Not a Switch, But a Switch 2 – First Reactions

Nintendo has finally announced its next console: the aptly named Switch 2. It’s an apt name because that’s exactly what it is. It’s a Switch, but not quite as you’ve known it.

Never before has there been a trailer more desperate to highlight that this is an evolution. It’s its own thing, but not so much that we can’t show your old Joycons transforming magically into these new Joycons. They’re slightly bigger and are like computer mice now.

Clearly the execs at Nintendo remember the mistakes made around the Wii U, and don’t want to make those same mistakes again. This is a Switch 2. Look at the transformation! And yet, I came out of the trailer without any real sense of why someone might upgrade. From the leaks we know it’s better than a Switch, and that harder-to-run games will be available. That’s not on display here. Instead, I guess, that will be something we see more of when the Switch 2 Direct comes along in April.

The good news is that now that we can all stop pretending the Switch 2 doesn’t exist, I expect a few of those “+ other consoles” game announcements to start filling in the gaps. Hopefully we see some third party information over the next few days and some of the mystery around this machine disappears. Maybe not, given that April is when we get our deep dive. That is a long way away.

It’s not the Switch, but the Switch 2

And so what we have to react to is actually quite shallow. The console looks nice, as the Switch did before it. Additional ideas, such as the kickstand and mouse functionality, will be useful and set it apart from other consoles and handhelds on the market. A new Mario Kart is awesome news, given that it’s been so long since our last brand new title. I’d have liked to see a bit more of it, as well as why it’s only possible on the Switch 2. For the sake of an extra 20 seconds, it could have been a more powerful reveal.

But Nintendo isn’t looking to talk about games, the way many of us are. For them, this is the first time they’re showing their new console to the world. They want us to drool over the logo we’ve already seen, marvel at the console that we’ve already analysed from every angle. Some Nintendo fans will be open mouthed just at the Switch 2’s existence, and this trailer was for them. It’s an announcement to get your pennies ready, and a confirmation that 2025 will be the year. A final splash screen reminds you to keep buying Switch games, they’ll be backwards compatible. It’s an important detail, much appreciated. The cynic in me dislikes that it was put ahead of so many other questions in need of answers. Especially when Nintendo has let all these leaks happen to protect their last Switch Christmas sales.

So my first reaction isn’t a reaction at all. It’s finally announced. It looks cool. What else can you say except see you in April?