10 Months Later and the Switch 2 Still Hasn’t Proven Its Worth

by

Many expected the Nintendo Switch 2 to be a guaranteed success. It seemed like Nintendo just needed to improve on the original Switch, make it much more powerful, and release some compelling exclusive games to justify a new generation. However, Nintendo appears to have taken a different approach. While the new hardware has a few strengths, it ultimately disappoints many who purchased it.

The Switch 2 wasn’t a good purchase when it first came out, and it still isn’t. It doesn’t offer enough meaningful improvements over the original Switch, and it feels like the company behind it is avoiding risks and sticking to what’s familiar. While the lack of new, exclusive games is a problem, the biggest issue is that the Switch 2 doesn’t feel innovative, and that’s why it hasn’t proven to be a worthwhile investment even now, in 2026.

The Switch 2 Lacks Meaningful Innovation

Man, one of the biggest things people wanted for the Switch was the ability to change up the home screen background. It felt kinda bare! It’s weird because the 3DS had that option, and so do the PlayStation and Xbox consoles – even the older ones. It just seemed like a simple thing to add, especially since Nintendo always redesigns the home screen with each new system to make it look fresh and different.

Many were surprised, including me, that Nintendo didn’t offer any home screen customization options for the new Switch. It’s essentially the same screen we’ve been seeing since 2017. This is just one example of how the new Switch lacks significant innovation. While it does have improvements like a larger screen, a redesigned Joy-Con attachment, an upgraded kickstand, and a better dock, it looks and feels almost identical to the original Switch.

Honestly, turning on the new Nintendo Switch is starting to bum me out. It’s not that it’s bad, but it just doesn’t excite me at all – there’s nothing fresh or new to experience. It’s a reminder that Nintendo didn’t really push the envelope with this one. It is more powerful, and the screen looks fantastic, plus it’s super comfortable to hold. But everything, from how it looks on the outside to what’s going on inside, feels like something we’ve seen almost ten years ago. That’s the really disappointing part.

Nintendo chose not to bring back the eShop music feature, reportedly because they were worried it would interfere with game trailers—even though a simple fix, like pausing the music during trailers (similar to what the PS5 does), could have been implemented. This lack of a seemingly small feature adds to the disappointment many players feel about the Switch 2, though not everyone shares this view. Ultimately, the focus will be on the games themselves.

Too Few First-Party Titles Are Hurting The Switch 2

It’s hard to talk about the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 without remembering how strong the original Switch’s launch games were. It came out with amazing titles like Breath of the Wild, a boosted version of Mario Kart 8 (which many hadn’t played due to the Wii U’s limited success), the massive RPG Xenoblade Chronicles 2, the unique fighting game ARMS, and the incredibly enjoyable multiplayer game Splatoon 2.

Okay, so the Switch 2 launched with a new Mario Kart World game, which was cool, and Donkey Kong Bananza – honestly, that one blew me away. But that was pretty much it for big releases at first. They did have some smaller games, like Welcome Tour which was way too expensive, Fast Fusion which was actually really good, and Drag X Drive which didn’t really hit the mark. Even with those added in, the launch lineup just didn’t stack up to the original Switch. Where the Switch 2 really shined was with the big third-party games – I was super hyped to play Cyberpunk 2077 and Hogwarts Legacy on it!

The system is getting a lot of games that also come out on older and newer consoles, such as Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokémon Legends Z-A. But if you’re trying to save money, it’s probably cheaper to stick with your current Switch and buy a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X instead. That way, you can play all the same games as a Switch 2 owner without any drawbacks. The only games you’d miss out on are Donkey Kong Bananza and Mario Kart World, but Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is generally considered a better value, and Bananza, while a great game, isn’t worth the $450 price tag.

It Isn’t Worth Getting The Switch 2, Yet

Ten months after its release, the Switch 2 hasn’t proven its high price tag. It lacks groundbreaking new technology and exclusive games. Nintendo seems focused on continuing support for the original Switch and hasn’t revealed much about future games. Unless you’re a die-hard fan, there’s currently no compelling reason to buy a Switch 2.

Things are likely to change soon, as Nintendo will eventually share what its development teams have been creating, and we can expect new exclusive games that aren’t compatible with the original Switch. However, Nintendo probably won’t make drastic changes to how the console works; they seem to consider even simple additions like mouse support to be enough innovation, especially since they haven’t found a way to refresh the console’s main menu after eight years. It’s a matter of waiting to see what happens, and it’s taking a long time for those of us who already own the Switch.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is performing strongly and is expected to continue doing so. As the follow-up to a very popular console, it currently dominates the handheld market while we wait for handheld devices from Xbox and PlayStation. However, if Nintendo doesn’t introduce significant changes over the next few years, this reliance on the same basic ideas – a key part of Nintendo’s design philosophy – could be a problem for the console’s long-term success.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/gaming/list/5-best-nintendo-games-everyone-forgot/embed/#

Read More

2026-02-02 01:16