I’ve had my Switch 2 since release; here’s my first year with Nintendo’s latest handheld console

What exactly called the Switch 2's first year revolutionary? The numbers were impressive, yes. Nintendo reported over 3.5 million units sold in its first four days, its fastest selling hardware launch ever. By December 31st, 2025, the company reported 17.37 million units sold in its 30-week lifespan. By comparison, the first generation Switch sold around 14.86 million units by December 31st, 2017, in its first 36 weeks. the Nintendo Switch 2 needed more than sales to break the generational curse of yo-yoing Nintendo console success. It needed sticking power. Personally, I've not been quite as glued to the second generation handheld as I was the first, but I'm also no longer an undergraduate student with more free time than sense. That being said, whenever I do have an evening to myself, it's most often spent playing on my Switch 2 rather than my gaming PC or rival consoles. So, while its first year undoubtedly set it off on a solid trajectory despite rising concerns over its pricing, hardware supply chain issues, tariffs and the absence of system selling software, did the Switch 2 gain enough momentum to secure its future? Before we dive into the rest of the video, make sure to scan this QR code to learn more about becoming a TechRadar insider. Membership is completely free and gives you access to more exclusive perks, rewards and more. Now, let's get into today's video. From the moment Nintendo revealed the Switch 2 in April 2025, it was positioned as an iterative upgrade. This reignited age-old debates between those who have long bemoaned Nintendo's inferior performance and dated hardware, and those prizing the focus on affordability and portability. The hardware changes included a bigger 7.9-inch 1080p screen, 120Hz support, 4K docked output on compatible displays better performance and 256 gigs of storage all welcome but still lagging behind the competition that being said the switch 2 is no handheld gaming pc comparisons between it and the likes of the steam deck oled or the Asus Rog Ally have always been slightly fraught in my opinion still the complaints muddied the waters and new social features like game chat and game share failed to generate the hype nintendo had hoped for despite marking a significant move from them to keep pace with competitors. I don't know anyone regularly using either feature today, though. Similarly, the novel Joy-Con 2 mouse-mode controls weren't met with the emphatic excitement I'm sure Nintendo had hoped for. It was a well-measured reaction, in fairness. The feature has come in handy in a few grand strategy titles I've played, like Civilization 7, which ports a PC interface, but I've yet to find a use case that makes the wrist-strain-induced by-mouse mode worthwhile. The real issue facing the Switch 2 at launch was that it wasn't exciting enough. And without momentum, a console launch can easily fail. Despite having the robust Japanese gaming audience in their camp, Nintendo struggled to win favour globally, and that was only doubled by a concerningly hollow launch title line-up carried mostly by Mario Kart World. Add to the mix a sour taste in people's mouth over Nintendo's paid-for tutorial software, Welcome Tour, and the general confusion and discourse around the nature of virtual game cards, and by the time June's release date rolled round, many onlookers expected the Switch 2 to face a disappointing first few weeks. The fans did turn out in droves, and Nintendo even managed to one-up Sony by sidestepping supply and demand issues faced by consoles like the PlayStation 5. The best feathers in Nintendo's cap were the offer of backwards compatibility with original Switch software, upgraded Switch 2 editions for more demanding first-gen titles, and better-designed Joy-Con controllers. largely for these reasons that the Switch 2 faced a warm reception in the face of so much doubt. Now, for me at least, I'm notoriously weak in the knees for The Legend of Zelda, so the upgraded Switch 2 editions were enough to abate my side-eye at the otherwise vacant launch library. Still, I did struggle in those early months, along with many others, to justify owning a Switch 2. If I hadn't have received one through work for review purposes, I probably would have held fire on purchasing one too. For many, everything changed when Donkey Kong Bonanza was released just a month after the Switch 2. With a Metacritic score of 91 and our own 4.5 star review in the mix, it was the early win the console needed to see a successful summer. Now, Pokémon Legends ZA later in the year didn't quite stick the landing so well, but the two titles along with a library backfilled with ports like Cyberpunk 2077, Hogwarts Legacy and Yakuza helped to soften the blow. For me, though, it wasn't until late 2025 that the Switch 2 really found its rhythm. Further ports and release-day third-party launches like Hades 2 and Resident Evil Requiem have breathed life into the console. It gives those of us who prize a quick 20-minute game sesh while commuting, and those who don't mind a lower performance rendering, the chance to keep pace with the rest of the gaming community. The good times kept coming for Nintendo, even in its comparatively smaller releases. In my household, Switch 2 usage has increased significantly thanks to the release of Pokopia and Tomodachi Life Living the Dream this year. We cozy gamers are consistently well-serviced by Nintendo. The same can't be said for fans of meatier AAA titles though. And one question has haunted the Switch 2 since the moment it was announced. A rumbling, unanswered anxiety over what comes next. That uncertainty comes at a cost. News that week holiday sales are leading to Switch 2 production cuts shows that the console has yet to prove its mettle in the way the first generation did. even with such high sales figures in its first year. Plus, the Switch benefited from explosive success for mid-life cycle releases like Animal Crossing New Horizons, notably in part thanks to the pandemic. Without insight into the future of AAA gaming on the Switch 2, I can only see sales plateauing further. The Japanese gaming giant holds the keys to several as-yet-untouched kingdoms. That includes The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario, but even news of newer franchises like Splatoon 4 could help abate naysayers. Plus, we've likely got at least another year to wait for Pokemon Winds and Waves, and given the franchise's recent track record for mainline flops, it's hard to bet on the upcoming release being a system seller. That only leaves the biggest question of all. Is the Switch 2 a successful follow-up to the first-generation console? A year on, the answer is a resounding no. But yes. Kinda. From me. For one thing, I've already maxed out on storage, though that's my own fault as I'd always argue an SD card should be a day one purchase if you like handheld gaming but i didn't follow my own advice there and yes the battery life is worse but at least with my lifestyle i'm far more prone to play docked in 4k now than i am in handheld mode meaning i can enjoy the nintendo switch 2 edition of tears of the kingdom in all of its glory and it truly is glorious it's a good thing i'm happier in docked mode too because while the joy-con 2 controllers have been redesigned from the ground up according to nintendo as seen in in reports like iFixit's Switch 2 teardown, not enough has fundamentally changed to completely eradicate stick drift. It's nowhere near on the scale of first generation consoles based on a very limited number of customer reports, but I have personally experienced some very early signs of drift, so I tend to stick with my Switch 2 Pro controller to be safe, and to prevent Link from launching himself off a cliff without warning. However, even if most upgrades are just for quality of life, they do make up a difference. Faster loading times, for example, are always welcome, though it remains to be seen how these will scale as software pulls further ahead of hardware capabilities, and other improvements to system software like eShop means Nintendo might actually see some digital downloads now. That's doubly true, since Nintendo has announced that digital titles will cost less than physical copies, at least in the US. There is, however, plenty of work still to be done on the Switch 2, and we don't yet know if we'll see more variants like a Lite or OLED model. Who knows, maybe the long-rumored Switch Pro will make an appearance in this second-generation cycle. But what we do know is to expect a price hike on the horizon. In the US, it's confirmed to be effective from 1st of September 2026, when we'll see the list price increase by $50. So while the future is far from bleak, only time will tell if Nintendo can eke another eight years out of its latest hardware before, if you'll pardon the pun, switching things up again. Let us know in the comments down below what's your favourite game to play on the Switch 2, and make sure to subscribe for more tech news, reviews and how to's.