Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour review – A cool but frustrating tech demo that should have been a free pack-in

The Nintendo Switch 2 is a suped-up version of the Switch 1, and Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is a playable explanation of what’s new and different about the console. It’s not really a “game.”

Whereas the Switch 1 had games like ARMS and 1-2 Switch to show off the new tech, NS2 Welcome Tour carries the burden of being somewhere in the middle-ground of those and a free tech demo. If it was a free pack-in, this would’ve felt like an entirely different experience. But alas, it is unfortunately its own thing, and it’s a thing that I hope does not become commonplace.

Worth the price of admission?

You have to pay for admission to get into most museums in the world, and Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is no different. At $10, many are scoffing at the price for what’s basically an educational tech demo, and I can’t fault anyone for it.

NS2 Welcome Tour presents the Switch 2 and its peripherals as an explorable museum. You select a character from people standing in line and then use them to walk around the giant Switch 2 and all of its components.

You begin at the left JoyCon and then gain access to the rest of the console by discovering all of its buttons and functions, completing mini-games and challenges along the way. Games include using the new mouse function of the right JoyCon to dodge spiked balls or honing in on a spot that’s vibrating hardest with the new Rumble 2 features of the controller, but nothing exciting or worth playing again.

One mini-game showed off the original Super Mario Bros. game in its original pixel size when compared to 4K resolution. Another demo utilizing the touch screen forces you to contort your fingers to touch a bunch of colored circles all at the same time. This and other demos feel more like a chore than anything else.

The digital museum is populated with a bunch of silly little demonstrations of how far we’ve come in technology and how Nintendo has iterated on the original console, but as a “game,” there’s not much replay value or fun outside of the initial playthrough.

Learning is fun! (?)

The demos and exploration as supplemented by quizzes that you can take after learning about new features on the console, like the new console stand, its screen, and more. It’s educational, but also feels like doing homework.

It’s nice to see the new technology behind the console. But this could’ve been presented as a free demo, and it would’ve been just fine. Asking people to pay $10 for it is absolutely playing with fire, and I think Nintendo knows it.

Completionists may find joy in running around, finding secrets, discovering all of the ins and outs of the new console and its peripherals, and finishing off a checklist. Even then, the game requires a 4K TV, the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, and the Switch 2 Pro Controller for full completion. Yikes. And outside of that, the “fun” level here is pretty low.

Is it worth the $10? That’s entirely up to you and how much you value each penny. For myself, it’s tough to say because I got it for free to review it. If you’re super into Nintendo and want to know more about how the console was made, it’s a nice addition. But the playable parts of the game itself are nothing special, and it all comes down to your own financial situation whether or not it’s worth it to try out.

In the end, NS2 Welcome Tour feels like an interactive manual on how the Switch 2 works. It’s not entirely devoid of joy, but I also can’t recommend it. But, if you come from the camp of “hey, it’s just $10,” then by all means, have at it.