As the host of the Nintendo Entertainment Podcast, I do my best to keep an “ear to the ground” and listen to what people are saying about various Nintendo-themed topics. When it comes to the Nintendo Switch 2, though, instead of a lot of people praising a really good console that already has fun games to play, I see a lot of people bad-mouthing it for reasons I truly don’t understand. I’ve had the system since Day 1, and I don’t regret it in the slightest. So, allow me to share 5 Reasons the Nintendo Switch 2 Is Absolutely Worth It!
5. It Really Is an Upgrade from the Original Switch
I’m going to start off with one of the weirdest complaints I’ve heard about the Nintendo Switch 2: “It’s just an upgraded Switch…”
…and?
It’s not a lie to say that Nintendo truly changed the game with the OG Switch. We finally had a true portable console, and then they went full tilt with its gaming library so you could enjoy numerous titles on the go without issue. However, as much as we all loved the Switch, it had its faults.
The graphics sometimes weren’t the best, there were framerate issues, the internet system could still fail on you (I’m looking at you, Splatoon connectivity!!!), the Joy-Cons had the infamous “stick drift,” and the battery could’ve been better. But with the Switch 2, most of those have been fixed, and then some.
Nintendo even admitted to basically starting from scratch to ensure that things were better for fans. The graphics? MUCH better. The processing power? Much grander, and it allows developers to do more with their titles. The Joy-Cons? Completely reworked, and drift is gone as far as I know. The internet has been solid for every title I’ve used it on, but the big test will be for certain titles later on, I’m sure. And the battery… okay, the battery still sucks.
The point is, though, that the Switch was an amazing console despite its limitations. Now, the Switch 2 has gotten rid of most of those limitations, and that means we’ll have the chance to get even better titles than what the Switch had. So, yeah, it’s “an upgraded Switch,” because that’s what we were asking for!
4. Portability and Backward Compatibility
While this next one might seem “obvious” or a “cop-out,” I really do need to talk about it, as it’s a key part of why the Nintendo Switch 2 is something to get now and then enjoy over time.
As noted before, it’s an upgraded Switch, and that means that the portability of the product is on display literally from the outset. Ever since I got my OG Switch, I’ve never played a video game on a TV screen. I like the mobility of being able to play wherever I want, whether it’s in my bed, on a couch, in a hotel, or in a car, etc. The Switch 2 offers that too, so you’re getting a better system while still maintaining the best “hook” of it.
But the backward compatibility is where things truly shine. Because not only did Nintendo do its best to ensure that nearly all OG Switch games work on the Nintendo Switch 2, but they did various “updates” to numerous key first-party titles to ensure that the games look and play their best on the new console.
Some people have even broken down these updates, and they’re legit. That means you have a new reason to go and replay some of your favorite titles and see them in a “final form” kind of way. And yes, for Scarlet and Violet, they got rid of the windmill issue.
Sony and Microsoft aren’t the best with backward compatibility, while Nintendo WANTS you to enjoy your old games while you’re getting new ones. It’s a win-win in every way that matters.
3. Third-Party Publishers Are Getting on Board
This one is both fair and ironic at the same time. When the OG Switch came out, only certain third-party studios were on board from the outset, and only once the console started to sell well did more exclusives come out. With the Switch 2, while it is getting a lot of third-party love, the exclusives are rather limited… as in… there’s only been one announced so far.
So, why did I say that “third-party publishers are getting on board?” Because they are, just in a multi-platform way. Capcom, Square Enix, CD Projekt Red, and more have already put games onto the platform, with more on the way. With Square Enix, they’re bringing the entire FFVII Remake Saga to the Switch 2, and by all accounts, the first two titles will be worthy ports. Atlus is dropping Persona 3 Reload on the console soon, which means we could get more Persona titles at launch if we’re lucky.
Sure, exclusives aren’t rolling out in great numbers, but that’s honestly the gaming age we live in right now. Square Enix has made it clear they’re multiplatform first, for better and for worse. Capcom and others like it are in the same boat. But that’s still a positive for the Switch 2, because if those multiplatform titles reach the Switch 2 at launch, that means Nintendo fans don’t have to wait for the “Nintendo version to drop.” They can get it alongside everyone else.
2026 will be the true “litmus test” for how outside developers and publishers see the Switch 2, and I’m eager to see how it goes.
2. Mario and Donkey Kong
In the end, the true success of the Nintendo Switch 2 will depend not necessarily on its hardware sales but on the games that are on it. And no list about the “5 Reasons the Nintendo Switch 2 Is Absolutely Worth It” would be complete without talking about exclusives. The good news is that the Switch 2 has two incredible exclusives right now that you should totally get.
First up is the launch title for the console, Mario Kart World. After the massive success MK8 Deluxe had on the OG Switch, many were looking for this game to blow it out of the water. Whether it did or didn’t will depend on you, but I seriously enjoyed it, especially the new modes like Knockout Tour. It’s seriously addictive. Nintendo is likely to update the title over time and add even more content, so you can get it now, enjoy it now, and then enjoy the improvements to come.
But without a doubt, the best game to own on Nintendo Switch 2 right now is Donkey Kong Bananza. This is my full-on “Game of the Year” for 2025, and I don’t think anything is going to knock it off. The game is proof that Nintendo can revitalize any of its IPs with care, grace, and fun, and make what’s old new again. In many ways, these two titles are perfect examples of the Switch 2’s upgrades, as the worlds look beautiful, vast, and can not only be explored easily but, in the case of DK’s game, destroyed with extreme precision!
So, what game should you get first? It depends on the gamer you are. If you like multiplayer titles, get Mario’s game. If you want a deep single-player experience, go grab DK’s title and enjoy the journey within. Both will charm you in different ways, so have a blast with them!
Then… when you’re done…
1. The Best Games Are Coming… And Coming Soon…
You’ll need something new to play, right? One of the dumbest complaints I’ve seen for the Switch 2 is that “there aren’t many games to own on it.” First off, yes, there is plenty to get between the first-party exclusives, the third-party ports, and the Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of games like Kirby and the Forgotten Land, which offers even more content to enjoy.
Second, look at ANY console launch in recent generations and you’ll see that games rarely, if ever, come out one after the other with extreme efficiency and quality, even on the Nintendo Switch in its first year. There were “gaps” back then, just like there have been “gaps” since the release of Donkey Kong Bananza. The good news is, though, that those “gaps” are about to end.
At the time of this publishing, the Nintendo Switch 2 is just days away from the first of four big releases in this holiday season. It’ll start on the 16th with Pokemon Legends Z-A, which many will get on the Switch 2 due to its better performance specs. Then, in November, we get a 1-2 punch between Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment and Kirby Air Riders. Both of those are Switch 2 exclusives.
Finally, on December 4th, we get Metroid Prime 4, and I can already foresee every critic and gaming journalist saying to play it on the Switch 2 for the “definitive version.”
So that right there is four awesome games to enjoy, and that should be more than enough reason to get a Switch 2. If that isn’t enough for some reason, then there’s more good news. Because if I made this “5 Reasons the Nintendo Switch 2 Is Absolutely Worth It” list at this time next year, I’d likely have to expand things because by this point next year, there will be even more Switch 2 exclusives.
Mario Tennis Fever, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, Splatoon Raiders, Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave, The Duskbloods, and more will drop next year at various times, including the first 2026 exclusive coming in February.
This is what Nintendo does. They make a console, and then they stack it with titles you’ll want to play and replay. The Switch 2 isn’t perfect, but it was never going to be. What you can expect it to be is something that will have games every single year. So why miss out on enjoying them at launch when you can get a Nintendo Switch 2 and enjoy them as the year winds down?
Just saying.
