Unboxing the Nintendo Switch 2: First Reactions & Early Thoughts

After managing to score a pre-order when the window opened back in April, my Nintendo Switch 2 arrived over the weekend. Shoutout to Target for not canceling my order — and for delivering it ahead of the original June 11 ship date.

I always love unboxing new consoles. Call me corny, but there’s something magical about opening the box and unwrapping the components. That feeling never gets old.

This time around, I decided to do a direct comparison between the new Switch 2 and my launch-day Nintendo Switch from 2018. And if you’re hesitant about the price tag? Based on everything I’ve seen — from the hardware feel to the initial boot-up — this is absolutely a worthy upgrade.

Unboxing

Surprisingly, there’s not a ton of packaging in the box. You get the essentials: the console, the dock, the new Joy-Con 2 controllers (with grip and straps), and a tiny pamphlet. That’s it.

Maybe I’m showing my age, but I miss the days of thick instruction manuals and ads for upcoming games. Even a basic setup guide would’ve added a little charm.

It’s worth noting that there have been reports of GameStop stores stapling receipts directly onto the Switch 2 box — in some cases piercing the screen. While that’s clearly a boneheaded move by individual employees, it does make you wonder why Nintendo didn’t include more protective packaging for the screen itself.

The Console

The Switch 2 looks and feels very similar to its predecessor — which isn’t a bad thing. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?

But it’s better in every sense of the word. The weight feels more balanced, the plastic feels more premium, and the whole device just screams quality.

Compared to my 2018 Switch, the Switch 2 is absolutely massive. The screen jumps from 6.2 inches to 7.9 inches — still LCD, but now with 1080p resolution, HDR support, and up to 120 FPS. It’s sharp, vibrant, and a noticeable improvement for handheld play.

More under the hood, the console has 256GB of internal storage, 8 times what the Switch has. It’s a sizable increase, but let’s be real, you’re going to need more. The one quirk is that the Switch 2 only supports microSD Express cards, which read faster than the standard ones. I picked up a 256GB card for about $60 at Best Buy.

The other big win? A proper, full-length kickstand. Gone is the flimsy, snap-prone stand from the original — this one is sturdy and functional. Huge upgrade.

Side by side, it dwarfs the OG Switch. See for yourself.

Joy-Con 2

As someone with big hands, I’ve never been a fan of the original Joy-Cons. Even in the grip, they felt cramped — and don’t get me started on playing with them horizontally. Instant hand cramps.

The Joy-Con 2 controllers are a welcome improvement. They’re still a bit small when used horizontally, but in the grip? They feel fantastic.

They’re noticeably larger than the originals. The buttons have better travel and responsiveness, and there’s even a new button dedicated to the Chat feature.

Unlike the OG Joy-Cons, which slid and locked into the console via a rail, the Joy-Cons 2 attach magnetically. I was skeptical at first — I’ve always associated magnets with potential long-term wear. But it works shockingly well. The thunk when they snap into place is addicting, and there’s a release button to detach them easily.

The Dock

I typically play docked when I’m at home on my 4K TV, and I travel with my Switch when I’m on the go. So I was curious about how the new dock would hold up.

Like the rest of the console, it’s sturdier than the original. It includes an Ethernet port (a big win if you hate relying on Wi-Fi) and even has a fan for better airflow.

That said, I have one gripe: the back panel. Unlike the OG dock, it doesn’t flip — it pops off completely. It feels like it’s begging to get lost. Also, the port cutout in the back is a bit small — getting the power, HDMI, and Ethernet cables lined up just right took some effort.

Still, those minor annoyances don’t outweigh the overall improvement.

I’ve been playing Mario Kart World (I’ll have a separate review coming soon), and it looks incredible. The colors pop, the framerate feels smooth, and the chaos of red shells and banana peels has never looked better. Even Streets of Rage on the Sega Genesis Virtual Console looked noticeably sharper and more vibrant.

I’ll be testing more OG Switch games soon — especially in handheld mode — to see how well the hardware handles them.

Bonus: Pro Controller 2

This one’s sold separately, but I had to pick it up.

Look — my main console is the PlayStation 5, and I love the DualSense controller. It’s got amazing haptic feedback and a great overall feel … but the battery life sucks.

The Pro Controller for the OG Switch has long been my favorite controller of all time, and the Pro Controller 2 might just dethrone it.

It looks similar to the original, though it now features a two-tone gray color scheme. The buttons feel great, the joysticks are smooth, and the weight is just right.

Notable changes: there’s now a headphone jack, the + and – buttons are more pronounced, and new GL/GR buttons on the back can be mapped to different functions depending on the game. It’s an awesome evolution of an already excellent design.

Final Thoughts

The Nintendo Switch 2 doesn’t reinvent the wheel — but it doesn’t have to. This is a smart, refined upgrade that makes meaningful improvements across the board: display, build quality, controls, and dock functionality.

If you’ve been holding onto your original Switch since launch day like I have, this feels like a true leap forward — and one that’s worth making.

I’ll be diving deeper into performance, battery life, and how older games run on this new hardware in the coming days — so stay tuned.