Nintendo figured its Switch 2 console would be hot—and it is.

The Japanese gaming giant predicted sales of 15 million of the new Switch 2 in its first year, and it’s already managed to sell 3.5 million in its first few days after hitting stores earlier this month. Now it’s in the (literal) hands of millions of players, as well as reviewers who’ve sought to unpack what the new system offers in the early going.

The second-generation Switch, which sells for $450, was advertised as having a better display, more power, and improved controllers. So, how did the system and its initial set of games go over? We read a range of reviews from different publications; for snippets of some of those reviews, along with links, read on.

A Gaming Purchase ‘You Will Not Regret’; Is It ‘Enough’ Innovation?

An improved screen was among Nintendo’s selling points, and PC Mag liked what it saw. “Between the size and sharper resolution, the Switch 2 is just more pleasant to view, overall. Even the generic menu—one that’s very similar to Switch 1’s, but with new sounds—looks cleaner,” it said. “And that’s just in handheld mode. With a dock capable of 4K, the Switch 2 looked great on my TV. After years of using an upscaling add-on for my HDMI cable to get better image quality from my Switch 1, this was an especially appreciated bonus.”

Ars Technica appreciated the feel of the device, which is meant to be played both plugged in to big screens and as a handheld system. “The unit feels a bit more substantial in the hand than the original Switch, but still a good deal less bulky than portable PCs like the Steam Deck, both in terms of weight and overall thickness,” the publication wrote. “While it’s still early, we’d expect long-term portable play to be plenty comfortable here.”

“It’s a lovely thing in the hands—larger and, it feels, slightly sleeker than the Switch,” Eurogamer wrote. “And that beautiful glossy screen makes its older sibling look a bit pokey … So bright and sharp and large, such colours and such lovely smoothness. The same but slightly different, ditto the Joy-Con, which now snap into place with a lovely magnetic thunk, and which are now removed with a bumpy trigger thing that still feels a little nerve-wracking each time I do it.”

The redesigned controllers show the potential for better reliability, according to The New York Times. “The original Switch’s analog sticks were notorious for failing or ‘drifting.’ However, Nintendo claims to have ‘redesigned’ the Switch 2’s sticks,” the publication wrote. “We’ll have to test them long-term to determine their reliability.” (It also noted: “You can’t attach your original Joy-Con controllers to the Switch 2, but they remain compatible for multiplayer titles, so you won’t need to rush out and buy more for your game nights.”)

At Tom’s Guide, a reviewer praised the controllers, display, performance, and games, while grousing about download speeds and one of the high-profile new games. TechRadar’s reviewer mostly liked that game—Mario Kart World, calling it “One of the prettiest Nintendo games ever,” and saying the soundtrack was “unbelievably good,” but with some quibbles.

Tech Advisor boiled it down this way: “You will not regret either buying a Nintendo Switch 2 outright or upgrading from an original Switch. This is a true next-gen Console with only minor faults, and will likely be a bestseller for years to come.” And “as long as software keeps pushing those internals and extra features, we’re in for an excellent generation,” wrote GamesRadar.

Still, some reviewers seemed to have hoped for more. “Instead of bringing the forefront of what can be done to your living room and on the go, this feels like Nintendo playing a long-overdue game of catch-up,” IGN wrote. “But in the context of gaming as a whole and with a big ol’ ‘2’ slapped on the box rather than the framing of a mid-cycle upgrade, as well as the substantial price increase that has come along with that added digit, it’s just not doing very much that truly wows me.”

And Rolling Stone, observing that the device was named like a sequel rather than given its own original moniker, wondered whether it offered too little in the way of innovation or just the right amount. “The messaging is clear: It’s more of that thing you already like, rather than something entirely new,” it wrote. “Yet still, there’s a world where that might be enough.”