Nintendo Switch 2 Hands-on

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Following nearly ten years since the debut of the original Nintendo Switch, and following numerous months of eager anticipation, Nintendo unveiled the long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2 to the global audience earlier this week. Fortunately, RPG Site was granted the opportunity to test out the system at a press event held in New York City’s Midtown.

Role-playing games are what our site specializes in, a fact that’s clearly reflected in our logo up above. While Nintendo offers a wide array of cherished franchises, our particular interest leans towards updates about specific ones, like Fire Emblem and Xenoblade, or any Mario RPG series.

It’s been over two years since Fire Emblem Engage, and even though we might hope for more surprises from Monolith Soft, neither Fire Emblem nor Xenoblade Chronicles have shown up on Nintendo’s latest console yet. Instead, a brief look was given to the classic Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, which will be playable again through the new GameCube library for Nintendo Switch Online. (By the way, you may want to check out our Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition review.)

During the Nintendo Direct broadcast prelude, tunes from the game “Golden Sun” echoed through the premiere event media theater room. This unexpected musical choice served less as an intriguing hint and more as a bittersweet reminder of the unresolved cliffhanger from 15 years ago in “Golden Sun: Dark Dawn”. Perhaps one day, we’ll find resolution for this long-standing dilemma.

In the meantime, as we eagerly anticipate more first-party RPGs from Nintendo on the yet-to-be-released Nintendo Switch 2, there are several third-party games transitioning to this platform. These include Final Fantasy VII Remake, Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, and Wild Hearts. Moreover, some forthcoming titles are also set to launch on a Nintendo Switch 2 version, such as Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma.

Among all the games showcased at the media event, only the Switch 2 version of Cyberpunk 2077 was playable. Some of my colleagues had positive impressions about Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, particularly in docked mode, but I wasn’t as convinced. While playing a brief segment from the Phantom Liberty opening sections, I was informed that I was experiencing performance mode with framerates approximately 45fps and dynamic resolution scaling. During my limited demo, I couldn’t help but notice visible dithering and aliasing in character hair, as well as significant drops in framerate during intense combat scenes. It’s possible this is comparable to other console versions of the game, though I’m unsure.

Additionally, I had the opportunity for a brief playthrough of Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut, an updated version that not only will be available on a new platform but also features a fresh English and Chinese dub, a brand-new multiplayer mode, and additional cutscene footage totaling 26 minutes. Given its roots as a PS3 game, it’s unsurprising that it runs smoothly on the 2025 system. However, I must admit that I was taken aback by Sega’s decision to incorporate extra content and language options into this re-release. The original opening theme “Bubble”, which was missing in the initial western version of the game, has been brought back as well.

Among the demonstrations I watched, I was particularly impressed by those for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. While higher resolutions are certainly appealing, what truly stood out to me was how smoothly these games ran at a high frame rate. Navigation in menus, load times, and even text boxes felt *significantly more responsive* compared to their Nintendo Switch counterparts. At the moment, there’s no official word on the upgrade costs for these “Switch 2 Edition” games, but they are estimated to be between $10 and $20 USD based on the official yen prices.

Watching the Zelda series on the Switch 2 run so smoothly makes me imagine which other Switch games could experience substantial performance upgrades with the system. Titles like any Xenoblade entries, particularly Xenoblade Chronicles 2, would be fantastic to see, and I hope Nintendo plans to release more Switch 2 versions frequently during the console’s initial years. Enhanced editions of specific Pokemon games would also be welcome. While it may not be very probable, Fire Emblem: Three Houses could potentially reap significant benefits from an upgraded version as well.

Unfortunately, during the Switch 2 premiere event, I wasn’t able to get my hands on Square Enix’s version of Final Fantasy VII Remake or the Bravely Default HD Remaster for a test play. Similarly, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment was not present at the event.

Hey there! As it turns out, we’re quite fond of role-playing games around here. Don’t worry, we don’t just stick to RPGs; we enjoy a variety of games too. For me personally, the Metroid Prime series is an absolute favorite, and getting the opportunity to preview Metroid Prime 4 on the Switch 2 was a real treat this evening. The game feels spot-on, it plays wonderfully, and experiencing a Nintendo title at 120fps almost feels like breaking some kind of rule!

The way the game transitions smoothly from Joy-Con gyro controls to the new mouse control setup is surprisingly smooth. The level we played in the demo was taken from the opening section of the game, which felt more linear and guided, reminiscent of Metroid Prime 3. It’s been a staggering eighteen years since Metroid Prime 3 was released! I’m eager to see how the interconnected world exploration will fare in this new installment, but I’m definitely looking forward to playing it.

Nintendo Switch 2 is set to release on June 5, priced at $449.99.

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2025-04-05 09:56