Nintendo offers first look at the Switch 2 - but do British gamers plan to buy it?
Following months of speculation, the Nintendo Switch 2 – the successor to the Nintendo Switch – was officially unveiled on 16 January 2025. The Mario Maker-maker revealed that the new system will feature a darker colour palette, magnetic Joy-Con controllers, and a new button, among other things.
Details on the Switch 2’s technical capabilities, release date, and launch titles were scarce, but we asked the British gaming public (those who play video games on console, PC, or smartphone for at least some of the week) for their first thoughts anyway.
Overall, one in five gamers (22%) plan to buy the new device. Interest is higher among console gamers (33%), and somewhat lower among those who primarily play on PC (16%) or smartphone (15%). Of the group who intend to purchase the Switch 2, 11% will try to acquire the console on launch day, and another 60% aim to get it in the first year of release. Some 22% say they will pick it up more than a year after launch – perhaps a reflection on the supply problems that have beset some console launches.
Do gamers like the Switch 2’s design?
Among commentators, the initial response to the Switch 2’s design were mixed: Eurogamer highlighted a perceived lack of “imagination”, while IGN were more complimentary about Nintendo’s more iterative approach to this particular system.
But opinion among gamers is more positive than not. After being shown a picture of the Switch 2, half of gamers have a positive opinion of its visual design (51%), while just 5% dislike it. Those who play on console (60%) were more likely to take a favourable view of the new device’s appearance, while those who play on PC (39%) were less enthusiastic.
If the approach is indeed evolution over revolution, gamers still think it looks better than its predecessor. We also showed a picture of the original Nintendo Switch and asked gamers to compare the two: some 54% preferred the new system’s design, while just 13% said it looked worse.
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YouGov polled 2,002 British adults online on 21-22 January 2025, of whom 772 identified as gamers. The survey was carried out through YouGov Surveys: Self-serve. Data is weighted by age, gender, education level, region, and social grade. The margin of error is 2% for the overall sample. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Self-serve.
Image: Nintendo