Topic: Nintendo Switch 2

OK, seems Assassin's Creed isnt as bad as I thought, but still- no gyro and some slight framerate issues = holding off for now. I need gyro and a little more on the stability side. We'll see

@rallydefault
Split Fiction is actually digital only, FYI. The boxed release is just a code in the box for shelf presence. It includes gameshare for local wireless, includes split screen, and allows a friend to download the "friend's pass" version for free to play online together.

I think a lot of snes games still look and play great (although I prefer using a modern controller) but N64 graphics and N64 jank camera I just dislike.

I disliked the N64 graphics even as a young child in the 90s; it just felt ugly for most games.

Split Fiction is a ludicrously big game for the amount of time it takes to play through it.

I'd guess that with practically every set piece being set in a different place and time, they didn't get to reuse a whole load of assets.

Ah well, at least you can uninstall it to free up the space when you're done.

Seems Red Dead Redemption NSW2 update is peak. One downside is no gyro aiming, however, they added mouse aiming and it's flawless. Can have it seamlessly switch so you just need to set joycon down when in combat, you can swap ZL/ZR so you can aim from left joycon and shoot with R on the mouse joycon (or leave it how Tomb Raider does it with ZR as "right click aim" and R as "left click shoot").

@Matt_Barber
Exactly. Split Fiction is a good, lengthy game too. But once you finish, you can basically archive it. Unless you wanna keep a good splitscreen game for impromptu local co-op

@WaveBoy
Dude, yes, Wario Land is soooooo good. It's a close second for me.

I have the box and manuals and everything just for those three original Mario games on GameBoy: everything else I just buy the cartridges loose. Those games will forever be special to me.

OK, so feel free to ignore this if it's all been talked about before, but it's been so long since the Switch 2 launched that I've forgotten stuff. My son and I were planning on pooling our money after Christmas to get one, but went ahead and caved early thanks to the sale yesterday. I am just wondering, what are the big things that we really should look at doing/getting? I'm not talking big games like MK or DK or Cyberpunk. I'm thinking smaller games, Switch 2 exclusive demos, necessary accessories, stuff like that (definitely getting a screen protector). Even I think I remember people really talking about having to change some system settings to get things working properly. So is there anything like that that we really should know before diving in?

@Xyphon22
I think a lot of people would say to change that battery setting to “only charge to 90%” or whatever if you mostly keep it docked.

If you play handheld a lot, I’ve saved tons of battery life by disabling the HDR and having airplane mode turned on whenever possible. It can add like an hour to the demanding games and more than that to smaller games.

I would recommend not doing the system transfer, honestly. Just boot up your Switch 2 for the first time and decline, then just login to your NSO account as usual and all your virtual games and stuff will be there. This is especially easy if you have your cloud saves on NSO and can just pull those in as you need them.

@Xyphon22

Smaller Switch 2 Games: While not exactly a technical powerhouse, I would recommend picking up the Switch 2 version of Deltarune. It's a fantastic RPG on any platform, but Switch 2 has an exclusive version of a boss fight that takes advantage of the dual mouse mode Joy-Con 2s and is pretty fun. Switch 2 Welcome Tour is pretty divisive, and I haven't played it myself, but I have heard some people say it's fun. I don't remember everything that has a demo but I know that Adventures of Elliot, the HD-2D adventure game, has a demo only on Switch 2 despite the game not being out yet.

Accessories: You said you're getting a screen protector, and that's definitely the most important accessory. I would also recommend purchasing a carrying case so you (or your son) can take it traveling. If you don't want to use gripped Joy-Con 2s and don't have a Switch 1 Pro Controller (or just don't want to deal with its inability to wake the system remotely) you may want to consider purchasing a Pro Controller 2. I have not gotten it yet, thanks to the high price tag, but many people say its worth it, so if it's worth it to you, you should probably get it.

System settings: If your TV supports HDR, you will need to tweak the HDR settings to make sure it's perfect (I'll link a full guide below). By default, HDR is enabled for all games, but you should change it to only be enabled for compatible games, as incompatible games will just be affected weirdly. It's also good to use the setting to stop charging the system at around 90% in order to prevent battery degradation over time.

Enjoy the Switch 2!

@Xyphon22
1) $11 Seihoo 8"x10" firm mouse pad on Amazon to toss in your lap anytime you want to aim with mouse mode. Without this crucial accessory you'll almost certainty never use that mode. I cut the wrist string off my mouse strap accessories. I play with dual joycon and just set the right joycon down anytime I'm in combat and need precise aiming (Tomb Raider, Red Dead Redemption)

2) Genki portable magnetic battery which comes with an adhesive sticky side magnetic ring to place on the back of your NSW2, so the battery just snaps on the back any time you want, and the total weight is still less than the original Steamdeck out of the box.

3) 1 TB micro SD express card is a must. Almost every game that's not 1st party will require installation (either digitally or as a Game Key Cart). Even 1st party games are 20-50 GB now. 3rd party games are 20-100 GB. You're gonna need space. As much as you can afford. Amazon had 512 GB cards for $74.99 and 1 TB for $169.99 last I checked.

4) Pro Controller or official Charge Grip is non-negotiable. They both include rear grip buttons GL/GR that are fully remappable via Quick Access Menu in game, and assignments are automatically saved on a per-game, per-user basis. So set it and forget it for every game you play. Tired of clicking the left analog to run? Set to GL. Tired of clicking right analog to zoom in? Set to GR. Tired of removing thumbs off the analogs to hit the d-pad or face buttons? Set to GL/GR. Trust me, this is a gamechanger.

5) The UniqueMe tempered glass with auto-application frame is also a must. Don't waste money on the amFilm brand- they're cheap but have imperfections in the glass. Make sure you get the auto application frame ones. You'll nail it first try, no air bubbles, no hairs stuck beneath, just pure flawless application.

6) Jsaux Joycon Grips are, to me, a must. They come with a plastic shell for the middle console portion too, but I threw that away. I just bought for the Joycon 2 Grips and they make handheld SO comfortable.

7) Jsaux Steamdeck case is a perfect fit for NSW2 with the Jsaux Joycon grips on, and has a cubby where I can fit a Charge Grip, charger and USB-C cable, Genki portable magnetic battery and a mouse rail for the right joycon

@Xyphon22
Also as far as games...

Personally I think Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bonanza and Metroid Prime 4 are the top 3 absolute must-have, must-play exclusives. I think Hyrule Warriors Age of Imprisonment is good, but not on that level. Pokemon Legends Z-A is surprisingly fun and addictive, but definitely feels dated (at least it's 4k 60fps, but I'd hold off until Gen10 with their new engine). And Kirby Air Riders... eh. It just didn't do it for me. BUT! Some love it so take that with a grain of salt.

I'd say the NSW2 Editions of Zelda BotW and TotK are non-negotiable. I'd pass on Mario Party Jamboree. As for Kirby Forgotten Land, depends how much you like the base game. If you love it, then yes, upgrade. If you weren't crazy about it, pass.

Obviously Street Fighter 6, Cyberpunk 2077, Star Wars Outlaws, Hogwarts Legacy, etc are all fantastic games and barring SF offer gyro aiming (and mouse aiming for Cyberpunk). But I'd point to Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter, Fantasy Life i, Tomb Raider, Yooka-Replaylee (dude- FANTASTIC reimagining, this is the game it should have originally been) and the Yakuza games are other, less talked about games to consider.

Don't forget Splatoon 3, Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, Zelda Link's Awakening, Zelda Echoes of Wisdom, ARMS, Captain Toad, etc are all updated for free to run at 4k 60fps (or 1440p in some cases).

And lastly... don't ignore Gamechat and Gameshare! Gamechat is soooo much better than I expected. I do recommend the camera, actually. But even without it, being able to hop on and talk at any time playing any game, screen sharing and video sharing, where the mic somehow filters the game's audio to prevent interference... it's magical. Just so low barrier to entry you'll really come to appreciate it's value.

And while only a select few games offer Gameshare, it's THE single best new addition to the NSW2. If you buy Split Fiction or WWE 2K25, for example, you can play with others over local wireless who don't even own the game, and without them downloading anything, even from a Switch 1, and it's so high quality and low latency I mistook it for running natively (or at least, I would have if I didn't know better). It's seriously awesome. Even works over the internet and man, I'm telling you, it's revolutionary. Forget Download Play from the 3DS. This takes that concept, mixes it with the Wii U gamepad low latency streaming concept and just nails it. Some games to test it out on are Club House Games, Fast Fusion, Hyrule Warriors Age of Imprisonment, Cosmic Invasion, Split Fiction, Super Mario 3D World (and Mario Odyssey, DK Bonanza and Captain Toad but the 2P component is pretty lame in those games).

I have heard SOME games have latency issues when using a NSW1 (I think WWE 2K?) but all the ones I've tried have been flawless. Split Fiction and WWE 2K for sure are chef's kiss when Gamesharing to another NSW2, and Split Fiction is flawless even with a Switch 1. But test some of them out and see for yourself.

Split Fiction GameShare to NSW Lite

@Xyphon22 My approach to accessories has been more minimalistic than some others in this thread. The only accessories I've been using are as follows:

• Carry case. Mine's a tomtoc - highly recommended as they are good quality and come in some nice colours.
• Switch pro controller. The Switch 2 pro controller is neat but personally the smaller shape doesn't sit well with me - I still consider the original pro controller to be the most comfy controller ever made. Being unable to turn on the system remotely is a shame but really just a minor inconvenience.

I've actually been going without a microSD card, despite having picked up every major first-party launch and owning 300+ digital Switch games. IDK, games just download so quickly these days that I've not found it to be much of a hindrance, and personally I'm only ever interested in a few games at a time. Will probably consider upgrading at some point...but so far so good.

Unfortunately I haven't found the demo selection for Switch 2 games to be that great. Although I hear Bananza has a demo these days? Defo worth a shot as I think this is the best Switch 2 exclusive at this point.

As for system transfer: I went ahead with it and have had 0 problems. The virtual game card system is quite intuitive to me and I find it easy enough to load games back onto my old Switch. Remember that some games don't have cloud saves though so will need their own individual transfers - Animal Crossing and Pokemon are the big ones AFAIK.

Seconding @JaxonH in that Gameshare is pretty neat.

Enjoy your new Switch 2!

@rallydefault I think my son must have been keeping up with things, because the first thing he did was go in and change the battery setting to the 90% charge thing. And I pretty much use the Switch exclusively handheld (even before the Switch, the Wii U Gamepad spoiled me on ever having to be stuck to the TV ever again), but I also almost never play long enough to run out of battery, but that's good to know in case it happens. Thanks. And yeah, I had already decided to not do a system transfer since I plan on still using my OLED for older stuff I already have, so good to know it's easy to do.

@UpsideDownRowlet Deltarune is my son's favorite game, so he downloaded it right away. Says he even has a save state right at the special room so he can try it out immediately. And I had forgotten about that Elliot demo, definitely going to download that. And as I mentioned above, I don't plan on playing on TV much except for probably some Mario Kart as a family, but I'll keep the HDR thing in mind. Thanks.

@JaxonH Thanks for all the suggestions. I definitely want to try mouse mode on games to see if I'll ever use it enough to justify the mouse pad, but it seems cool for pretty cheap. Most of the other things I'm not sure on personally. I know I'm in the minority here, but I have been a lifelong Nintendo-only gamer for basically two reasons: exclusives like Zelda and Mario, and unique gameplay exemplified in their controllers. I've never owned a Pro controller or any other standard-like controller that didn't come with the system and don't think I ever will. Even if it might be harder to win, I think it's more fun and that's more important (Punch Out on Wii I always played with the balance board even if it made it almost impossible to win the harder fights). Thanks, though, and I'll look into some of those.

@Xyphon22
That's cool. I'd at least recommend the Charge Grip then because it's identical to the one out of the box, but it adds the rear grip buttons GL/GR. They help take stress off clicking the analogs, so the sticks will last longer, and it's just more convenient as you don't need to reach down and tap the d-pad to pull up a map or stuff like that. Idk why the stock grip didn't include them (probably to help sell the Charge Grip separately) but ya, it's worth it. And I find the grip really comfortable anyways- not as good as the Pro Controller but if I had to I'd have no problem using the Charge Grip instead.

@Buizel I never bothered with a case for the Switch, but our original one before I got my own OLED got pretty beat up, so I might pop for one this time. And I'm glad to see you're okay without an SD card. That was my second necessity for Switch 1 along with a screen protector, but with added space on the system I was going to pass on one until they're cheaper. I don't mind just deleting games I'm done with to free up room. And yes, DK does have a demo. Looking forward to trying it out.

@JaxonH We have Mario Kart from the bundle and Pokemon Z-A because that was my son's must get game. My only two must gets right now are Metroid and Hyrule Warriors (not a huge fan of musou games, but it's still Zelda so I need it). I also really want DK, Fantasy Life, and Kaname Date (although that one seems like I'd probably be fine with the Switch 1 version), plus a few others.

Honestly, I think you have to sometimes invent reasons to NOT get some games because there's just not enough time and money to play them all. That's why even though I personally think the reasoning might be ridiculous, I don't blame anyone for deciding talkative side characters will keep them from getting Metroid. For me, as much as I would like to try it, the gore and sex is my reason for not getting Cyberpunk. But mostly I'll just wait and see what I might happen to get for Christmas and my birthday in February and fill in the gaps from there.

@Xyphon22
Ya, most people aren't honest with themselves. They do specifically look for reasons to declare why they're not buying certain games, instead of just saying my time is limited and such and such game didn't fall in the top bracket of my personal hierarchy, or just admitting money is tight and they can't afford it, or whatever. And, let us not forget the nature of gaming discourse online. There's tons of fanboyism and jealous resentment masked and dressed up as "legitimate criticism". But those ppl are easy to spot, as they have a consistent history of nitpicking anything and everything time after time, game after game.

Anyone who legit just doesn't place Metroid in their hierarchy of games they have time and money for I understand. But personally? Only God Himself would be able to stop me from playing that game the very moment it drops tomorrow night. I've played a lot of games in my life, and Metroid Prime 2 is, to this day, one of my favorite games of all time. And I will not cheat myself out of experiencing that magic again. Others can do what they want- it's their life and their choice. But as for me? This is one of the most special games to ever release.

The only thing that may rival the importance of Metroid Prime 4 for me this generation will be Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave and Monster Hunter 6 Portable. And Portal 3 if that were to ever happen (but it won't).

My perspective is completely different, I factor in weak platforms and overpriced games. Some people are extremely loyal to their chosen console others like myself have zero loyalty to any company and quick to complement or criticise any company for any reason I consider. It's easy to spot people always positive sometimes unfairly to one platform. The Switch 2 is a lovely little console but at this point in time its very new with only a few exclusive games. It has some technical limitations and the design has been seriously costcut to provide Nintendo with good profits. It's always worth pointing out other options to people with regard games. Ultimately that is what makes forums interesting to see all opinions from every angle. Some people get angry and get insulting because other people don't have the same opinion as them which surely is the strongest indicator of a fanboy because they are upset that their chosen console and games are criticised. The vast majority don't care either way just interested in what other people are writing and maybe adjust their opinion based on different opinions. my opinions adjust all the time as new information comes out. I am also interested in the gaming industry as a whole and what is happening on each format in different regions. I feel its a very interesting industry.

Some screenshots of Prime 4 I grabbed from video reviews. Tomorrow night my friends.

@BonzoBanana
I feel like you took my comment as an accusation. I assure you it was not. And had nothing to do with criticizing or not criticizing. I don't care if someone is always positive, nor do I care if someone is always negative. All I care about is if they're genuine. That said, it's natural for people to be mostly positive with regard to a hobby they engage in for happiness and entertainment. For most ppl, if they just wanna complain, they don't need video games for that. And I imagine the reason ppl generally find the ones always criticizing everything as annoying, is because they could just let their nagging wife annoy them if that's what they're looking for. But I think video games is a way for most to escape such things.

Doesn't mean they like or approve of everything, they just choose to not spend all their time talking about stuff they don't like, as it typically makes life a lot more miserable than spending free time discussing things they do like. But again, I don't care either way, as long as it's genuine. Personally though, as far as I'm concerned, it makes no difference if it's out of fanboyism or personality, hearing someone constantly complaining is equally grating either way.

@Xyphon22
I am genuinely having a blast with the Zelda game. It feels waaaaaay better to play than Age of Calamity, and the story is cooler because it’s not some alternate-reality thing.

@BonzoBanana
I think a lot of us just get sick of joining in on all the complaining after a while. We live in this world where pretty much nothing can avoid controversy or criticism due to the instant and pervasive nature of the internet. I love complaining as much as the next guy, and I’ll die on my game key card hill, but other than that it’s just…. nicer to talk about all the good stuff of the console. Just doesn’t feel as icky.

Red Dead Redemption NSW2 is hot!

These screenshots are all from handheld mode believe it or not. Ya. It looks better in handheld than the Switch release did docked. And the mouse aiming is flawless. I took out those coyotes as if I were playing Duck Hunt.

@rallydefault
I remember messing with Wario Land on a Kiosk back in the early 90's at my local malls video game shop. But it wasn't until that gorgeous Aqua Blue launch Nintendo 3DS came out in 2011, with it's handheld GameBoy Virtual Console soon becoming available. That's when I fully experienced WL and I was instantly hooked. It's GameBoy's magnum opus for 2D platformers and holds up 100.

I loved how the 3DS's GameBoy Boarder had it's own multi-layered stereoscopic 3D effect, that tried to replicate how it actually looks in person. Ah, the 3DS. I was in love with it's first two years. The last true innovative feature exclusive handheld, with it's stereoscopic 3D, Mixed Reality, Dual Screens and it's brilliant 3D Animation Swapnote app which i used on a regular basis with a handful of Nintendo Life users. Purely based on hardware features, for me personally, it was the last magical Nintendo launch. Game wise, the last nintendo exclusive that won me over was Super Mario Odyssey. When i entered Lakeside Kingdom's main underwater hub. The music, the level of creativity at play, atmosphere and art direction made me feel like a child again. Ignited that wonderment ten fold.

But ya, I Haven't been able to get into handhelds after 3DS , with Wii U, Switch 1 or 2. I have to play them docked on either a 55" or 65" QD-OLED(With the shadow detail crushing corrected)with an amazing surround sound sytem or great pair of Head Phones(With a DAC/Amp) to get the job done. I also need to pick up a RetroTINK4K since it supports 180hz black frame insertion, which will be compatible with March/April 2026 180hz/200hz QD-OLED TV's. meaning, it will remove exactly 66% of the motion blur for 60fps titles, getting you closer to that blur free amazing CRT motion clarity(Which , btw, is already a thing with Quest 3) that we grew up with in the late 80's, 90's and 2000's.

but if you just play in handheld than all of that crap is irrelevant obviously, minus the headphones. 😜