‘Nintendo Switch 2 launch inspired me to dust off my old console – and it didn’t disappoint’

Changing the handheld controller has made a huge difference to my Switch playing experience

The Nintendo Switch 2 has finally arrived with much fanfare and excitement. An upgrade on the exceptionally popular original Switch and OLED versions, the sparkling new console quickly sold out at major retailers thanks to huge demand.

I’m one of those people who bought one of the original Switch consoles during the peak covid lockdown period, had a few games of Mario Kart and put a few hours into Animal Crossing, then basically forgot about it, spending much of my gaming hours on the PS5 instead. But the launch of the Switch 2 inspired me to fire up my original Switch to give it another go.

I have to say I’ve been thrilled, with one thing making a huge difference. When I set up the handheld version of the console, I was quickly reminded of what I dislike about the Switch, I find it so uncomfortable to hold and play with.

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I have quite big hands and find the joy cons that slide on the sides are far too small to comfortably hold for any prolonged period, while I find the small buttons are also pretty unpleasant to press. Searching for a solution, I came across the Hori Switch Pad Pro Controller (£39.99 at Argos) and decided to give it a try.

There are quite a few similar options out there that I considered, like the HASACOOL One-Piece Switch Pro Controller, sold by Amazon for £29.99. That one comes with a selection of fancy lighting options that look pretty cool, though I opted for the Hori due to it being licensed by Nintendo.

Currys also currently has an offer on the CRKD Nitro Deck Wired Controller for Nintendo Switch that has £15 off to take the price down to £34.99 instead of the usual £49.99.

And what a decision going for the Hori has proved to be. The controller is an absolute game-changer when it comes to how comfortable the console feels in my hand and how much easier I find it to use the controls. It’s obviously a bit of an expense, but well worth it, in my opinion.

The buttons and sticks are noticeably bigger, while the triggers are again much more akin to PlayStation and Xbox controllers. It makes the whole handheld experience (the main thing I enjoy with the Switch) so much more enjoyable.

As a first-time dad, spare time is something I have in short supply, but I’m now finding myself firing up the Switch whenever I have the chance, with its compact nature and portability brilliant on that front. As a big fan of westerns, I picked up a couple of bargains on the NIntendo eshop, Call of Juarez Gunslinger was reduced to £2 and Red Dead Redemption down to £23.99.

It did mean I ran into an issue with the amount of storage space the console has, though buying this SanDisk 256mb memory card for £26.99 from Argos quickly solved that problem.

What about the Switch 2?

Now I have my original Switch back up and running, I think I’m happy with that for now, though the lure of more advanced games like Cyberpunk 2077 is very tempting to make the upgrade to a Switch 2. If you’re curious about the new console, Nathan Bliss, editor of Mirror Gaming tried it out and was impressed.

He said: “This console is now powerful enough that it can support some of the biggest third-party titles that, historically, Nintendo hasn’t wanted to, or simply couldn’t. Whether you want to play the latest AAA games like Elden Ring (coming this year), or you want to play a bit of Mario Kart World, or a family-oriented co-op game like Survival Kids, this console now seems to have the power to handle it all.

“It’s not a revolutionary console, as it’s too similar in terms of design and form factor to its predecessor to call it that, but it seems to be a statement evolution of one of Nintendo’s most popular consoles.

“The Switch 2 is largely backwards compatible with Switch games, so it’s unlikely that any of your previous game purchases would go to waste. Although I need to do more testing, it seems to handle them pretty well, too.

“Whether all of that makes it worth shelling out £400 for is the big question, especially if you already have the original Nintendo Switch. There are still so many features, games and experiences to test, but on first impressions, it’s probably worth the upgrade, especially with all of the potential AAA games that could come to this console in the future, as well as the Nintendo games we all know and love.”