{"id":215405,"date":"2025-06-26T08:29:09","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T08:29:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/215405\/"},"modified":"2025-06-26T08:29:09","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T08:29:09","slug":"games-inbox-has-the-nintendo-switch-2-been-a-disappointment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/215405\/","title":{"rendered":"Games Inbox: Has the Nintendo Switch 2 been a disappointment?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"646\" height=\"335\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/SEI_253738694-b8f8.jpg\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23292216\" alt=\"Nintendo Switch 2 console in handheld mode\" decoding=\"sync\"\/><br \/>\n\t\tHow do you feel about it now? (Nintendo)<\/p>\n<p>The Thursday letters page thinks that the power of a console has become irrelevant, as one middle-aged reader loses their enthusiasm for gaming.<\/p>\n<p><strong>To join in with the discussions yourself email <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/06\/26\/games-inbox-nintendo-switch-2-a-disappointment-23508842\/mailto:gamecentral@metro.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gamecentral@metro.co.uk<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Post-launch verdict<\/strong><br \/>After having a few weeks to think about it, I\u2019m afraid to say that I\u2019m pretty disappointed with the <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/nintendo-switch-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Switch 2<\/a>. Or rather, I am impressed by the console itself, and have no complaints about that, but everything else connected to it seems so low effort.<\/p>\n<p><a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/06\/10\/mario-kart-world-review-final-verdict-switch-2s-biggest-game-23373706\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mario Kart World<\/a> is a good game, but the free roam stuff is pretty bad and whether Nintendo has more planned for it or not, they haven\u2019t said anything so that\u2019s hardly an excuse.<\/p>\n<p>The real problem is there\u2019s literally nothing else going on with the console, except for <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/06\/18\/donkey-kong-bananza-a-secret-co-star-nintendo-hiding-along-23448289\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Donkey Kong<\/a> next month. The only exciting game after that is Metroid Prime 4, which is a Switch 1 game that was going to come out this year whether the Switch 2 was out or not.<\/p>\n<p>We know nothing of their future plans for any of their big franchise (even the Splatoon game was just a spin-off) and incredibly there\u2019s no sign of a new Mario game or any hope for more Zelda this decade. Given how time and goodwill was on Nintendo\u2019s side with this, they really have fumbled the ball.<br \/><strong>Focus<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Do it yourself<\/strong><br \/>I agree with readers complaining that the games industry is in a very dark place at the moment, with constant layoffs and another new round looming at Xbox. The only positive I can hope for from this is if it pushes more developers towards setting up their own indie studios and kissing goodbye to the traditional publisher system.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\tExpert, exclusive gaming analysis\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>Sign up to the <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/newsletters\/game-central\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>GameCentral newsletter<\/strong><\/a> for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning.<\/p>\n<p>You often hear about ultra low budget indie games selling in the multiple millions and yet AAA games, that must\u2019ve cost 100 times more to make, still only sell around the same amount. Admittedly, indie games are almost always cheaper but even so, the profits on them must be enormous.<\/p>\n<p>Sure, you won\u2019t be working with state of the art graphics anymore, but surely that\u2019s a small price to pay for owning everything yourself, getting all the money, and getting to make whatever you want.<br \/><strong>Frampton<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Faux-Zero<\/strong><br \/>I\u2019m not a massive WipEout fan but I thought I\u2019d give Fast Fusion a go on Switch 2, as it was only \u00a315, and I\u2019ve been amazed by it. It looks fantastic and plays great, with some great track design. In fact, I think it looks better that a lot of games on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s an update this week as well, that\u2019s going to add more tracks and features. Only thing missing is online play, but the four player splitscreen is great. Also, there is a GameShare option that allows my daughter to play on her original Switch with me and I can\u2019t believe how good it works, seeing the game run on her Switch is like magic. More games need to add this feature. So, for \u00a315 this is a steal, I look forward to what the devs do next.<br \/><strong>Rob<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Email your comments to: <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/06\/26\/games-inbox-nintendo-switch-2-a-disappointment-23508842\/mailto:gamecentral@metro.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gamecentral@metro.co.uk<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Games before merch<\/strong><br \/>I see the new <a href=\"https:\/\/store.nintendo.co.uk\/en\/donkey-kong-and-pauline-amiibo-donkey-kong-bananza-collection-000000000010015108\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Donkey Kong and Pauline amiibo<\/a> is in stock to pre-order on Nintendo Store UK for \u00a316.99. I am tempted to buy it but I was planning to buy a new gaming PC in August and a deluxe edition of Metal Gear Solid Delta for PlayStation 5, so will have to put it on my wishlist.<br \/><strong>Andrew J.<\/strong><br \/>PS: I have just heard about this game, but I don\u2019t remember GameCentral reviewing it, it is called BZZZT. It\u2019s a platformer from 2023 and it looks amazing and has got a very positive rating on Steam. What is GameCentral\u2019s opinion of it?<\/p>\n<p><strong>GC:<\/strong> We\u2019ve never heard of it before, but it looks a lot like Super Meat Boy.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>Death stranded<\/strong><br \/>I\u2019m not sure how big a franchise Death Stranding is but I notice no one around here has been talking about it and that seems to follow for everywhere else I see online. Maybe the algorithm knows I don\u2019t like it, but it looks like a really expensive game, especially with all those Hollywood actors in it, but I\u2019m really not sure how it\u2019s making its money back.<\/p>\n<p>Like you say, I admire Hideo Kojma\u2019s ability to talk people into funding him, and then making whatever he wants, but at some point aren\u2019t these same people going to want a return on their investment? If a sequel to Death Stranding was meant to be a surefire hit I think there\u2019s going to be some disappointment\u2026<br \/><strong>Lambo<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Unlimited power<\/strong><br \/>I think the concept of the power of a console (or a PC GPU for that matter) has shifted massively since the release of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. PlayStation recognised this with PS5 Pro and dipped their toe in the water with AI upscaling, but being tied to AMD meant they had to (co-?) develop their own hardware-accelerated algorithm in PSSR, which inevitably led to some teething issues.<\/p>\n<p>Now that FSR 4 is available (and may even be implemented on PS5 Pro in future) I expect this to be a key feature of both the PlayStation 6 and the Windows NeXtbox One. While AMD still lag behind Nvidia in this regard, FSR 4 is a huge step-up in image quality compared to what\u2019s available on PlayStation 5\/Xbox Series X, and should have a similar impact to DLSS 3\/4 on Switch 2: achieving much better image quality over the current generation consoles even if the GPU and CPU upgrades seem fairly modest on paper.<\/p>\n<p>Throw in hardware-accelerated ray tracing support and maybe even frame generation and we\u2019ll get some very capable consoles which hopefully won\u2019t break the bank. But probably will.<br \/><strong>Magnumstache<\/strong><br \/>PS: Quite interested in Tempest Rising \u2013 PC only at the moment but looks like a fun throwback real-time strategy, released back in April.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Infinite Pass<\/strong><br \/>I was receiving Game Pass for free once upon a time, I think I concluded that it was an ex-girlfriend who liked her choice games and so created her own profile on my Xbox. When we separated a good while later she got her own Xbox and Game Pass, so I assumed it was still tied to the account she had on my Xbone.<\/p>\n<p>I only realised when my subscription ran out, but I kept receiving it! Out of guilt I had to resubscribe and strangely it didn\u2019t work on the Xbox Series X, but for all I know it could still be running on the Xbone.<br \/><strong>big boy bent<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Gaming midlife crisis<\/strong><br \/>I wrote in a few weeks back about how good the Sony State of Play amazed me. I\u2019m a VVVVV long time reader, since before you became Digitiser (there was something else before that.) I\u2019m 50 and have been gaming since I got an Atari 2600 for Xmas in 1980.<\/p>\n<p>You wouldn\u2019t believe how games have progressed since Adventure, Pac-Man, and Asteroids. Graphics and worlds are so amazing you couldn\u2019t wish for anything else but I now find myself in a bit of a gaming rut, in that everything that is made has a sword or gun or whatever else is the best method of killing something or someone, with super duper million pound graphics.<\/p>\n<p>What has happened to the creative ingenuity of our past time? Why is it that everything that\u2019s released I have to slaughter something? Fetch this, get that, and hope I don\u2019t get killed? I know Nintendo do cutsey have-fun games but where has this all gone on the other consoles? I\u2019ve looked and looked at indie games but nothing takes my fancy; Concrete Genie, walking simulators?! (I\u2019ll go for a walk myself!).<\/p>\n<p>The amazing ideas that were around during the Amiga\/Atari ST time have been sidelined for blow anything up or footy or racing, that\u2019s it. This drive for fab graphics and a myriad of different ways of making something die or drive here and do this is all a bit too much.<\/p>\n<p>I know profit margins and risk aversion is at play, but come on, stop releasing the same sort of stuff all the time and let\u2019s have a bit of imagination (even though it don\u2019t sell). Rant over, just after 40 odd years of making games we only now get the same four or five genres?! Sad times from what we all imagined as kids.<br \/><strong>Indiegaz (PSN ID)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>GC:<\/strong> Concrete Genie was six years ago and walking sim is a derogatory term for games with no action elements, they\u2019re not literally about walking. Based on your comments, we\u2019d recommend indie games such as the excellent Blue Prince or Citizen Sleeper 2.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Inbox also-rans<\/strong><br \/>So happy to see Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 do well. It really is the feel good success story of the year and well deserved too.<br \/><strong>Benson<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Time Crisis? Now there\u2019s a name I haven\u2019t heard in a very long time. If they can make it work on modern TVs though I\u2019m interested. Just do Gunblade NY afterwards!<br \/><strong>Maxo<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Email your comments to: <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/06\/26\/games-inbox-nintendo-switch-2-a-disappointment-23508842\/mailto:gamecentral@metro.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gamecentral@metro.co.uk<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The small print<\/strong><br \/>New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers\u2019 letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.<\/p>\n<p>You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader\u2019s Feature at any time via email or our <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/submit-stuff\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Submit Stuff page<\/a>, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.<\/p>\n<p>You can also leave your comments below and don\u2019t forget to <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/gamecentral\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">follow us on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\">Arrow<br \/>\nMORE: <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/06\/25\/games-inbox-will-the-ps6-be-the-most-powerful-console-ever-23499101\/?ico=more_text_links\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Games Inbox: Will the PS6 be the most powerful console ever?<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\">Arrow<br \/>\nMORE: <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/06\/24\/games-inbox-video-game-exclusives-still-matter-23489396\/?ico=more_text_links\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Games Inbox: Do video game exclusives still matter?<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\">Arrow<br \/>\nMORE: <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/06\/23\/games-inbox-mario-kart-world-better-mario-kart-8-23480237\/?ico=more_text_links\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Games Inbox: Is Mario Kart World better than Mario Kart 8?<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\tGameCentral<\/p>\n<p>Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"How do you feel about it now? (Nintendo) The Thursday letters page thinks that the power of a&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":215406,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[77,85629,41636,1583,28317,2486,128,270,154,53,16,15,289],"class_list":{"0":"post-215405","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technology","8":"tag-entertainment","9":"tag-game-pass","10":"tag-games-inbox","11":"tag-gaming","12":"tag-hideo-kojima","13":"tag-mario-kart","14":"tag-nintendo","15":"tag-nintendo-switch-2","16":"tag-playstation-5","17":"tag-technology","18":"tag-uk","19":"tag-united-kingdom","20":"tag-xbox"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114748730008049221","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215405"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215405\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/215406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}