SweetieGames

I know I’m a bit late to the Switch 2 hype, but I have been wanting to talk about it for a while! The successor to the highly successful Nintendo Switch is just around the corner and I have spent the past month or so watching videos from my favourite gaming content creators about the demo and launch. What is there to be excited about with the Switch 2? Should we buy one at launch?

One thing that I wasn’t expecting from the Switch 2 was the spiritual successor to the DS’s PictoChat. The Switch 2’s GameChat brings the primitive PictoChat into the modern day, allowing gamers to stream their gameplay for their friends to watch. GameChat will allow you to feel like you’re playing games with your friends in the same room, no matter how far apart they are. I like that you can all be playing different games and be able to stream together! It really appeals to the people like me who enjoy parallel play.

I was also intrigued by the new “mouse” JoyCon feature; I can’t say I’ve ever felt that my current Switch’s JoyCons need to function as a mouse, but then again I’m not a big FPS player. I’m excited to see how this function will work outside the obvious shooter games; Toby Fox has revealed that the next chapters of Deltarune will have a minigame that utilise the mouse function on the Switch 2. I just hope it will function okay on multiple surfaces; I don’t play my Switch at a desk with a mouse mat, I prefer sitting on my bed or sofa to enjoy my Switch games. Videos showed this feature being used on a trouser leg, but is that really comfortable?

The thing I’ve been seeing most people discuss about the Switch 2 is it’s pretty hefty price tag. $500 for the console paired with the Mario Kart launch title is very expensive, especially as the console itself has the same amount of processing power as previous gen consoles such as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. On its own, the console comes in at around $450, and Mario Kart World will cost an eye-watering $80. (I’m not entirely sure why Mario Kart of all things needs to be open world, but I’ll reserve judgement for when the game is out!) A Nintendo camera for use with GameChat costs $50, and you need to pay to download the Switch 2 tour. Yes, the tour for your new console will even cost you $10. And because this is Nintendo, we all know that fans will pay these prices. I am slightly worried that this will set a new norm for very expensive games, accessories and features. I guess I’ll have to see if Mario Kart World is actually worth $80. We all know it won’t ever drop in price, even years after the Switch 2’s release.

The Switch 2 looks like its promising what we know from the original Switch but dialled up to improve the experience. I’m going to be silently hopeful and keep an eye when it releases on June 5th to see if it is worth its particularly heavy price tag. Consoles are also pretty prone to going wrong on launch, so maybe hang fire until we know it’s working to its best ability!