came out, not a flagship game for this second generation.
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour: Why isn't this free?
Welcome Tour is to Switch 2 what ASTRO's Playroom is to the PS5, only worse. Sorry to start this section off so negatively, but as I'm writing this, I've discovered this game costs actual money to play. Whatever you do, don't fall for this trap, because this is nothing more than a demo that should really come pre-installed on every unit—like ASTRO's Playroom—but doesn't. Anyway, onto the gameplay...
Welcome Tour essentially offers a series of minigames that help showcase each new feature of the Switch 2. This includes avoiding falling mines using the Joy-Cons as mice, guessing the frame rate from a clip of a sports ball bouncing across the screen, and pin pointing the area where the Joy-Con rumble feedback is strongest on an on-screen ruler—stop me if any of these sound like they're worth paying for.
Truthfully, this was the worst game I tried, but I wanted to give it a go to help me truly appreciate all the Switch 2's new features. Yes, it did demonstrate how HDR was adding vibrancy and how 120 frames is smoother than 60, but you can find better minigames on mobile apps these days, so I won't be playing Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour again anytime soon.
Drag x Drive: The ultimate forearm workout
Of all the games I tried at the event (ignoring Welcome Tour), Drag x Drive was the weakest. It's basically something between ARMS and Rocket League, but it unfortunately lacked the polish or punch of either. It felt more like a tech demo, much like Welcome Tour, that has been built solely to show off the new Joy-Con mouse-style controls—and even then, the execution left a lot to be desired.
The core gameplay during my session was a basketball-style match where you slide the Joy-Cons across a flat surface to move and flick them up to shoot. In theory, this sounds fun. In practice, however, it was clunky and hard to get the hang of. After 20 minutes, I still wasn’t confident in what I was doing, and the game lacked clear feedback—especially when it came to shooting. It was hard to tell whether my flick actually influenced the shot or if my in-game position mattered more.
The highlight, if you can call it that, was landing a three-pointer during practice. Beyond that, things were a little boring. It also didn’t help that the control method was physically tiring. Sliding the Joy-Cons around on a desk got uncomfortable quickly. I did find it slightly more bearable using the Joy-Cons on my lap, but that's not exactly how the game's designed to be played from what I saw.
I would say Drag x Drive feels like a concept that isn’t quite ready for prime time. The mouse-mode controls might have potential in the right game, but this wasn’t it. The game, dare I say, feels unfinished and unrefined.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch 2 Edition): A fun return for the character
While Kirby and the Forgotten Land is just an enhanced version of the original 2022 release, the Switch 2 version I played felt fresh—especially since I never played the first one. I jumped into the opening level on Wild Mode (the tougher of two difficulty options, with Spring-Breeze Mode being the easier) and was pleasantly surprised by how fun the experience was.
The new Star-Crossed mechanic adds a unique twist to each level, switching things up in ways that even returning players will probably appreciate. I also got a taste of a few power-up changes, including the returning Mouthful Mode, which now ties into unlocking additional abilities. The blue crystals around the world are also beautiful but serve a purpose to shift the dynamics of a level, giving it a more reactive and replayable feel.
Visually, it looked great running on the Switch 2, and gameplay-wise, it was fun. I actually enjoyed this more than Donkey Kong Bananza, thanks to its better graphics and more interesting level design. Even as a returning title, it still feels like one worth revisiting, or discovering for the first time.
Final Verdict: Should You Pre-Order the Switch 2?
At this stage, probably not.
While the Switch 2 does bring some genuine upgrades—most notably the improved resolution, smoother 120fps gameplay, and a few clever new hardware features—it’s hard to justify the jump when looking at the current lineup of games and the console’s higher price point.
Some of the games I played were enjoyable, but nothing I experienced felt like a true next-gen leap. Maybe Mario Kart World did, but maybe that's just because some of the other games were poor.
Mario Kart World was easily the standout, and I did walk away excited to play more of the new Knockout Tour mode. That said, the core gameplay still felt very reminiscent of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but it just about had enough new content to keep everyone there excited for its arrival.
Meanwhile, Donkey Kong Bananza leaned into chaotic fun but lacked standout level design, and visually, it felt dated compared to other titles on show—yet it's a brand new game. And as for Kirby and the Forgotten Land, it’s a re-release with some extras for the Switch 2. It's good fun, sure, but it's not a completely new game that's worth buying the new console for.
Nintendo has a habit of releasing stronger titles later in a console’s lifecycle, and I fully expect that to happen here. But right now, it feels like the Switch 2 is laying the groundwork rather than delivering a must-have experience out of the gate. Unless you're desperate for slightly better performance or a bigger screen, you're better off waiting to see what’s coming next.
