I've been fortunate to have a Nintendo Switch 2 since launch. Lie with the Switch 1 I pre-ordered it the moment I could. Setting aside money - or as was the case with the Switch 1 during my post-grad student days upping my credit amount - in readiness so that the process could be as smooth as possible. At launch there were some who said that the launch line-up for the S2 could have been stronger, even though it launched (and there was the bundle offer) with Mario Kart World. Is MKW the best Mario Kart game out there, no, but it's a very solid game and just because it's not the best does not meant it's the worst either. I actually think the nature of this particular game lends itself well to being a launch title as it shows off most of the key features of the S2. Within a couple of months after launch we got Donkey Kong Bananza, which is a very strong 3D platformer showing why Nintendo are still the best out there. Since then we have had a steady stream of first party exclusives as well as crucially what has become a phenomenal showing of third party support. Yes, the S1 eventually got pretty good support from third parties, but already it feels like third parties not only realise the value of the S2, but also know how to get the most out of it. Will this become a bit of an issue long term though? Initially I thought it could be, because typically games become more demanding over time, but the hardware stays static. Yes, there are efficiencies that come with knowing the system better, but there are still limits. However, because of the AI driven "RAMageddon", existing consoles (let alone new systems) have become stupidly expensive. Usually consoles would go down in price over a generation because they would cost less to manufacture. Not anymore! Nintendo has been able to keep the price increase to an absolute minimum in comparison. In the UK it was only £24. Plus, they did give consumers around 2 months notice so they had plenty of time to get it at the old price. This is not to praise Nintendo, as a price increase is still a price increase, but in the grand scheme of things that's not bad. Heck, these days you'd just about get a meal at a restaurant for that amount. Since getting my S2, the amount I actually use it has fluctuated wildly over the year and a half. Unsurprisingly I played it loads around launch. Then I didn't use it much at all, but this did coincide with getting the PS5 Pro and then the Steam Deck. The last few months though has seen a shift. In part because my TV got repaired so I put down the Steam Deck and returned to the PS5 Pro. I've then got into a good rhythm of alternating between PS5 and S2. The latter for its excellent ability to switch between docked and handheld mode. I have "docked" a Steam Deck, and whilst it does work without any major issues, it's just not as smooth as the Switch. What has particularly impressed me though - and what inspired me to write this post - was playing one of the bigger (biggest?) third-party releases, and that is Cyberpunk 2077. This is now the third platform I have purchased CP2077 on (although I sold my Xbox copy). I'm still working my way towards the end of a Corpo run on the PS5 (Hanako is still waiting for me at Embers). I will finish it soon enough, and in a way I have added incentive to do so. As I will be continuing to explore Night City at the bottom via a Nomad playthrough on the S2. I tested it for a couple of hours yesterday. In large part to test out the cartridge I got second hand on eBay. Yes, the game was on sale for £25 on the eShop, but unsurprisingly the game is around 60GB. Whereas by getting the physical version I only have to worry about 10% of that as update data. Yes it cost more, but it is cool to have and is actually the first physical S2 game I've got so far. Anyway, what about the performance, especially as someone coming from playing it at "4K" 60 FPS? I had seen footage before making my purchase (even if the actual purchase from eBay was on a whim) so I had some idea what to expect, but seeing it in practice is another thing. I started with handheld mode, in part because it already supported VRR. Quality mode looks very good and the 30FPS frame rate is steady enough and also feels ok in handheld. These days on a bigger screen I'm a bit more sensitive to 30FPS (depending on the game, something like Animal Crossing doesn't need to be 60FPS). Later I played a bit more docked and was blown away how good it looked. I really was not expecting much for docked mode. The character models are especially impressive in both modes. But also the performance of performance mode was also impressive and I think that's the mode I'm going to stick to. It's around 40FPS which for a lot of games is a nice sweet spot. Now, at the moment, even though the Switch 2 and its dock have recently been updated to support VRR whilst docked, only one game at this moment actually supports this. That being Switch 2 Welcome Tour, an actually underrated experience that does not deserve the hate. I have tried the docked VRR mode and it works as it should. I'm hoping the same will come to CP2077. CD Projeckt Red are good at updating their games, so I'm expecting something to come at some point. All this also instils me with confidence about the upcoming Switch 2 version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered. My PS5 version will update to the Remastered version for free. But, I do think the nature of the game lends itself to handheld play. And because I'm still very much in the mid point of the overall expereince, for this I will be swapping between the two platforms (trophies be damned1). I've seen videos on YouTube of late saying how the Switch 2 is now the go to recommendation for a handheld system, which it definitely is. But, not only that, it's a solid home console too! Something you still can't quite replicate with anything else (maybe the Steam Deck and Steam Machine combo, but that will cost you around £2k!). So, if anyone wants to get back into gaming, just get a Switch 2. I already moved my save from Xbox to PlayStation, and played a bit on GoG, so there is no hope for trophies anyway. Just easier to enjoy the game. Which is also why I'm glad Nintendo still haven't added them. I kind of prefer it when it is just inside the game itself rather than at a system level, as then you can keep track of things.