I Bought A Switch 2
I've known for a long time that I've wanted to get the Switch 2 close to or on launch, so I did. Yesterday I shelled out $500 on it. But was it worth it? Is it worth it for you? I will be yapping at you about this today.
Point One: Hardware
The Switch 2 is a much more powerful console than the Switch 1, and it's honestly impressive how much is crammed into something so small. Games are running at consistent 60 FPS (if you care), and I haven't noticed lag where it was egregious on the Switch 1 (Pokemon SV, some areas in TOTK (WITHOUT upgrade pack)). The screen in handheld looks amazing, it's vibrant and AWOOGA is it smooth! Pixelation in handheld was terrible on Switch 1, but here everything looks buttery. While the screen is much larger, some sort of witchcraft has allowed this console to only weigh around 1 pound, and it's not a total pain to keep held up while in bed. The specs on this thing are impressive, and I've heard they rival or surpass the Steam Deck, but what do I know I'm not a nerd I don't understand all these words. All of this comes at a price, however. And that's that the battery life leaves a lot to be desired. Nintendo themselves estimate 2-6.5 hours depending on the game, and charging the console to full takes 3. This isn't... horrible, at least not for me who plays most of their games docked anyway, but it still leaves me feeling a little disappointed.
Nevertheless, I bought the console knowing this, and I do fully anticipate getting a revised model later on. I also had a launch model of Switch 1 for the better part of my Switch ownership, and the battery life and screen quality for that left me wanting an upgrade. Although, I can't see myself fully upgrading to a hypothetical OLED model, just because I find the screen on the Switch 2 to be more than sufficient. Like I said, it's large and looks very nice, especially when compared to the Switch 1. So it fully fulfills my needs for a Nice Looking Handheld.
Enough with the boring stuff let's talk about the other junk crammed into this thing. And by other junk I mean the mouse support.
Mouse and keyboard support for some games is an absolute game changer! Using the JoyCons as a mouse isn't the most comfortable, but having 2 USB ports gives your the option to fully use an actual mouse instead. I personally haven't tried this because I don't have any games to try it on, but having it there as a feature is really neat, and I'm sure games will come out that use this feature well.
Voice chat is a feature of the Nintendo Switch 2.
Yeah I don't care much for this. I'm sure it's neat, but I probably won't be using this because I own a capture card and Discord. Sooo...
Point Two: Software
Let's be real. We aren't even one month into this thing, of course the software support isn't there. But man was the launch lineup... bad. Mario Kart World is really fun, and I plan on getting the Switch 2 version of No Man's Sky eventually, but personally, especially because Cyberpunk doesn't appeal to me, there isn't much to look at when it comes to Switch 2 games. 6 months from now, this console could be an absolute must have! But right now? Unless you're dying to play Mario Kart, are excited for the new DK game, have massive FOMO or have a special interest in Splatoon and Nintendo that causes you to feel physical pain when new Things are announced that you miiight not be able to get day one...
Should You Wait?
Science says: Probably!
Wait for a revision! A holiday sale! More games! I think that if you're not a die hard Nintendo fan like some of us are, you're more than fine to wait for more things to come out and for, especially, more availibility! This is a great console, and I'll probably have mine for a while before I get a neat new special version, but if you're casual about your gaming, stick with a Switch 1 for now! If you've never had a Switch and wanna buy one, now might be a great time to look into pre-owned Switch 1's! A lot of people are selling theirs to buy the new console, and I've seen some good deals on online marketplaces.
So, whether you're sticking with your Switch 1, finally jumping on the train, or barrelling headfirst into buying a Switch 2: Good Luck! Have fun! And thank you for reading!