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Nintendo Change 2: two-minute assessment
After what felt like an eternity of ready after all of the leaks and eventual official announcement again in January 2025, the Nintendo Change 2 is lastly right here. To say the console’s had a tough begin is an understatement, although, with retail inventory problem to come back by at this early stage. This, plus the console’s comparatively lofty price ticket (in addition to these of its video games), means there are some of us searching for handheld gaming console alternate options.
On the time of writing, I’ve had my Nintendo Change 2 a few weeks, and I’ve been spending every day taking part in its video games and testing the {hardware} to fee its efficiency and assess any enhancements over the unique 2017 console. Regardless of the shortage of ambition and innovation (no less than in comparison with prior consoles just like the Wii and Nintendo DS), I feel Nintendo has produced an distinctive system right here that lastly realizes the complete potential of the Switch idea.
The plain upgrades, equivalent to help for 4K and 1440p resolutions in docked mode and 120Hz capabilities (each in moveable mode and docked on appropriate shows) are extraordinarily welcome, and grant the Change 2 a step nearer to parity with its extra highly effective friends within the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S. After all, the Change 2 doesn’t fairly have the uncooked graphical prowess of these Sony and Microsoft-built machines, but it surely’s not 1,000,000 miles away, as we see with sure Nintendo Change 2 ports like Road Fighter 6 or Cyberpunk 2077.
Different display-oriented modernities are current right here, too, equivalent to HDR10 and VRR help (although, confusingly, variable refresh fee is at present solely out there in handheld play). The previous offers juicier distinction and richer colours on appropriate shows, whereas the latter smooths out framerates for extra steady efficiency.
Sadly, it’s honest to say that the Change 2’s launch recreation line-up is on the slighter aspect. Mario Kart World is nice and a really perfect title to have from day one, however a great chunk of launch day video games have been ports of authentic Change video games or ones carried over from different platforms. Whereas it’s nice to see large hitters like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom rock an especially strong 4K/60fps on Change 2, it hasn’t been essentially the most fulsome launch for those who’re coming at it from a strictly first-party viewpoint.
Fortunately, the Change 2 breathes life into authentic Change titles by way of spectacular backwards compatibility. I’ll delve extra into this in its personal part, however I’ve seen monumental outcomes taking part in a few of my very own Change favorites on the brand new console – a few of which Nintendo itself hasn’t even formally talked about.
There are some downsides price speaking about, in fact. For one, battery life is sorely missing in handheld mode and appears like an abject downgrade in comparison with the unique Change fashions. I additionally clocked some very noticeable audio delay with a number of gaming headsets and earbuds by way of Bluetooth connection. Moreover, the skeleton of the unique Change remains to be current in some ways, with an nearly similar House dashboard, a scarcity of customization, and the continuing menace of drift prevailing within the new Pleasure-Con 2 controllers.
Nonetheless, the Change 2 is an completed little bit of equipment, and one that gives an evening and day improve over its eight-year-old predecessor. I’m undoubtedly trying ahead to its recreation library increasing, in addition to the system itself receiving numerous quality-of-life upgrades by way of future firmware updates.
Nintendo Change 2: worth and availability
The Nintendo Change 2 went on sale on June 5, 2025. The console by itself prices $449.99 / £395.99 / AU$699.95. There’s additionally an official bundle that packs in a digital copy of Mario Kart World alongside the console for $499.99 / £429.99 / AU$769.95. Some US and UK retailers have additionally stocked their very own bundles, typically throwing in an additional pair of Pleasure-Con 2 controllers or Nintendo Switch Online subscription time, however you possibly can anticipate to pay a premium for these.
Worth-wise, although, the Nintendo Change 2 (whereas actually dearer than its predecessor) falls about in keeping with related up to date handheld gaming units, together with the unique Steam Deck ($399 / £349 / AU$649) and the Asus ROG Ally ($549.99 / £449 / AU$999). Premium units just like the Steam Deck OLED and ROG Ally X are much more costly, positioning the Change 2 at a comparatively mid-range worth level amongst gaming handhelds, however actually on the extra inexpensive aspect inside the area.
By way of house consoles, the Change 2 does are available cheaper than the PS5 ($499.99 / £479.99 / AU$799.95) and lands in the identical ballpark because the PS5 Digital Version ($399.99 / £389.99 / AU$649.95). It’s additionally comparable in worth to the Xbox Series X Digital Edition ($449.99 / £429.99 / AU$699).
It’s additionally price noting that Nintendo Change 2 inventory has been an ongoing subject for the reason that pre-order section. At launch, it’s been extremely troublesome to buy a Change 2 at retail, and flashes of inventory in all main areas come and go right away. Nonetheless, this was additionally the case with the unique Change and competing techniques just like the PS5. In each circumstances, inventory turned rather more plentiful within the months after launch, so I’m hoping the identical is true for Nintendo’s newest.
Nintendo Change 2: specs
|
Worth |
$429.99 / £395.99 / AU$699.95 |
|
Weight |
1.18lbs / 535g (with Pleasure-Con 2 hooked up) |
|
Dimensions |
10.7 x 4.5 x 0.6in / 272 x 114 x 15mm |
|
Storage capability |
256GB inner |
|
Storage growth |
microSD Specific |
|
Connectivity |
WiFi 6, ethernet, Bluetooth |
|
Show |
Vivid LCD |
|
Decision (docked) |
As much as 4K |
|
Decision (handheld) |
As much as 1080p |
|
GPU |
Customized Nvidia processor |
|
CPU |
Customized Nvidia processor |
|
Battery life |
2-5 hours |
|
Ports |
2 x USB, 1 x HDMI, 1 x LAN, 2 x USB-C, 1 x 3.5mm headphone jack |
Nintendo Change 2: design and construct high quality
What’s most hanging in regards to the Nintendo Change 2 out of the field is its look and construct high quality enhancements over its predecessor. The console seems distinctly much less toy-like, largely helped by an total sleeker design and the ditching of the unique Pleasure-Con’s neon purple/blue aesthetic.
Some might lament the lack of whimsy, and that’s honest sufficient. Nevertheless it nonetheless stands out amongst the busy gaming handheld crowd. The Change 2, regardless of its elevated dimension, stays impressively slim. The truth is, it’s simply as skinny as the unique Change, and importantly, lacks the majority of the likes of the Steam Deck OLED and ROG Ally X. Which means that though it’s greater because of the bigger show dimension, it stays an eminently moveable console.
Although I’d advocate investing in a carry case for those who’re planning on taking your Change 2 out and about. Whereas it’s undoubtedly sturdier than the Change, it’s nonetheless liable to the identical environmental put on and tear of any handheld system.
The Change 2 dock has additionally seen a dimension enhance, however for good purpose. This time, the dock homes an inner fan to assist hold the unit cool throughout prolonged play periods. Fortunately, the dock remains to be sufficiently small to suit into even essentially the most compact gaming areas. Whether or not that be on a TV stand or your laptop desk, or elsewhere, you need to have little subject incorporating your Change 2 right into a docked setup. The dock additionally homes two USB ports, one ethernet port, and a HDMI slot to be used on TVs or gaming screens.
As for the hand held itself, there’s loads to go over by way of design. The unit now homes two USB-C ports – one on the highest and the opposite on the backside. Subsequent to every port are units of audio system. On the prime, you’ll additionally discover the facility and quantity buttons, in addition to the sport card slot, 3.5mm headphone jack, and a built-in microphone.
The Change 2’s kickstand is a big enchancment. The 2017 mannequin had a easy stub kickstand on one aspect, which felt extraordinarily inflexible. The Switch OLED did widen this design thought, but it surely wasn’t a lot better total. On Change 2, the kickstand has been fully redesigned. It spans nearly the whole size of the hand held and will be rotated to a a lot better diploma. This permits for better freedom with the way you place your Change 2 on a floor for tabletop play.
One other huge enchancment is available in how the Pleasure-Con 2 controllers connect to the hand held. As a substitute of the unique Change’s inflexible rail system, the Change 2 opts for a magnetic connection. As such, the Pleasure-Con 2 click on into place seamlessly and instantaneously. You may as well simply pop them again out by pushing in a button housed simply beneath the ZL/ZR set off buttons.
One very last thing to notice is that the Change 2 is impressively light-weight. At simply 1.18lbs (535g), it’s solely marginally heavier than the unique Change, which was 0.88lbs (399g), and the Change OLED’s 0.93lbs (422g). Admittedly, I used to be anticipating one thing a lot heavier earlier than my hands-on preview some months in the past, however I stay pleasantly stunned by the Change 2’s slimness. And when in comparison with the bulkier Steam Deck OLED’s 1.41lbs (640g), taking part in with Change 2 in mattress or on the go is much less strenuous total.
Nintendo Change 2: show
Not like the namesake display screen of the Change OLED, Nintendo has opted for an LCD show for the Change 2. This may occasionally come throughout as a downgrade on paper, however in actuality, the transfer again to LCD has its personal benefits. For one, LCD is much less liable to display screen burn-in than OLED, permitting for a panel that ought to last more.
I’ve no complaints in the case of the Change 2’s show. It’s a monumental improve over the unique’s 720p LCD display screen.
Moreover, Nintendo has nonetheless managed to make sure that your video games nonetheless look crisp and vividly colourful throughout moveable play. Nintendo describes its show as ‘Vivid LCD,’ and it’s an correct description to say the least. The show helps HDR10, that means video games that help this display screen tech (like Tremendous Mario Odyssey and the upcoming Metroid Prime 4: Past) will be simply as eye-poppingly colourful on the hand held as they’d be on a bigger OLED panel.
This 1080p display screen additionally helps VRR (variable refresh fee), serving to demanding video games preserve a clean framerate and serving to 120Hz-compatible titles meet that focus on. At launch, there aren’t many video games that profit from the Change 2 display screen’s 120Hz functionality, although Metroid Prime 4: Past is confirmed to have a 1080p efficiency mode that targets this excessive refresh fee. It’s sure to look gorgeous on the hand held that already has a local 1080p decision.
After all, there can be instances whenever you received’t wish to make use of HDR10, maybe with the intention to save battery or to have a play expertise that’s much less demanding on the eyes. Nintendo has fortunately considered this, and there are alternatives within the settings menu to disable HDR fully or to solely allow it for true HDR-compatible video games.
In my testing, I’ve no complaints in the case of the Change 2’s show. It’s a monumental improve over the unique’s 720p LCD display screen. The soar to 1080p helps each Change 2 and OG Change video games look extremely sharp. Even titles that make the most of a dynamic decision in handheld mode – like Bayonetta 3 and Astral Chain – are higher capable of meet this goal because of the elevated energy of the Change 2.
Nintendo Change 2: person interface and settings
The Change 2’s House dashboard is a disappointment at first look. The truth is, you may not be capable to inform it other than the unique console’s menu if it weren’t for the rounded edges utilized to recreation icons on the Change 2. It’s nonetheless aggressively bland, then, and also you’ve nonetheless solely received the selection between two primary white and black themes, however there have been some key enhancements price speaking about.
The massive factor to make observe of is efficiency. Points with the glacial enter delay are virtually nonexistent now, and nowhere is that this extra obvious than the revamped Nintendo eShop. There’s a totally new person interface right here, and objects are organized rather more cleanly and neatly than earlier than. And whereas, sure, you continue to received’t be escaping the mountains of genAI shovelware when trying via the offers part, I’d nonetheless argue that the eShop now is an effective deal extra responsive than even the PlayStation and Microsoft Shops.
Over to System Settings, then, and also you’ll discover a lot of what was out there on the unique Change. On Change 2, there are a lot extra choices to benefit from the {hardware}’s new options. These embody setting TV output to 1440p or 4K, fine-tuning HDR, in addition to stopping your system from topping up its battery all the way in which to full with the intention to assist the battery last more within the years to come back. The same possibility is frequent with finest iPhones and finest Android smartphones, so it’s good to see it right here on a conveyable gaming gadget.
Nintendo Change 2: audio
One vital addition to the Nintendo Change 2 is the implementation of a bespoke encompass sound system, supported by the audio system on each the highest and backside of the hand held.
What impressed me essentially the most right here was the shocking degree of audio high quality when not utilizing a pair of headphones in handheld mode. The audio system are considerably much less tinny than the unique Change (although that did additionally see an enchancment with the OLED mannequin), they usually present surprisingly clear audio for such a compact gadget.
The audio system work nice for a variety of video games, whether or not that’s the huge immersive soundscape of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom or the infectiously catchy tunes of Splatoon 3. Even older NES and SNES video games which are playable by way of Nintendo Change On-line profit, with their less complicated melodies coming via with nice readability.
Bluetooth help is the place the Change 2 falters within the audio division. Don’t get me mistaken, you’re nonetheless getting robust encompass sound help right here. However with the gaming headsets and earbuds I examined – together with the RIG 900 Max HS and the Nothing Ear (a) earbuds – there was a really noticeable audio delay of round half a second. This was the case in each docked and handheld modes, although it was actually extra pronounced with the latter.
On that observe, I’d advocate hooking up a pair of wired headphones by way of the three.5mm jack. On this case, I examined my Razer BlackShark V2 headphones, and audio got here via crystal clear and not using a trace of delay.
Nintendo Change 2: Efficiency
Now, total gaming efficiency is the place the Nintendo Change 2 actually impresses. Not less than at this early stage within the console’s life, the notion of poor framerates and closely compromised Nintendo Change ports appears to be a factor of the previous.
Nintendo’s personal output has to date been stellar on this entrance. Mario Kart World runs at a clear 1440p whereas docked (1080p on the hand held) at a strong 60 frames per second (fps) always. That’s particularly spectacular given the collection’ shift to a vibrant open world.
Nonetheless, I used to be much more stunned by among the console’s ports. Road Fighter 6, for instance (whereas barely worse off by way of picture high quality with some noticeable graining), runs beautifully at 60fps each on-line and offline. The marquee single-player World Tour mode does take some hits with battles being locked to 30fps, however that’s the one actual blemish on this in any other case distinctive port.
The one main draw back to all that is the Change 2’s shockingly poor battery life. In handheld mode, Nintendo itself estimates that you would be able to get anyplace between two to 6 and a half hours. Nonetheless, in all my testing, I merely didn’t discover this to be the case. After all, extra demanding titles will drain the battery a great deal extra, however even with authentic Change video games, I struggled to get greater than three hours at full cost. And sure, that’s even after bypassing the bug the place the console thinks it’s received round 10% much less battery life than what it truly has.
Even when taking part in much less demanding titles, equivalent to side-scrollers or Nintendo Change On-line (NSO) retro video games, battery life struggles. You’ll be able to, in fact, mitigate issues by turning down the console’s brightness and disabling HDR for sure video games, however this does come at the price of total picture readability.
I’d say, at a push, you may get round 5 hours tops with much less visually demanding video games, after testing titles like Hole Knight, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S, and quite a few Change On-line basic titles. Heck, even idling on the House dashboard appears to empty the battery at an alarming clip, so do ensure to maintain your console in standby whenever you’re out and about and it’s not in use.
Nintendo Change 2: Backwards compatibility
Nintendo Change 2’s backwards compatibility is – in a phrase – glorious. Significantly in the case of operating and taking part in authentic Change video games. Firstly, most Change video games at a baseline degree profit from Change 2’s sooner inner storage. Meaning you possibly can anticipate video games in addition and cargo scenes a lot sooner on common.
For instance, booting Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition took me from the House dashboard to the in-game menu in round 4 seconds. Then, from the menu to in-game was roughly 10 seconds. It’s an identical story with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which masses right into a match in actually lower than 3 seconds. One other standout instance is Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Version, which I’ve already written about as being certainly one of my favourite Change 2 experiences thus far, regardless of being an authentic Change title. In the primary story mode, the sport transitioned from degree choice to loading to gameplay in, once more, round 3 or 4 seconds.
Many Change video games additionally profit from a rise in picture high quality and total efficiency, not simply video games which have acquired paid Nintendo Change 2 Editions. The standout instance right here is Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. Most would agree that the unique Change launch was a multitude, with horrific picture high quality and uneven animations. On Change 2, the sport has been reworked, rocking a strong 60fps and focusing on 4K whereas docked and 1080p on the hand held. Now, the sport’s total artwork fashion nonetheless does really feel a bit flat, however with its key efficiency points solved on Change 2, it’s now effectively price taking part in, because it’s nonetheless a fantastic Pokémon journey.
One other recreation that advantages is, once more, Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Version. That recreation initially had an uncapped framerate, that means the Change 2 is ready to brute power a 60fps efficiency always. Picture high quality in handheld mode can also be elegant, with the sport sporting a 1080p output and not needing to downsample to 720p to suit the unique Change show. If you recognize of every other OG Change titles with uncapped framerates, undoubtedly give them a attempt on Change 2, because the outcomes might shock you.
Nintendo Change 2: Pleasure-Con 2
Now onto the Change 2’s pack-in controllers – the Pleasure-Con 2. And once more, we discover a fairly sizable enchancment over the earlier mannequin in some methods. Their total design is far sleeker, they usually’re barely rounder than the unique Pleasure-Con controllers. Their bigger dimension additionally makes them rather more comfy to play with for longer periods – even when sharing a person Pleasure-Con 2 with a pal for co-op play.
The massive addition right here is mouse controls, that are supported by sure titles, together with Civilization 7 and Cyberpunk 2077. Mouse controls may also be used to navigate the Change 2’s House dashboard and Nintendo eShop (although the shortage of a scroll wheel does harm issues a little bit right here). It’s a really good implementation, and efficiency is extraordinarily clean with no pointless acceleration. You’ll be able to even modify mouse sensitivity within the System Settings menu and in supported video games.
It’s price mentioning that there have already been experiences of Pleasure-Con 2 controllers affected by stick drift, and the sticks themselves seem to have the identical design because the originals.
It is a large disgrace and a giant disappointment, as certainly one of my greatest considerations earlier than launch was the shortage of enhancements on this regard. Nintendo does supply a free restore and substitute service for Pleasure-Con 2 controllers affected by stick drift, however I’d clearly want a Corridor impact answer with the intention to keep away from this subject fully.
Nintendo Change 2: GameChat
Lastly, Nintendo has a real occasion voice chat answer constructed into certainly one of its consoles. Whereas quite a few titles on the unique Change supported voice chat by way of the official Nintendo Change On-line app, chatting with mates this fashion was nothing wanting terrible – typically because of pressured disconnections between matches and low-quality audio.
So, is GameChat a good different to the likes of Discord? Nicely, sure and no. GameChat clearly takes nice inspiration from the world’s main group chat software program. Audio high quality by way of the Change 2’s built-in mic is surprisingly clear, and headset microphones are additionally supported. It’s objectively a giant enchancment over Nintendo’s prior efforts.
The issues include its implementation. Specifically, shrinking the sport display screen down with the intention to show your mates’ Change 2 profile icons. This appears unnecessary, particularly when not utilizing the Nintendo Change 2 Digital camera accent, to not point out the truth that GameChat provides huge black borders round your recreation display screen. Discord already solved this with its easy and efficient overlay that maintains picture decision whereas displaying profile icons off to the aspect in a semi-transparent method.
GameChat isn’t missing ambition, although, and there are some neat concepts right here. For instance, having the ability to see your mates’ recreation screens is a novel thought, and a neat manner of translating split-screen play in an internet area. The issue, once more, is the execution of it. Your mates’ shows are rendered at an uncomfortably low framerate, to the purpose the place it could possibly truly be fairly distracting.
I hope Nintendo continues to enhance the GameChat service going ahead and flesh it out with extra customizable choices, as a result of it’s a useful factor to have for occasion chat with mates on-line, and it does have some neat concepts of its personal. However for now, I’d nonetheless advocate establishing a chat with mates by way of Discord.
Ought to I purchase the Nintendo Change 2?
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
Additionally take into account…
If the Nintendo Change 2 isn’t fairly for you, or for those who merely can’t discover inventory for the at present hard-to-get console, listed here are a few alternate options which may higher fit your preferences.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
Nintendo Change 2 |
Steam Deck OLED |
Asus ROG Ally X |
|
Worth |
$429.99 / £395.99 / AU$699.95 |
$549 / £479 (round AU$849) |
$799.99 / £799 / AU$1,599 |
|
Weight |
1.18lbs / 535g |
1.41lbs / 640g |
1.49lbs / 678g |
|
Dimensions |
10.7 x 4.5 x 0.6in / 272 x 114 x 15mm |
11.7 x 4.6 x 1.9in / 298 x 117 x 49mm |
11 x 4.5 x 1.5in / 280.2 x 114 x 37mm |
|
Storage capability |
256GB inner |
512GB NVMe SSD |
1TB M.2 2280 SSD |
|
Storage growth |
microSD Specific |
microSD |
microSD |
|
Connectivity |
WiFi 6, ethernet, Bluetooth |
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 |
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 |
|
Show |
7.9in Vivid LCD |
7.4in OLED |
7-inch FHD |
|
Decision |
4K docked, 1080p handheld |
1080p |
1080p |
|
CPU |
Customized Nvidia processor |
AMD Zen 2 4 core 2.4-3.5GHz |
AMD Ryzen Z1 Excessive |
|
GPU |
Customized Nvidia processor |
AMD RDNA 2 |
AMD Radeon Graphics |
|
Battery life |
2-5 hours |
2-3 hours |
Round 8 hours |
|
Ports |
2 x USB, 1 x HDMI, 1 x LAN, 2 x USB-C, 1 x 3.5mm headphone jack |
1 x USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD |
2x USB-C, 1 x combo jack, 1 x SD card reader slot |
How I examined the Nintendo Change 2
I examined the Nintendo Change 2 for simply over two weeks for this assessment. In docked mode, I performed on a 4K-capable LG CX OLED TV, however I additionally cut up my time evenly between docked and handheld play. My picks for controllers throughout my testing had been the Pleasure-Con 2, Nintendo Change 2 Professional Controller, and the wi-fi Nintendo GameCube Controller to be used with the brand new GameCube classics library by way of Nintendo Change On-line + Growth Pack.
My testing additionally concerned taking part in an entire bunch of Change 2 and authentic Change video games. These embody Mario Kart World, Road Fighter 6, Yakuza 0: Director’s Lower, Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Change 2 Version, Deltarune, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Version, and Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Version.
I additionally in contrast the Change 2’s gaming efficiency to that of the bottom PS5 and the Change OLED. Whereas it does lack the sheer energy of the previous, it’s not too far off the mark as we see with among the Change 2’s glorious ports. And within the case of the latter, it’s no contest, and I discovered it exceptionally laborious to revisit my older Change particularly when the brand new system is nearly totally backwards appropriate.
For audio, I principally relied on the Change 2 handheld’s in-built audio system, however examined headset audio with the RIG 900 Max HS, Nothing Ear (a) earbuds, and the Razer BlackShark V2 gaming headset.