The first Switch had its charm, but it always felt in the shadows compared to the powerful options set before it by the PlayStation and Xbox: large titles never came or were released in rough form. Now, towards Switch 2, all that looks different. Not only have some classics from Nintendo like Mario and Zelda returned, but the big third-party titles are coming too.
For me, the craziest one is Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition. I can’t believe I’m even witnessing it run on a Nintendo device. This game is extremely heavy on the PC, and even the PS5 had some issues at launch. However, those who have been testing it on Switch 2 confirm it runs very well with minor downgrades in quality. Having played open-world on the first Switch with The Witcher 3 and seen just how rough it all looked, this feels like a gigantic jump.
Another surprise is Street Fighter 6. This is the first real Street Fighter on Nintendo in a long time. Actually, we have only gotten retro bundles or watered-down versions before. Now Switch 2 players are getting a full-fledged game. It’s pretty cool to have something I grew up playing against friends on the old console available for play anywhere on a Switch. It should get popular very fast in Japan, where everyone seems to love portable play.
Switch 2 will not stop here: Apex Legends is coming too. I played the Apex port on the first Switch, and it was altogether unplayable. Bad frames and blurry graphics were reasons for me to delete it instantly. Apparently, on Switch 2, it runs much nearer to the console and PC versions. Thank God, this means no more delirious cuts to the game for fitting it.
This presents a more substantial transition. For a time now, third-party firms have deemed Nintendo to be a non-entity or have released their games months after their debut, and when they did actually make an appearance, the ports were pretty much nothing to rave about. With this Switch 2 initiative, those same publishers now finally look at Nintendo as an equal platform.
Much of the reason behind this is numbers. The first Switch sold more than 140 million units and, of course, annihilated in Japan. If a studio wants to do well there, they cannot ignore Nintendo anymore. Someone from the industry even said, “If you want success in Japan, you need success on Switch.” That says it all.
For fans such as I, this is a big deal. I always felt left out when huge games, such as Cyberpunk, Resident Evil, or Street Fighter, were only for PlayStation or Xbox. Now it seems that we are getting them on Nintendo at near release, except for maybe a couple of titles.
This is simply because of the new hardware. Developers say Switch 2 balances power and portability better than expected. We don’t really know the spec sheet yet, but from what we gather, it seems powerful enough to run any modern game without losing one of the things that make Nintendos Nintendos: the possibility to play anywhere.
Going forward from there could change everything. Instead of asking, “Will this game come to Nintendo?” it’ll be accepted that Switch 2 gets all the same releases as PlayStation and Xbox. That will be the first time in a long time for Nintendo.
As I close in on the launch, I feel much more excited about the idea of carrying a handheld that can run Cyberpunk 2077, Street Fighter 6, and Apex Legends, in addition to the traditional fare of Nintendo incrementals like Mario Kart and Zelda. For once, it feels like Nintendo players are not being neglected. In saying this, Switch 2 perhaps has become a console where first-party and third-party developers really feel at home. You may also be interested in: Final Fantasy And Other Square Enix RPGs Are Coming To Switch 2
