We had a long hands-on time with the Nintendo Switch 2 at a Nintendo event in Paris, at the Grand Palais. Here's our first technical feedback on the games presented. It's worth noting that all the demos were for non-commercial versions of the games, and some adjustments may be made between now and then.
Mario Kart World
The Nintendo Switch 2 launch title was supposed to revolutionize the well-known formula of the most famous racing game in video games by integrating an open-world layer a la Forza Horizon 5. For our part, we were able to run a few races against a colleague or solo against the computer.
We'll let our colleagues in the video game press give you their opinion on the gameplay, but we can already say this: on a technical level, this Mario Kart marks a real turning point.
The game displays boundless generosity; we clearly feel that the developers had a blast with the console's new capabilities. Graphically, we saw numerous lighting effects, a play on depth that previous games couldn't afford, and very well-smoothed aliasing (the jagged effect on certain lines). The characters are obviously full of new animations, and the repeated use of vibrations enhances the experience. The characters also seemed heavier and slower to move. They seem to be struck by a form of inertia when stopped by a shell or a banana, which means that the kart does not stop immediately after the impact.
Donkey Kong Bananza
"Could Switch 2 games run on Switch 1?" This question, asked by a colleague after the event, Donkey Kong Bananza allows us to answer it quite easily: no. Just like Mario Kart, the new 3D game feels like you're touching on a new generation of Nintendo games.
The game is based in particular on a system of environmental destruction and a sort of vertical open world, two elements already seen in Tears of the Kingdom, but not with this level of graphics. The fur of the famous monkey, its variety of animations, movements, the general graphic quality, it smells in any case very good for the game planned for a release in July 2025.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
We were able to play what seems like the first minutes of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. The game will launch on both Switch 1 and Switch 2, which allows us to compare the graphical capabilities somewhat.
In our case, the game was set to performance mode (1080p/120 FPS), but it can also run in 4K/60 FPS. In any case, the graphic richness is much greater on this Switch 2 version. The lighting effects on Samus's armor, some water droplet effects on her cannon, and even the textures as a whole, the Switch 2 version is much more advanced.
The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 versions
Let's move on to the flagship games of the Switch 1 adapted here in a famous Switch 2 Edition, the diptych of open-world Zelda, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Here again, the comparison is relevant: both games were criticized upon their release, especially the second one released in 2023, for their technical shortcomings.
It's hard to say if the textures have been improved or if the slightly higher definition on TV (1080p compared to 900p) previously changes anything. On the other hand, one point we really liked: the fluidity is incomparable with the Switch 1 versions. For example, we went to the Kokiri forest (for those in the know), a point in the game where the vegetation clearly brought the Switch 1 to its knees. In the Switch 2 version, the frame rate is much more stable and when you move the camera, the fluidity is definitely there.
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Let's say a few words about what is similar to the console's demo game to show off the new features, the Welcome Tour. Every console should have this type of experience, the Wii had Wii Sports, the Game Boy Tetris, the PS5 Astro's Playroom, the Switch 2 will have this game. Well, almost, the title will still cost a few more to be able to launch (no details at this stage).
You'll probably have to consider the price of the game, but it's not impossible that this entry ticket will be well spent. Especially if you're a technology enthusiast. The game is full of explanatory panels and quizzes of all kinds, which explain the technicalities of the machine, sometimes with a lot of details. Nintendo surprises everyone by going into the field, for a company rather used to not liking to discuss this type of subject. There are also mini-games which push the new features (HDR, 120 FPS, HD vibration 2, mouse mode) a little further to show what developers could do if they took hold of them. For example, we were able to shake virtual maracas with the two Joy Con and feel the little balls as if they were inside the controllers.
Hogwarts Legacy
So here is the bad student of the launch. At least in this preview version that we were able to try on the big screen, which did not really do justice to the game that we tried on PS5. Is this a development problem with this port or the beginning of the technical limits of the Switch 2 that we saw? Difficult to decide.
Still, on the big screen, Hogwarts Legacy isn't exactly beautiful. This is due to an upscaling technique that's too aggressive, to say the least: the game is modeled in 480p before being upscaled to 4K. A switch to 1080p would have been more than enough, no doubt. As a result, when the game is still, it's acceptable, but as soon as we move (and that's kind of the principle in a video game), it's a feast for unsavory graphical artifacts, especially around the game's main character. Let's hope the final game offers other graphical modes or a little more careful optimization.
Cyberpunk 2077
Here's one of the console's technical demos, certainly provided by a third-party developer, CD Projekt RED. Cyberpunk is known to be demanding, so seeing it run on a portable format remains a small challenge for any company in the sector.
We were able to choose between Quality mode (30 stable FPS) and Performance mode (over 40 FPS), both in 1080p on the go. No Ray Tracing in sight, unfortunately, but the game ran fairly stable and with very little to complain about on the Switch 2's small screen. The slightly unsightly aliasing still appears here and there, and you have to be careful: we played on a save file provided by the developers with relatively few NPCs on screen.
Civilization VII
A quick look at a strategy game, which is obviously full of promise with mouse mode. This can be a bit disconcerting at first, since we find ourselves on a PC experience, but without a keyboard. We're tempted to look for those little WASD keys to move around the game map, then we realize that a simple left click allows it. The stick turns into a wheel to zoom in and out as we wish, and the right click allows us to move. Clean.
Graphically, the copy presented by Firaxis Games is quite flawless. Here again, we noticed a bit of aliasing on certain textures, but the game is beautiful overall, with lighting effects and HD textures that the Switch 1 does not support. Fluidity is also there; the game seemed to run at least 60 FPS.
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