Waiting to get Nintendo Switch 2 this holiday is a smart idea, here's why

The release of the Nintendo Switch 2 has garnered a lot of attention among gamers looking for something new to dive into. While the console will be backward compatible with previous Nintendo Switch games, most people are excited about the new titles that will eventually come out for the new console. In addition, the Switch 2 feels like a better piece of hardware to play games on than its predecessor. But is this new Nintendo console something that gamers should be quick to get at the moment? The opening weeks of the Nintendo Switch 2 being available on the market show that gamers might be better off waiting a little while before getting it.

Instead of running out to stores to buy the Switch 2 right now, it might be a better plan for gamers that want the Switch 2 to hold off until the holidays of 2025 or afterward. This will work out in everyone's favor if they want to get the most out of the Nintendo Switch 2 when they finally pick it up, for a few big reasons. That doesn't mean that the console is bad, it just means those who wait until the end of the year to get one will benefit greatly from their patience. Here's why waiting to get a Nintendo Switch 2 for the holidays instead of right away is a smart idea.

Newer releases to play

More fresh games on the way

With any new video game console release, there is a selection of games that almost everybody wants to play. This is why the launch lineup of titles is so important whenever a company releases new hardware. Those are most likely going to be the first few games someone buys with a console. For the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, there is only one major new game to play on it, and that's Mario Kart World. While other games like Donkey Kong Bananza and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond are coming out fairly soon, they were not out by the time the console was in stores, meaning players excited about them still have to wait. Unless someone is looking to play their older Switch games on their brand-new console, you only have one major new game to play on it, for now.

Waiting until the 2025 holiday season to pick up the Switch 2 means that more new games will eventually be available by then. Donkey Kong Bananza will already have been released in July, and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will most likely have a specific release date within 2025, probably before the holiday season. Yet at the same time, other newer third-party and first-party games for the Switch 2 can release within that five-month timeframe to build out the library of the console. There's nothing wrong with playing your older Switch titles on the new console, but nobody truly gets brand-new hardware to just play the games they have been playing for the longest. People want to experience something new. And with so few options available at the launch of the Switch 2, it's much more beneficial to wait for stores to have a wider selection of games to pick from, rather than just a few.

Updates and hiccups

Every console launch has them

The other part of a new console launch that everyone should think about is the first wave of issues that inevitably come with it. This is something that almost always happens, whether it's a big or small issue, some type of problem will get discovered that impacts the experience people have with a new console. For the original Nintendo Switch, problems that occurred when the console was released included the discovery of Joycon drift, the dock scratching the Switch screen, and even third-party accessories causing massive issues with the console itself. While all of these things eventually had solutions, they were still problems that Switch owners had to worry about following its release. It took a bit of time, but everything evened out.

The Nintendo Switch 2 has been known to have a few reported issues at launch as well, including unexpected crashes with the console software. Things like this can be updated and patched out, but it requires some time to pass for Nintendo to release such updates that address any growing concerns. Waiting a few months to pick up the console can help bypass much of this, allowing someone to become less of a launch tester and more of a launch year supporter. Spending nearly $500 on a brand-new console that has technical hiccups isn't a very appealing idea, nor should it be for anyone. There's a total of nearly six months in between the launch of the Switch 2 and the holiday season, which is more than enough time for any small issues with the hardware or software to be ironed out.

Switch Online getting better

The features will grow more

To go alongside playing on the Nintendo Switch 2 offline is the online experience, which is much more important now than it was with the original Nintendo Switch. While there are new features like the classic Nintendo GameCube games for the Switch Online Expansion, other perks like GameChat help round things out. For the moment, all of that is still pretty light in comparison to what it will eventually become over time. As it stands during the launch of the Switch 2, only three games are up in the GameCube Classics section, with many more announced to be coming in the months ahead. Players already have access to the other Classics catalogues that come with the Switch Online Expansion, but even those are getting many more additions soon. As the year goes on, this part of the online experience is going to be drastically different from how it was at the start of the Switch 2's lifecycle.

But what about the other features like GameChat and more? Even if you decide to pick up a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera for the console, features like GameChat are pretty meager. You can only do basic things while playing a game as you chat with other people on your friend list. Right now, you cannot start GameChat lobbies with other players who aren't added as friends. This aspect of the online experience has the potential to get updated and change for the better towards the latter portion of the year, especially as Nintendo receives more feedback from players who already have the console. With a greater emphasis being put into this part of the Switch 2, chances are we'll see online features like GameChat get tweaks that push things further for everyone. It will just take some time to happen.

Patience can lead to great things

It may seem tough to miss out on getting the Nintendo Switch 2 right now. Some people are enjoying games like Mario Kart World and are eagerly awaiting the next big release with Donkey Kong Bananza coming out in July 2025. But patiently waiting to pick up the console for the holidays is going to be a smart move for anyone that wants the best experience with their new console. More games will be available to pick from, updates and patches will clean up any known issues, and key features of the console will be even better. When people are spending a lot of money on a new piece of hardware, they deserve to have a premium product that offers a premium experience, and sometimes waiting a little bit longer is the best way to obtain that.