According to Kotaku, the Nintendo Switch 2 launched in June 2025 to significant hype and record sales, but conversation around it faded surprisingly fast. The console, a more powerful iteration of the original, costs $150 more than its predecessor did at launch and features a slightly larger screen, much faster charging, and improved performance for games like Cyberpunk 2077. Key software in 2025 included Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, while the Switch Online Expansion Pack added GameCube games like F-Zero GX and Wind Waker exclusively to the new hardware. However, Nintendo is sunsetting programs like Game Vouchers and gold coins, and starting March 31, 2026, a Switch Online subscription will become mandatory to use the GameChat feature. The original Switch also saw a $40 price hike in 2025, though used models like the Switch Lite can be found for around $100.
A Competent But Uninspiring Upgrade
Here’s the thing about the Switch 2: it’s exactly what we thought it would be. And maybe that’s the problem. It’s a spec bump. A very good one, sure—playing modern third-party games on a handheld is still a minor miracle—but it doesn’t feel like a new chapter. It feels like a really, really good special edition. The magnetic Joy-Con click is a perfect metaphor: a satisfying, high-quality tweak to a known formula that delights you for a second, but doesn’t change what you’re actually doing. The core experience is still “play Nintendo games on your TV or in your hands,” just with nicer pixels and fewer framerate hitches. In a hardware landscape where even incremental PC component updates can feel revolutionary, Nintendo’s safe play feels a bit… sleepy.
Nintendo’s Baffling Service Strategy
Now, let’s talk about the ecosystem, because this is where things get genuinely weird. Nintendo seems to be actively making its digital experience more fragmented, not less. They’re pushing features like GameChat and game sharing to dedicated smartphone apps instead of building them into the console. They killed the gold coin rewards and are ending the Game Voucher discounts. And they’re making Switch Online mandatory for GameChat next year. So, they’re removing value while raising the cost of entry for social features. It’s a confusing move that feels out of step with everything else in gaming. While other platforms are integrating Discord and streamlining sharing, Nintendo is creating more little walled gardens. It’s not customer-friendly, and it frankly doesn’t feel sustainable if they want to keep the hardcore audience engaged.
The 2026 Pivot Point
2025 was the setup year. 2026 is when we’ll see if this console has a real identity beyond “Switch, but better.” The mandatory Switch Online paywall for GameChat is a huge gamble—will people pay up, or will the feature just die? The GameCube library on Switch Online needs to grow consistently with heavy hitters, not just trickle out. And most importantly, the software pipeline needs to deliver a system-seller that isn’t a sequel to a 20-year-old franchise. Pokemon Legends: Z-A and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will sell units, but they’re also cross-gen. Where’s the bold, Switch 2-exclusive idea that makes the hardware essential? Without it, the Switch 2 risks being the “nice-to-have” upgrade forever, living in the immense shadow of its predecessor. The hardware is solid. But in 2026, Nintendo needs to prove the *vision* is, too.
