Nintendo Switch 2 Tested: Significant Upgrades with Enhanced Internals

Oh boy, where do I even start with this whole gaming scene? So, this thing called the Nintendo Switch 2—betcha heard of it, right? If not, well, it’s here and it’s trying to make some waves just like its older sibling did. Remember the original Switch? Yeah, Nintendo stuck a tiny Nvidia Tegra X1 in there, which seemed wacky at first but then, bam! 150 million of those babies sold. Crazy, huh? Now we have to see if the Switch 2 can work its magic with, get this, a bigger and brighter screen, bigger controllers (or Joy-Cons, whatever you call ‘em), and some other gizmos thrown in.

Okay, confession time: I’m more of a PC person. But my hubby? He’s a die-hard Nintendo fanboy. It’s like this spiritual thing for him. So, yeah, we’ve always had their consoles lying around under our TV. I wasn’t super into the original Switch as a portable thingamajig, but hey, it took me on some pretty rad adventures. Like, I still remember that moment in Zelda: Breath of the Wild. You step out of that dingy cave, and there’s Hyrule, just… wow. The sun hitting you right between the eyes. No joke, it was almost… emotional?

Nintendo squeezed every bit of mojo from the first Switch, and sure, they kept things entertaining. But Time, my friend, is a relentless beast. Some games, like Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, almost had fans up in arms over performance woes. And Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom? So audacious, like a launch title for a console that didn’t even exist yet. We all knew stronger hardware was needed. And here we are.

Switch 2 is supposed to build on the first’s legacy—just with beefier specs. And, of course, some head-scratchers too. Some stuff feels off the charts, but then you’re left wondering what they were thinking in other aspects.

Nintendo and Nvidia paired up again and, surprise, they didn’t just pluck a chip off a shelf this time. This one’s tailor-made! Eight Arm Cortex-A78C CPU cores are in there, which is kinda like, huh, 2020 called and wants its tech back? Not that easy to compare it to current PC gear but still, it’s nothing to sneeze at.

The GPU? 1,536 CUDA cores—a sort of modern internal combustion engine of synthetic fun. Result? They claim a decent punch in performance. But c’mon, let’s be real: hardcore gamers expect miracles from things running on modest components these days. Tenfold, if you’re me.

Oh yeah, and there’s 12GB of RAM too. Imagine turning that nozzle up from the 4GB we got last time. Games should breathe a bit easier on this.

I picked up a Switch 2 and, let me tell you, just dove right in. It builds on what worked before while throwing some twists your way. A bit like a chef adding a dash more spice to a perfectly good dish—bold, but kinda risky.

That display though. Whoa. Bigger, brighter, way more colorful. I boot up Cyberpunk 2077 on this thing? Mind blown. Night City under those neon lights? A vibe. But was it all perfect? Nah. Not the crispest rendition, let’s just say.

And don’t get me started on Fortnite. That game gave the old Switch a migraine. But now? Oh, it runs smooth. It’s almost frightening. But there I go… rambling again.

The Switch 2 overall? Sure, it’s far from flawless. But you can sense the heart Nintendo’s pumping into this thing. This console’s got some quirks, sure. But I say give it a whirl, see if it captures your gaming spirit. Portability, performance—whatever gets your gears grinding.

Okay, cool, I probably missed some details, lost my train of thought a couple of times… but hey, that’s just how things roll sometimes. Stick around for more as I give this console the rundown it deserves.

Oops, gotta dash! More games call my name. Catch ya later!