The Nintendo Switch 2 is an awesome upgrade for parents like me
I wouldn't have preordered a Nintendo Switch 2 just for myself. The price is high, there's no new Smash Bros. or Metroid Prime (yet), and I've got a perfectly good original Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck that keep me plenty busy. At first, I could only justify the $450 because I write about gaming tech for The Verge.
But two weeks in, I can almost justify the cost one additional way: the Switch 2 is turning out to be an upgrade for my whole family.
I'm not primarily talking about hand-me-downs, though yes, you could absolutely hand your original Switch down to a kid while basking in the glory of the Switch 2's larger, faster screen. Mom and dad always get the best seats in the house, right?
But no: I'm talking about how Nintendo's new features are helping me share the delight of gaming with my 8-year-old kid like never before.
We bought my daughter a Switch Lite last Christmas, with Animal Crossing and Let's Go Pikachu, and that's pretty much all she played. All other gaming monopolized the living room TV, where she and her younger sister often clash over what to watch next.
But two weeks ago, my eldest suddenly realized that we could now magically beam any of my old purch …