Review Nintendo Switch 2 tested: new internals are a major power-up

Apparently the Wifi on Switch2 might be bugged.
It seems to not work well in a mesh network, but if you put it right next to the wireless AP/router, it'll hit Wifi6 speeds. Pulling the back cover off also seems to help. (no conclusive causes or fixes yet)
 
It's bigger than my Switch OLED, heavier, more expensive, worse screen and worse battery life.

So for at least the next year, my Switch 2 is joining my Steam Deck in collecting dust at the bottom of a closet in my "I have a better and less-embarrassing way to play Balatro" pile.
 
So this article is just ignoring any discussion on the terrible battery life? Not even in the pro/con section? Did I miss it or are we ignoring a major talking point?
 
When it comes to webcam support, Switch 2 supports 3rd party cameras - but only bad ones.

In my go-to stack, only my disposable Logitech Brio 300 works - and everything else I use is a "real" camera, which do not work. My running theory is that the Brio outputs video as Motion Jpeg by default (which is why its video quality is awful), and everything else I have on hand outputs using a modern codec by default.

Sony FX30 - Recognized as a microphone (and works as a microphone)
Generic HDMI to USB-C adapter - Recognized as a microphone (but no audio)
DJI Action 5 - Recognized as a camera, but no video displayed (possibly disconnecting itself, not sure)

Not that it matters, so far the "C" button is exactly what I expected it to be: An incredibly annoying popup generator that I accidently press every single time I'm trying to get back to the home screen (and probably will never in my life press on purpose). Just like the screenshot button, except now a lot closer to the button I'm trying to press. No idea why they couldn't just make the screenshot button assignable to this functionality - or at least put the two useless buttons next to each other.

So yeah, they decided to keep a dedicated button to use a camera that was almost certainly removed from the original design. The console seems less like a thought out and refined as a sequel to an obscenely successful product, and more like a first attempt at a new take on a kid's toy - which happened to come out 3 years later than it was probably supposed to. It feels like the level of design refinement of the original non-lite DS as opposed to a 3DS... Except the DS had budget-priced games, and hardware that didn't cost more than an iPad.
Playing a Switch 2 feels exactly like playing a Switch. Not the good Switch, a launch Switch... except slightly worse because it's bulkier, heavier, more expensive, and they force you to sign a legal agreement preventing you from owning the hardware you just paid for.

IMO they should have just skipped this "2022" design, and just launched with whatever 2025 midcycle refresh that we probably would have had by now, if not for Covid making demand massively surge for the Switch at the end of its life. Whatever they've been doing to develop Switch 2 with the extra time they were given from the Switch's life extension, I don't think it was put into improving the launch offering.

Anyone who didn't get a launch Switch 2 - just wait for a year. Wait for the next Mario.
We'll probably be seeing an accelerated release schedule for improved hardware, lower prices, or both. The good games aren't even released - they aren't even announced.... so you're super not missing anything. Just let the scalpers waste money passing all the launch consoles back and forth for awhile. It's not a big deal.
 
Apparently the Wifi on Switch2 might be bugged.
It seems to not work well in a mesh network, but if you put it right next to the wireless AP/router, it'll hit Wifi6 speeds. Pulling the back cover off also seems to help. (no conclusive causes or fixes yet)
Yeah I noticed as much on my unit. I find if I go to airplane mode then reconnect, if I am getting a slow 10-14 mbps, and I connect to my 2.4 ghz/ 5 ghz bands not my exclusive 5 ghz which is usually the fastest... I'll hit 350 mbps and my downloads are really speedy. Otherwise my DL speeds are horrid and the experience falls in line with the reviewer. But yeah the wifi is finicky as heck with my mesh system if I don't pay attention. This needs addressing soon by the big N.

Otherwise I am happy with my unit. Plays great, battery life is meh (I expected as much) but is still serviceable and so far most of my switch one games run flawlessly though I am waiting for my first issue to crop up. Time will tell. All in all I am happy with my purchase. Having a proper voice chat while playing Mario Kart world is a big game changer for online play though I have zero urge to add a webcam.

Thanks for review it was a nice read!
 
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@Author interested to understand how you say that todays top iGPU's top out around 4Tflops?

The z2 extreme has over 11 tflops and the z1 had around 8.

The SoC in this Switch is at last 2 generations behind todays iGPU's from what I can see.
 
The OG Xbox, PS3, Switch, and Switch 2 have been the only consoles Nvidia has worked on. This makes the Switch 2 the only console, at least that I know about, that employs modern DLSS technology. I can see Nintendo wanting to get this for the console since there is no way on this planet that a console the size of your phone can be good at 4K at a reasonable price. Nintendo wanted to close the gap between them, PlayStation, and Xbox. But still they made a console that is 50 bucks less than the PS5 with a quarter of the power. The Switch 2 is a good handheld considering what it offers at its price. But it is not a handheld PC, and the Steam Deck is better for all-around gaming. The Switch 2 is a decent console. But if couch gaming is your priority, the PS5 is a better option. The Switch 2 is a good compromise between a handheld and home console, but when being either alone, there are far better options.