Reviewing a new video game console is usually an isolating experience.
But with the Nintendo Switch 2, things aren’t quite so simple — and it’s going to take a lot more people.
Intent to keep that strange energy going, Nintendo has decided to not send out early review units to The Verge or other outlets, citing the need for day-one software updates.
They’ll be able to offer all kinds of interesting perspectives and ideas that help round out our coverage of the console Our full review of the Switch 2 will come next.
The Switch 2 is a big deal, the first major console launch in half a decade, and so I’d love to be as timely as possible.
In most cases, reviewing a new video game console is a lonely experience. After receiving a device in the mail, you connect it to your TV and play a variety of games by yourself or, sometimes, with the few other testers. To help readers understand what they’re getting into, you have to test everything you can think of immediately and then rush to have an article ready for publication before launch.
When Tom Warren and I discussed the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X in 2020, it went like this. It will require a lot more people, though, because the Nintendo Switch 2 isn’t quite that easy.
Before launch, the Switch 2 had been a little strange in almost every way, from the high price and unclear messaging to the poorly timed connection with soaring tariffs. Nintendo has chosen not to send early review units to The Verge or other publications, citing the necessity of day-one software updates, in an effort to maintain that peculiar energy. With the original Switch, this was not the case. I will therefore be obtaining the gadget concurrently with everyone else. What does that signify, then, for our review?
Well, it will be somewhat reversed. We typically release a single, comprehensive review followed by numerous follow-up articles that delve into particular aspects of a device, such as new controllers, special software features, or particular games. It’s a way to experience a new console from all angles and discover all of its features.
We’re going to start with those deeper dives this time. Many employees at The Verge have placed preorders and are currently awaiting their tracking numbers or preparing to wait in line to get their unit tonight. After that, that team will start documenting every aspect of the hardware and exploring the finer points that were not visible in our earlier hands-on previews, such as the menus, interface, different game updates, and the flavor of the cartridges. They will have a wealth of fascinating viewpoints and suggestions to add to our coverage of the console.
Next up will be our in-depth analysis of the Switch 2. I am currently waiting for my console to arrive while seated at my home’s dining room table, which is directly in front of the front window. I will disregard all of my incoming Zoom meetings and Slack pings as soon as it arrives and start testing every feature of the device for our thorough review. Additionally, Mario Kart World, the Switch 2 showcase release, will be reviewed by me. I need some time to do this correctly. This means that my reviews of the console and its flagship game will be “late”; that is, they won’t be published on the day of launch (and you should be a little suspicious of any that do).
It might sound complicated, and our reviews and other coverage will be hurried. However, in many ways, it’s a good thing. Getting more practical experience is what I gain from being timely, even though I will be as quick as possible. Without the threat of launch day hovering over us, I will be able to test the Switch 2 with actual people in a real-world setting.
Considering that one of the distinguishing characteristics of Nintendo’s new console is the multiplayer-focused GameChat service, this is particularly crucial. I couldn’t test that accurately in the solitary confines of a prelaunch phase. Rather, I’ll be able to experience video chat with my friends while completely ruining them in Mario Kart in a much more realistic way.
That’s about it. I would love to be as timely as possible because the Switch 2 is a big deal—it’s the first major console launch in five years. We will simply have to wait a little while longer to get a realistic sense of the device’s real-world appearance, which is more crucial.
