Hey Sunshines!
It is the holiday season, and I have to tell you about the gift our whole family is obsessed with. When our big red Nintendo box arrived, Brayden and Bailey lit up like little kids on Christmas morning, and honestly, so did I. The Nintendo Switch 2 is the one gift every age in our house can enjoy together, and that is exactly why it belongs on every family’s Christmas list this year.
This post is in paid partnership with Nintendo, #NintendoPartner, and contains affiliate links. If you buy through my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, and it helps support Raising Greatness. Thank you, Sunshines!
The short answer: is the Nintendo Switch 2 worth it for families?
Yes. The Nintendo Switch 2 is worth it for families because one console gives you TV, tabletop, and handheld play, a bigger and brighter 7.9 inch screen, controllers the whole family can pick up and play with, and games like Nintendo Switch Sports Resort that get everybody off the couch and moving together. It is the rare Christmas gift that brings a family together instead of sending everybody to separate rooms.
What is the Nintendo Switch 2?
The Nintendo Switch 2 is the next evolution of the Nintendo Switch, and it launched June 5, 2025. It is still one console with three ways to play, on your TV, on a table, or in your hands, but everything about it is bigger, sharper, and more connected.
Here is what changed, in plain mom language:
A bigger, brighter screen. The 7.9 inch 1080p LCD touchscreen supports HDR and frame rates up to 120 fps, so games look vivid and smooth in handheld mode. Pop it in the dock and it plays on your TV in up to 4K with a compatible TV and game.
Joy-Con 2 controllers that click on with magnets. No more fiddly rails. The new controllers snap into place, and each one can even be used as a mouse in compatible games. There is also a new C button that opens GameChat with one press.
GameChat, so your college kids can play with you from anywhere. GameChat lets up to 12 people voice chat while playing, with up to four sharing their game screen or joining video chat at once. The console has a built in microphone, so you can start talking right away. For our family, with two kids in college, this is everything. Brooklyn and Brayden can be in their own places and still be on the couch with us.
GameShare, so one game is enough. Nintendo says it best: “GameShare lets everyone play, with just one game!” With a Nintendo Switch 2, you can share supported games with friends and family, even if they do not have the game. Everyone can play together. That saves real money when you have three kids.
More room for games. The Nintendo Switch 2 has 256GB of internal storage, and it plays compatible physical and digital Nintendo Switch games, so the games you already own come with you.
Why we love Nintendo Switch Sports Resort
If you buy one game with the Nintendo Switch 2 this Christmas, make it Nintendo Switch Sports Resort. It launched October 22, 2026, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2, and it is the game our family keeps coming back to.
Nintendo describes it this way: “Play 12 different sports using intuitive motion controls in Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, only on Nintendo Switch 2. Head to the island resort of Wuhu Island, and use the Joy-Con 2 controllers as bows, rackets, handlebars and more!”
Here are the 12 sports: Boxing, Table Tennis, Archery, Tennis, Volleyball, Bowling, Basketball, Golf, Thumb Wrestling, Skateboarding, Power Cruising, and Prop Plane. Nine are competitive and three are leisure sports for exploring the island, chasing dolphins, hunting for hidden hibiscus flowers, and collecting Spocco Photos.
Volleyball is our sport. If you follow us, you know Bailey plays travel volleyball, so the volleyball in this game is personal for us. Nintendo says it like this: “Bump, set and spike your way to victory, or try to nail as many ‘Nice’ ball bumps as you can in Bump to the Beat.” Watching Bailey bump, set, and spike on screen the same way she does on the court is the sweetest thing, and Bump to the Beat turns it into a rhythm game the whole family can play.
Everybody can play, no experience needed. The motion controls are intuitive, which is a fancy way of saying you just move like you would in real life. You swing the controller like a tennis racket, pull it back like a bow, tilt it like handlebars. Grandma can play. Little cousins can play. And the competitive side is real too, with a Pro League online and an Island Crown to win in each sport.
It is a whole island to explore. Wuhu Island is not just a menu of games. You can wander it in three times of day, ride around on a skateboard, cruise the waves, or fly a prop plane. You earn Spocco Points as you play and unlock outfits and gear in the Item Center, and you can play as a Sportsmate or your very own Mii character.
Nintendo says it perfectly: “Gather family and friends around the TV for a sporting island retreat in your living room, or face-off online to connect from afar.”
Why the Nintendo Switch 2 works for every age in our house
This is what sold me. Most gifts are for one kid, one age, one interest. The Nintendo Switch 2 is for all of us.
Bailey, 16, our teen athlete, gets volleyball, basketball, and bowling with motion controls that feel like the real thing.
Brayden, our college gamer, gets the bigger screen, the sharper graphics, and GameChat with his friends, plus he can play with us from campus.
Brooklyn, our grown daughter, gets a reason to come home and play, and GameShare means she does not need her own copy of every game.
Wes and I get family game night back. There is nothing like family time, and this is family time done right.
Our Nintendo box also came with Super Mario Party Jamboree, Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, and Pokemon Pokopia, so family game night has options for every mood, a party game when we want to laugh and a cozy game when we want to slow down.
What is in the box?
The Nintendo Switch 2 System comes with the console, Joy-Con 2 controllers in Light Blue and Light Red, the Nintendo Switch 2 Dock, the Joy-Con 2 Grip, two Joy-Con 2 Straps, the AC adapter, a USB-C charging cable, and an Ultra High Speed HDMI cable. Everything you need to play on day one is in the box. Games are sold separately, which is why I say grab Nintendo Switch Sports Resort with it.
Where to buy the Nintendo Switch 2
The Nintendo Switch 2 System lists at $449.99. Prices change around the holidays, so check the live price at the link before you buy.
Shop the Nintendo Switch 2 on Amazon: Buy the Nintendo Switch 2 System on Amazon
Shop Nintendo Switch Sports Resort: Buy Nintendo Switch Sports Resort on Amazon
If you are shopping early, do not wait too long. The hottest Christmas gift sells out fast, and this is the one everybody is asking for this year.
We are gifting one family a Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch Sports Resort!
Yes, Sunshines, we are gifting one lucky family a Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch Sports Resort this holiday season. Head to my Instagram to enter, and good luck!
Here is how to enter:
- Comment, share, and save the giveaway post
- Follow @NintendoAmerica, @raisinggreatnessofficial, @thebraydenshow, @thebaileyraeshow, and @baileyraevolleyball
- Share the post to your stories
- Tag three families that would love this gift!
Giveaway closes Monday, November 16 at 11 PM PST. Winner announced Tuesday, November 17.
Nintendo Switch 2 Christmas questions, answered
Is the Nintendo Switch 2 worth it for families?
Yes. One console covers TV, tabletop, and handheld play, the games are built for all ages, and features like GameChat and GameShare keep a family connected even when the kids are away at college.
What is the difference between the Nintendo Switch 2 and the Nintendo Switch?
The Nintendo Switch 2 has a larger 7.9 inch 1080p screen with HDR and up to 120 fps, a dock that supports up to 4K, magnetic Joy-Con 2 controllers with mouse controls, GameChat, GameShare, and 256GB of storage. It also plays compatible Nintendo Switch games, so your old library comes with you.
What age is the Nintendo Switch 2 good for?
Every age. Little kids can play motion games like bowling and tennis, teens get sports and party games, and grown ups get the full library plus a handheld that travels. In our house it spans 16 to grown, and everybody plays.
Does Nintendo Switch Sports Resort work on the original Nintendo Switch?
No. Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2, so you need the new console to play it.
Do I need a Nintendo Switch Online membership?
You need a Nintendo Account and a Nintendo Switch Online membership for online play and GameChat. GameChat was free during an open access period through March 31, 2026, and after that a membership is required.
Where can I buy the Nintendo Switch 2 for Christmas?
On Amazon through my link above, and on Walmart once I add my link. Buy early, because the hottest gifts sell out before Christmas.
Sources
- Nintendo, “Grab your headband and get ready to move in Nintendo Switch Sports Resort!”: https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/grab-your-headband-and-get-ready-to-move-in-nintendo-switch-sports-resort/
- Nintendo, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort game page: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-2-games/Nintendo-Switch-Sports-Resort-3115652.html
- Nintendo, Nintendo Switch 2 GameShare: https://www.nintendo.com/us/gaming-systems/switch-2/features/gameshare/
- Amazon, Nintendo Switch 2 System listing (ASIN B0F3GWXLTS), for in the box contents and list price
Much Love and Sunshine,
Karen
