Nintendo Switch 2: Early review thoughts from our first days with the gaming system

Now that most of us have managed to acquire our Switch 2, it’s time to get playing. I mean, testing. The Nintendo Switch 2 became available in stores yesterday and started shipping out to those who got their pre-orders in. Those who pre-ordered via Walmart appeared to have been the luckiest, not only receiving their units first thing in the morning but also getting bonus snacks and drinks. Many of us who didn’t get to pre-order one in April were pleasantly surprised that we were able to pick up the product in physical retail stores.

While we’ve already gotten a couple of detailed hands-on opportunities for the Switch 2, this being day 2 means we now have unfettered access to the new $449 Nintendo portable console with its latest release software installed. The liveblog below is a reverse chronological collection of our thoughts, but here’s a quick summary of where we left things yesterday:

“We’re nearing the end of the day, and here’s a quick breakdown of where things stand and what we’ve covered in this liveblog. For those looking to acquire a Switch 2 on launch day, it seems like most people making trips to retail stores were largely successful, and stock seems to be plentiful, even without pre-orders. Those who are looking for supply online are having a tougher time, while members of our team who pre-ordered have had to wait a lot longer for their devices to show up. Our Aaron Souppouris has received his pre-ordered… controller. But his Switch 2 remains en route and has yet to show up at his doorstep.

As for our review impressions so far — our senior reviewer Sam Rutherford is hard at work putting our official full review together, but he’s been updating this liveblog with his evaluations today. He noted that, based on his lightmeter’s readings, the Switch 2’s display goes up to 450 nits with ambient brightness enabled, and tops out at 400 nits without. It’s comparatively dim for a device with HDR, but the numbers can get higher depending on the game.

Sam also hasn’t found the device to run too hot so far and that’s not just because of the new dock’s built-in fan. To him the dock is sleeker and feels a bit more substantial than before. He found it odd that the dock has just three USB ports instead of four on the original Switch’s dock, but the new console has one more socket, which sort of balances things out.

Sam pointed out that the dock only has a single USB-C port, though, and that’s reserved for power. With the remaining two ports on the dock being USB-A, you may need adapters to plug in your USB-C accessories, like the official Switch 2 camera, for instance. You could plug it directly into the Switch 2, but that’s not ideal for people who frequently dock and undock their systems.”

If you prefer to catch up by watching a video, check out our Engadget Podcast livestream on YouTube, where Sam Rutherford and Devindra Hardawar shared their impressions and took questions from our live audience.

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We’ve already written plenty about the Switch 2, and you can check out our earlier coverage to catch up on all the relevant details so far:

And now — our liveblog of our second day with the Switch 2.

Live7 updates

Fri, June 6, 2025 at 11:00 AM EDT

I’m still waiting for my Switch 2 case and screen protector to ship, but I might cancel to that to save a few bucks. The Switch 2 fits well enough inside the Steam Deck case. That chances that I’ll have both the Switch 2 and the Steam Deck with me when I’m on the go seem pretty slim.

The Steam Deck is bigger than the Switch 2, of course, so the latter doesn’t fit perfectly in the case. Although it doesn’t seem to shift around in in the case while I’m walking, adding some padding will give me some piece of mind. Either way, a good Switch 2 screen protector is a must.
Fri, June 6, 2025 at 10:45 AM EDT

Switch 2 Pro Controller (Devindra Hardawar for Engadget)

I have so many thoughts Cherlynn, but mostly I’m thinking about the controllers. I’ll have something longer coming up about the satisfying Joy-Con 2 “thunk” sound, but also I show some love to the new Switch 2 Pro controller. I honestly hated the original Switch’s Pro gamepad, it just felt flimsy and plasticky in a way that was very un-Nintendo. This new model, on the other hand, feels like Nintendo took a few cues from the premium Xbox Elite Controller and PlayStation Dual Sense Edge.

The Switch 2 Pro controller isn’t nearly as customizable as that competition, but there are two rear buttons you can configure to your liking. It also feels far more like a high-end product this time around, with a smooth plastic case, comfortable and responsive joysticks and face buttons that feel far sturdier than before. I honestly love this thing. Tune in next week for a full review after I get a weekend of playtime with it.
Fri, June 6, 2025 at 10:39 AM EDT

Will second what Devindra said. I didn’t hate the old Switch 2 Pro Controller, but it does feel like a generally more premium product. The rear buttons are a nice addition.

However, one nice thing about the Switch 2 is that on top of being backwards compatible for games, it’s also compatible with Switch 1 accessories like the OG Pro Controller. This is nice for anyone who doesn’t want to buy four brand new gamepads for the whole family. It also has implications for older titles like Ring Fit Adventures, because while the new Joy-Con don’t fit into the straps for Ring Fit’s accessories, you can pair OG Joy-Con with the Switch 2, so you can still play the game normally.
Fri, June 6, 2025 at 10:34 AM EDT

I also want to mention I tried recharging the Switch 2 using a portable battery pack and it worked just fine. This is expected but also kind of a relief because the original Switch used a non-standard implementation of USB-C, so it didn’t always play nicely with universal chargers or battery packs.
Fri, June 6, 2025 at 10:31 AM EDT

You can use an iPhone as a camera for your Switch 2

We’ve learned quite a lot in the almost 48 hours since the first Switch 2 units reached the public. People have been tearing apart their brand new units to find out whether controllers are meaningfully upgraded, for example. One thing we knew was that multiple types of USB-C cameras are supported, but with the right configuration of cables, you can also use your iPhone’s camera!

More on that from Kris Holt:

“YouTube channel Will It Work? has demonstrated how to use an iPhone as a camera for the console.

Unfortunately, it’s not quite as simple as opening the iPhone’s Camera app, plugging a USB-C cable into both devices and setting up the phone (perhaps on a MagSafe charger) so it points at your mug. I tried that, and nope, no dice. Instead, if you plug the cable into a USB-C to HDMI adapter, and that into an HDMI capture cable and hook the daisy chain into your Switch 2, your new console should recognize your phone as a camera. This process may work for Android devices too.”

Read more: You can use an iPhone as a Nintendo Switch 2 camera
Fri, June 6, 2025 at 10:31 AM EDT

Jumping in here with some initial battery testing numbers. I had a chance to do my first 100 to 0 battery rundown test last night while playing Mario Kart World, with the Switch 2 lasting two hours and 23 minutes. This generally lines up with the longevity I experienced during my last preview session.

Granted, it’s not an especially exciting figure, as it falls on the lower end of Nintendo’s official battery life estimate of 2 to 6.5 hours. That said, I did test this with brightness set to max and auto-brightness disabled, so the screen was putting out around 400 nits. The reason why I’m doing this is because I’d rather get battery life numbers that are more on the conservative side instead of coming out with overly optimistic results that may disappoint people later.
Fri, June 6, 2025 at 9:53 AM EDT

Hello everyone! Thanks for joining us today as we put together our collective thoughts on the Nintendo Switch 2 while our full review is under way. We were eager to get our impressions out to you, and though our senior reviewer Sam Rutherford will handle the complete review, many members of the Engadget team will contribute to this review-in-progress to offer various perspectives.

_{Nintendo Switch 2: Early review thoughts from our first days with the gaming system}

You can use an iPhone as a camera for your Switch 2

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