Nintendo Switch 2 hands-on preview: 5 shocking details that made my jaw drop

The Nintendo Switch 2 release is so close we can almost taste it. But unlike Switch game cartridges, the taste is the least interesting thing about Nintendo’s new games console, so we’ve done something better instead — we’ve touched it.

We’ve been hands-on with the Mario maker’s first brand-new machine in eight years, and have been able to test its new features, feel its new pads, play its line-up of launch games, and get a good idea of what it’s going to be like to own the Switch 2.

There are a few things we’ve still not seen — we’ve yet to look at the console’s operating system and interface, and we’ve not had a real chance to try out chat features or put the battery through its paces. But following a four-hour hands on session with the Nintendo Switch 2, I’m confident it’s looking like a great machine. Better yet, some of the features that I wasn’t certain about shocked me when tested — Nintendo’s made some smart and jaw-dropping changes for its new console. Read on for the stand-out impressions from my time with the Nintendo Switch 2.

Nintendo Switch 2: The core specs and features

At this point, many of the details of the Nintendo Switch 2 are known — before we get into the jaw-dropping details, here’s a quick run down of the main features of the new console.

• More powerful: The Switch 2 can play games at higher resolutions and faster framerates than the original Switch, up to 4K / 120fps depending on the game, thanks to a new (as-yet-unnamed) Nvidia mobile chipset.
• New dock: Capable of 4K output, this larger dock has a built-in fan to keep the console cool when connected to your TV.
• Bigger screen: With a 7.9-inch screen, the Switch 2 has a considerably bigger display than the 6.2-inch original and 7-inch OLED model. It’s also sharper too, with a 1080p display, and is richer thanks to HDR and VRR frame rate support.
• Backwards compatible: 99.9% of original Switch games work on the Switch 2.
• New Joy-Con controllers: Not only are the new controllers bigger, with bigger joysticks, but they attach to the console with a new magnetic connection. Each Joy-Con 2 pad can instantly turn into a mouse for the console too, by placing it on its side.
• Game Chat: A new dedicated button on the console fires up a built-in microphone and turns on in-game chat for you and your online friends. If you purchase a sold-separately camera, you can also see your pals while you play, with some games putting your video feed into the action. Video and voice chat features are tied to the Nintendo Switch Online subscription.
• Pricing and availability: Up for pre-order now (if you can find a retailer that still has stock) the Nintendo Switch 2 costs £395.99. A good-value bundle throws in Mario Kart World for £429, — a big saving considering the game itself costs £74.99 if it were bought individually. The console is set to be released on June 5th. It’s a price bump (the games are on average £10 more expensive, too). But the new features justify the leap.

• Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order: Where to buy Nintendo's new console

Now, on to the good stuff — the unexpected hardware details that shocked us during our hands-on time…

Shocking Discovery #1 - Mouse play is actually good

You wouldn’t have been the only person to raise an eyebrow when you heard that the new Joy-Con controllers can be used as mice for the Switch 2. They’re a size unlike any other mouse out there, bringing ergonomics into question, not to mention how fit they are for living room play — the Switch’s natural home.

I’m happy to report that the Joy-Con 2 controllers make for excellent mice. Turn them on their side and they glide around smoothly and with precision, with the two trigger buttons on each Joy-Con half working as your left and right mouse buttons. They even work well when dragged over your jeans too, meaning sofa play isn’t out of the question.

Whether controlling Samus’s aim in Metroid Prime 4, dragging wheels in wheelchair basketball game Drag x Drive, or dodging obstacles in Mario Party mini-games, Nintendo already seems like it’s got plenty of ideas on how to use the control scheme, too.

It will take some getting used to — it’s a weird shape, and long-term play might benefit from a grip attachment. You’ll have to relearn where face buttons sit at a horizontal angle too. But I’m, surprisingly, pretty excited about playing with a Joy-Con mouse on Switch 2.

Shocking Discovery #2 - The Joy-Con 2 magnets are strong

Whereas the original Joy-Con controllers attached to the core console component via a catch-and-release rail system, the new larger Joy-Con 2 controllers instead use magnets to satisfyingly snap to the sides of the Switch 2. The SL and SR buttons on the side of the pads now are made of metal, helping to keep the pads in place, and released by a trigger that pushes the Joy-Con 2s away from the console.

Larger and heavier than the original Switch, I had my doubts that magnets could effectively hold the new Joy-Cons in place. Keep in mind that it’s a console primarily aimed at families, with youngsters not always great at holding pricey tech carefully. But, much to the horror of the Nintendo staff demoing the machine, I held the Switch 2 up by a single Joy-Con 2 to see if the connection could bear the weight of the console itself. And, even with a little jostle, it held! It makes me much more confident about handing the new machine over to younger members of my family, and is a big part of what makes the new device feel more like a premium gadget than merely a toy, without taking that element of transforming fun out of the equation.

Shocking Discovery #3 - The screen is so much better than gen 1

Larger, brighter and running at higher frame rates, the Switch 2 LCD display is excellent, a massive improvement over the original Switch. With HDR and VRR features, the screen really pops, richer and smoother than the gen 1 display, with the power of the processor letting it run at twice the resolution, too. Viewing angles are massively improved too, meaning you’ll more easily be able to share it when gathered around in tabletop mode.

Is it as rich as the first Switch’s OLED revision? No, and Nintendo will inevitably be creating a Switch 2 OLED to tempt latecomers and double-dippers to the system. But it’s not a huge gulf between this new-and-improved LCD and the OLED, and until a Switch 2 OLED turns up, it’s sharper and smoother too.

Shocking Discovery #4 - Cyberpunk 2077 actually works

…Which bodes incredibly well for future, high-end ports to the system. When Cyberpunk 2077 first released on PC back in 2020, I had to rebuild my relatively-good PC for it run at any acceptable rate. And it was a really shoddy experience when it first hit PS4 and Xbox One.

So the fact that Cyberpunk 2077 not only works on the handheld Switch 2 system, but looks great and runs surprisingly well, was shocking. It’s not the mega-flashy ray-tracing experience a high-end PC player gets, but it’s not so compromised as to detract from the fun of the gigantic, demanding game. There are some frame rate dips, sure, but there’s also a bit of time for some further refinements ahead of launch. It makes me hopeful that we could see games of great scale with modern technological features eventually make their way to the console.

Shocking Discovery #5 - Slightly bigger sticks make a massive difference

Bigger Joy-Cons make for more room for larger input controls, and Nintendo has taken advantage of that. It’s almost as if Nintendo has expected its younger Switch audience to have grown with the Switch 2, and scaled everything up to match.

That’s felt nowhere more keenly than with the Joy-Con 2 analogue sticks. They’re a tad bigger, but that makes a huge difference in adult hands, giving you greater on-the-go precision, and making a Nintendo Switch Pro controller less of a must-have accessory than with its predecessor. Will Joy-Con drift still be an issue? That remains a fear, as Nintendo hasn’t employed Hall Effect sticks here. But in every other respect, they’re an improvement.

Nintendo Switch 2: Early verdict

Even though my time with the console was limited, Nintendo has set the stage for a substantial upgrade with the Nintendo Switch 2. So many of the main drawbacks of the first Switch have been answered by this re-imagined design, and surprising features — like the mouse control and screen specifications — have exceeded our expectations when seen and used in person.

With just a couple of months until the Nintendo Switch 2 release date rolls in, there are still some things I’d like to know more about. But if you’ve been wondering whether or not to pre-order the console, or been fearful about an order you’ve made, rest assured — the Nintendo Switch 2 is looking shockingly great.

• The PS Plus Premium and Extra lineup revealed for April, including new Blue Prince and Hogwarts Legacy

Image credit: Gerald Lynch / Future