(Credit: Zain bin Awais; artpartner-images/via Getty Images)
What kind of internal math does it take to make the case for a new video game console? For me, it comes down to the system's cost and the games I must play. Mario Kart World seems cool, and Donkey Kong Bananza looks like a fun time, but I'm still waiting for something to compel me to buy Nintendo's $450 Switch 2. That's why I'm currently playing Hades II on my original Switch. I'm sure the new system is terrific, but Hades II looks beautiful and runs well on the older hardware. Right now, the math just isn't mathing for me, though I know it's only a matter of time before a Switch 2 game catches my eye.
Next-Gen on Old-Gen
Over the eight years I've owned the Nintendo Switch, I've played dozens of terrific titles, even several life-affirming releases, such as Fire Emblem: Three Houses, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Metroid Dread, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Nothing was more essential to my gaming experience than playing Hades during the COVID-19 pandemic. It helped me understand the relationship between mechanics and storytelling, and gave me a sense of accomplishment when I needed it most.
Knowing there was a sequel to one of my all-time favorite games had me pondering a possible Switch 2 purchase. But Hades II, a release that could potentially force me to fork over a fistful of cash, had two things working against it. First, it launched on the Switch alongside Switch 2, so I didn't need to upgrade to the new console. Second, as an isometric roguelike that relies on beautiful character art more than high-fidelity graphics, Hades II wasn't the title that moved the needle.
So what's it like playing a next-generation game on eight-year-old hardware? So far, it's incredible. I'm still relatively early on in my playthrough, so I'm just getting used to Hades II's gameplay compared with its predecessor. Everything I loved about the first game returned—there's just more of it. The fast-paced action and crisp gameplay are familiar and comforting, while the new weapons and enemies are welcome additions. Most importantly, my tiny character still looks as good and reacts as pointedly on my outdated hardware as I imagine it might on the Switch 2. Whatever performance and graphical boosts I could get from the new system just don't feel worth it when the older system runs Hades II so well.
My Complicated History of Upgrading to New Hardware
OK, I need to confess something: I don't care about graphic fidelity, 60 frames per second smoothness, refresh rates, or other benchmarks. As long as the game looks good enough and remains playable, I'm there. I thought The Witcher 3 looked fantastic on Switch (yes, I know it looks better on PC at the highest settings). I loved my playthrough of Baldur's Gate 3 on my Xbox Series S, despite the persistent pop-in issues. I've been playing Oblivion Remastered on my refurbished Steam Deck, where the frame rate drifts between 60fps and 20fps—or even lower. I don't care, as I'm thoroughly enjoying myself. Top-end hardware is nice, but software sells systems. If the games aren't there, I won't be.
Every console I've owned had something I absolutely needed to play. The Super NES had Super Mario World, the Nintendo 64 had Super Mario 64, the Game Boy had Pokémon, and the GameCube had Super Smash Bros. Melee. In 2006, I waited all night outside a GameStop in Plainview, New York, for a Nintendo Wii, because it launched with Twilight Princess.
Do you know what console I didn't get? The Wii U. Sure, it had a Super Smash Bros. entry, but no new Zelda game made the math feel off. Fresh out of college, I had little motivation (or money) to spend hundreds of dollars on yet another gaming box if there wasn't anything there I was dying to play. It wasn't until Breath of the Wild on the original Switch that I finally saw a reason to come back to Nintendo.
My life has undergone significant changes since I purchased the Switch. I have kids, a mortgage, and a house that seems to need a major investment every other month. If I'm saving up for anything right now, it's a second car. I don't have $450 burning a hole in my pocket for a Switch 2 that's merely "better" than the first. Plus, $70 and $80 games are too much. If I'm going to upgrade, it'll need to be more intentional and thoughtful than an impulsive buy.
Backlog Over Backward Compatibility
Another selling point for the Switch 2 is backward compatibility, a feature that lets you play (almost) all Switch games on the new hardware. It's a shrewd way to push people off one of the greatest consoles of all time, since all your games can migrate to the new hardware. It's the same idea that drew me toward the Steam Deck. Since I spent so many years claiming free games on Steam and Epic Games Store, I could justify paying $300 for a used console. The math worked.
As my colleague Zackery Cuevas has pointed out, Nintendo is over-reliant on backward compatibility to make games playable on the console, and the results haven't always been fantastic. I don't mind playing a "compromised" release, but, as was the case with Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, I would have been better off playing on Switch than Switch 2, since it had resolution problems at launch.
As nice as it would be to have a Breath of the Wild that doesn't stutter in heavily forested areas, I also have to wonder if the price is worth the upgrade. I loved Kirby and the Forgotten Land, but I'm still unconvinced that a game starring a pink ball needs a $20 performance boost and extra content. Hades II will let me upgrade for free if and when I do get the Switch 2, so there's even less incentive for me to pony up right now.
Nintendo Has Time to Make Its Case
Like I said, the math just isn't adding up when it comes to Switch 2. But it doesn't have to right now. A game like Hades II is the perfect way to get just a little bit more life out of my console before I eventually upgrade. It might be available on next-gen hardware, but it still performs admirably on last-gen tech. The game's run-based mechanics also make it perfect for this moment in my life. Instead of playing against two dozen online opponents in Mario Kart World's Knockout Tour, I can get in a quick session of Hades II while the kids play in the bath at night, without having to worry about connection strength or trying to escape an online race if I'm needed in the bathroom.
At the current rate, I'll probably wrap up Hades II in another month, maybe longer. That's fine. The longer I wait, the more time Nintendo has to impress me. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is on the original Switch, after all. The danger of waiting is the risk of incurring tariff costs. Sony and Microsoft have already upped their prices—will Nintendo be next? The Switch already went up in price. The current cost for a Switch 2 is already too much for me, so I shudder at what another price increase would do to my math.