Nintendo Switch 2 Review: Enhanced Internals Provide Significant Boost

Got it! Here’s a revised version with that raw, human touch:

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Why trust Tom’s Hardware? Well, let me tell you, we make these gadgets sweat. We have experts, just grinding it out, checking every corner, so you get what’s worth it—alright?

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So, semiconductors. Yep, we’re talking chips, and not the crunchy kind. Power’s the big deal here because, well, everything kinda revolves around it, right? Keep the power low and performance high, and boom—magic. Smaller, lighter devices, batteries that go on forever—sounds dreamy, huh?

Nintendo kind of zagged while everyone else was zigging. While others bulked up, Nintendo took Nvidia’s tiny Tegra X1 chip and made it the mainstay of the first Switch. Fast-forward—150 million units sold. Now, welcome the Nintendo Switch 2. It’s here, packing a punch with a souped-up chip, prettier screen, chunkier Joy-Cons, extra ports—you name it.

I’m more of a PC gal with my gaming, but my partner? Total Nintendo buff. So, naturally, we’ve always got one of those shiny consoles sitting by our TV. I wasn’t exactly a fan of the old Switch on the go, but it was my golden ticket to some epic worlds. Like, Zelda: Breath of the Wild? Stepping out into Hyrule for the first time—eye-dazzling sun and all—it was mind-blowing.

Now, hats off to Nintendo’s crew and their partners—they squeezed every iota of performance out of that first Switch. Creativity, restrained by hardware limits, it’s fascinating. Yet time, that relentless beast, caught up. Games like Pokémon Scarlet and Violet got folks grumbling about lag. Zelda’s latest felt like it needed a beefier console. Fortnite? A total drag on the old system. Beefier hardware? Yep, needed it, got it.

Ready for the nitty-gritty? Here we go.

Switch 2 keeps the love alive with its winning formula but throws in quirks that make you go—huh? Just picked one up at the store and have been deep-diving into what it’s all about.

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Now, let’s dig into the Switch 2’s guts. Nintendo and Nvidia are back at it, cooking up a custom SoC—tailor-made, no less. Specs? They’re pretty hush-hush. But word on the street from Digital Foundry is in. We’re talking eight Arm Cortex-A78C cores—kinda vintage tech from 2020. Geekbench says about 1,000 single-thread, clocks way down at 1 GHz docked. A bit on the tame side against phones or PCs, but hey, it’s about gaming.

The GPU? It’s packing 1,536 CUDA cores in Nvidia talk. Sounds hefty, but compared to a PC, more like a beefy iGPU. Raw power when docked? Around 3 TFLOPS. Your mobile iGPUs are hitting 4+. The Switch 2’s got 12GB LPDDR5X RAM—huge leap from the first Switch. More playground for game devs, right?

Raw numbers aside, understanding exactly how tasks are juggled around inside the system is still a bit of a guessing game. Optimization with fixed specs? Way easier than PCs’ wild west of systems.

So about power? Nothing on the SoC alone, but Nintendo says 19 W docked. We put it to the test. Result: 18-19 W docked, 11-12 W portable. Battery test’s still ongoing.

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Display time! The 7.9-inch 1080p LCD—what an upgrade! Bright and clear, certainly a jump from the original’s murky screen. HDR10 support is listed, but hey, it’s more about mapping than actual HDR zing. Night City in Cyberpunk? The lights, shadows—it’s all there. VRR? More FPS bliss but only on the device screen for now, not on TVs, which is just baffling.

A nitpick? The screen supports touch but waking up is button-only. Come on, Nintendo, tap-to-wake is everywhere these days.

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Now, going around the Switch 2. Up top—the power button, volume rocker, matched with an ambient sensor and cooling vents. Handy top USB-C, thank you very much, makes charging more convenient than from below.

The bottom? Stereo speakers and another USB-C. Also, an SD slot under a much sturdier kickstand—a great step up. Sound quality? Gets by, but for audiophiles, it’s Bluetooth buds all the way.

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Let’s chat about those Joy-Cons. Redesigned! Click snap with magnets, no more sliding machinations. Not gonna lie, they’re a bit wobbly, but they’ve got their charm. Buttons feel good, though triggers are more click than depth. Sticks? Bigger but not stellar—angular movement, speed control, you might itch for gyro-assist.

Drift still a worry. My old ones drift city, so why not improve here? Anyway, I tend to stick (pun intended) with the Pro Controller, not big on handheld style—hurts my hands after a stretch.

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Performance? No standard tools to chart it out, but playing told me everything. BotW on Switch 2 is a whole new vibe. Smoothness drew me in, playing for hours—love feeling in control without old framerate issues. Parrying Guardians, perfecting attack timing—way less frustrating now.

Fortnite? With original Switch, it’s blocky, laggy—a sensory sleepover. But the Switch 2? Feels much closer to PC. More frames, prettier details, smooth aim—I even beat Goku, and that’s saying something.

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Noise and heat? Almost whisper quiet docked, a mere 1 dBA over base room noise. In handheld, a light warmness, hardly noticeable. Props for the chilled-out build.

Networking needs help. Slow downloads, slower connections—couldn’t match Wi-Fi 6 standard PCs. Might be a server load thing, or setup issue—needs more digging. Storage, though? Oof. 256 GB doesn’t stretch far, and adding more is costly. Let’s hope for price drops.

But hey, peripheral compatibility—headphones, monitors—no hiccups. Even my old Pro Controller pairs seamless.

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Bottom line, the Switch 2’s a gem. Does what it sets out to—adapt and play anywhere, more power efficiency, more possibilities. Is it worth the price tag? Feels like a heart-over-head thing. If you’re into Nintendo’s charm, you might already be on it.

A couple gripes? Slow network speeds, internal storage’s small cup for its price. VRR for external would be ace. Want better sticks, easier repairs—a bummer. Yet, I’m forgiving. Gaming? It’s about joy—fun, and boy, the Switch 2 brings it.

Stay tuned as we unravel more. Battery life analysis, final ratings—coming soon!