Should you make the switch?

Whether or not you choose to break the bank for the Nintendo Switch 2 is entirely up to you, but before making that decision, there are a few things you should know. Since being teased in January 2025, the Nintendo Switch 2 — the successor to the original Switch released in 2017 — has been the talk of all towns in which gamers dwell. The excitement has been palpable across entire gaming communities, and it seems gamers put their money where their mouths were. In less than a week — four days, to be exact— since its launch on 5 June, the Nintendo Switch 2 managed to sell over 3.5 mn units, becoming the fastest-selling Nintendo game system ever, according to the Japanese video game giant… and now that it’s already making its way to Om El Donia, Egyptian gamers have a decision to make.

You might have to apologize to your bank account. With an official retail price of USD 449 — compared to USD 299 for the original Switch —, the viral console is available to pre-order from a number of Egyptian gaming stores, and is currently available at Gamers Colony … with a hefty price tag of EGP 42k, with the same seller offering pre-orders on BTECH Marketplace at an even higher price tag of EGP 45k.

This puts the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 at well over USD 800 for Egyptians looking to get their hands on the shiny new handheld console. Other gaming stores, such as Games World, Shamy, and Games 2 Egypt also offer pre-orders, though at a blind price. The games themselves will cost you a pretty penny too — Switch 2 games that are available to pre-order on Egy Gamer and Gamers Colony come with a sticker price of EGP 2.8-3k — with Mario Kart World at a whopping EGP 4.5k. Needless to say, it’s not looking all too bright for Egyptian gamers looking to stick to a budget. But is it worth the financial plunge?

The good: Eight years after the original Switch, its successor has been afforded a wider 7.9 inch LCD screen, — up from 6.2 — offering 4K output support and 10 times the graphic performance at 120 frames per second, with a custom Nvidia chip, according to CNET. The bigger screen size means a bigger form factor and a slightly heavier device, but in terms of usability, it won’t matter much, though Mashable notes that it feels like a “much more premium-feeling device.”

The Joy-Con controllers also received an interesting upgrade, with new optical sensors that effectively have them doubling as mice, adding more accurate game controls — such as mouse-like aiming. The device’s 12 GBs of ram storage — up from 4 GBs — should also guarantee a smoother gaming experience. For the extroverted gamers out there, the new Switch comes with a bunch of new social features, including built-in-chat — think native Discord — for your virtual hangouts.

The bad: The display may have received a much-needed boost, but it still falls short when compared to the OLED model released in 2021. Engadget claims the Switch 2’s black levels show its shortcomings especially in low light conditions, coming across as more gray than black — though it’s fair to note that such is the case with LCD displays in general. Battery life is the Switch 2’s biggest downgrade. Even though the device comes with an upgraded 5,220 mAH battery, battery life is between 2-6.5 hours of runtime on a single charge, a disappointing metric especially when compared to the original Switch’s 4.5-9 hours of runtime.

And the ugly: Well, it’s a cash burner. According to a 2024 Switch Weekly survey, the average Switch gamer owned 50 games — around half of which were digital. Assuming an average price tag of EGP 43k for the console, 25 physical games at an average of EGP 2.9k based on the average USD 70-80 price tag expected for the majority of Switch 2 games and those listed by Egy Gamer and Gamers Colony, an EGP 2.5k carrying case, and an EGP 700 screen protector, the shiny new console could eventually set you back a cumulative EGP 118k.