The Switch 2 grows in every dimension and improves the joy-con attachment mechanism in an important way - it even makes an satisfying audible, mechanical click. (Image: Supplied) 
History will remember the Nintendo Switch 2 as the fastest-selling gaming system of all time. In the first four days following its 5 June launch, more than 3.5 million devices found owners around the globe.
I’m not one of them, though, because my test unit will return to the local distributor and I will be left with only fond memories of my son red-shelling me on the last corner to continue his unprecedented win streak on Mario Kart World, but at least I have a digital copy of the game on my Nintendo account.
But that launch sales record isn’t to be sniffed at, especially in this constrained supply chain economy, and with the steep R13,500 launch price.
Just shipping enough of the devices to meet the demand was a phenomenal achievement.
Hardware is hard
In the eight years since the original Switch, Nintendo has launched an OLED screen as a midlife refresh, but I held firm to the idea that the next version would be “next year”.
And Mario Kart World – a new, free-roaming instalment of the beloved franchise that also brings back the feather boost item – was definitely worth the wait.
You see, in my world a Nintendo Entertainment System is a Mario Kart machine. Each new version has expressed the key hardware upgrade of the new, plug-into-your-TV gaming system.
Super Mario Kart was enough to keep the company in the 1990s console wars. Mario Kart 64 flexed every pixel of the N64’s 64-bit processing muscle in glorious 3D and four-player split-screen racing; and haptic feedback through the Rumble Pack controller add-on.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_20250618_155035_edit_288697520443098-2.jpg "Nintendo has retained the original Switch charm of instant couch co-op gaming. (Image: Lindsey Schutters)")
Magic in the water
Mario Kart Wii added better graphics and harnessed the wireless motion controller capabilities, which was the unique selling point of the Wii.
Mario Kart World is actually the first new version available with a new Nintendo system since Mario Kart 8 on the ill-fated Wii U, and the key selling point of the Switch 2 is improved graphics – 1080p handheld, and up to 4K when docked to a display.
What does this mean? A lot of water. Game designers are approaching the point of excess with sudden water sections on racetracks, with dazzling sunlight or glimmering reflections showcasing the ray-tracing capabilities of the new Nvidia processor.
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_20250618_155722_edit_288439737923300-2.jpg "Mario Kart World game designers made sure players notice the ray tracing graphics improvements by adding multiple water sections to the racetracks. (Image: Lindsey Schutters)")
Specification bump, not a full upgrade
Switch 2 is not quite a generational jump. It’s a specification bump, but it is bigger in almost every dimension and the display output is noticeably nicer.
The place where you’ll notice the difference is in loading times, frame rates (not a single stutter, even in an intense four-player Mario Kart battle with chaos and explosions everywhere), and connecting and detaching the Joy-Con controllers that flank the display in handheld mode.
I have a legion of third-party wireless controllers, though, so I have rarely touched the device since unboxing it – except speedrunning Mario Kart in bed last night, for science.
The hardware still retains the original charm of portable play and instant co-op with the Joy-Cons acting as standalone mini controllers and, crucially, backwards compatibility with off-brand accessories. That portability is limited to about two hours, though.
Old tricks still work
Nintendo almost eclipsed the PlayStation 2 as the bestselling gaming system of all time with the Switch. I don’t see the Switch 2 cracking the elusive 160 million devices, but it’s another win for the company philosophy articulated by Gunpei Yokoi as “lateral thinking with withered technology”.
“Nintendo Switch 2 represents the next evolution of Nintendo Switch, and we’re very happy and grateful to see it already being embraced by so many players,” said Luciano Pereña, CEO of Nintendo of Europe, in a statement accompanying the sales record.
“We look forward to seeing players connecting through games like Mario Kart World, sharing the experience with friends and family whether near or far.”
Just like when Apple had iPhone fans queuing for an iterative annual update, Nintendo held midnight launch events across the world this month, and not one person who wanted one was turned away empty-handed. DM
This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.
