Minecraft review for Nintendo Switch 2

Minecraft review for Nintendo Switch 2

Posted on October 30, 2026 by Ethan in Reviews, Switch 2

System: Switch 2
Release date:October 27, 2026
Developer: Mojang
Publisher: Microsoft

Minecraft’s headlining feature on Nintendo Switch 2 is the addition of Vibrant Visuals. True to their name, they make everything look so much better without disrupting the classic Minecraft art style. Water is super-reflective, and at sunset, you can even see orange sunlight on the waves. Shadows are dynamic instead of just a circle below your character, and the environments’ colors are pumped up to make everything look lush and… vibrant. It’s a big visual leap over the Nintendo Switch 1 version, and it definitely helps sell the Switch 2 version.

Performance isn’t quite as good with Vibrant Visuals turned on, however. In Performance Mode, the resolution takes a hit; in Quality Mode, the frame rate takes a hit. If you’re going to keep Vibrant Visuals turned on, I’d recommend leaning towards Performance Mode – frame rate is always more important to me, personally.

Without Vibrant Visuals turned on, though, Minecraft on Nintendo Switch 2 boasts drastically increased performance. You can crank up all the graphics settings to max, including render distance, and still be able to play the game above 60 frames per second. This is where the upgrade really comes in handy – Minecraft on the go with a frame rate that high is a pretty sweet deal. That said, there are a few puzzling exclusions from the Nintendo Switch 2 version.

The lack of mouse controls is a big omission – they’d pair really well with Minecraft, but they’re nowhere to be found here. Motion control options aren’t available either, though I would think mouse controls would outclass those entirely. Also, while the game does run much better than the Nintendo Switch 1 version ever did, I still experienced some minor frame drops and stuttering in handheld mode here and there. It’s nothing major, but a little disappointing nonetheless.

I’ve also seen complaints that the Nintendo Switch 2 version only supports roughly 1.7 GB of extra data, which includes add-ons as well as the worlds you have saved. I have three Minecraft worlds that I’ve played over the course of the last three years, and they take up around 220 MB of that 1.7 GB – so I’m not close to the limit by any means. If you’re planning on sinking 1,000 hours into a world and exploring every corner of it, then the 1.7 GB limit might be an issue for you.

It’s also kind of ridiculous that owners of the physical Nintendo Switch 1 copies are forced to repurchase – other games with Switch 2 versions let you upgrade if you have the physical cart. Minecraft is the biggest video game in the world, so it comes off as kind of greedy that they’d rather you rebuy the game than offer any kind of upgrade path. If you own the digital version of Minecraft on Nintendo Switch 1, you only have until January 2027 to claim your free upgrade. For some reason.

At the end of the day, Minecraft is still Minecraft – it was fun on Nintendo Switch 1 even with its flaws, and it’s still fun on Switch 2 despite missing some control schemes and having performance issues with Vibrant Visuals enabled. If you’re able to get the free upgrade, this is a no-brainer, but if you own the physical version and are considering repurchasing, then maybe it’d be best to wait a few weeks to see if those performance flaws get a little bit better via patches. If you haven’t played Minecraft before and the Nintendo Switch 2 is your only gaming device, this is a good place to jump in – Minecraft can offer hundreds or thousands of hours of gameplay, especially if you’ve got friends who will play with you.

Minecraft Nintendo Switch 2 copy provided by the publisher for the purposes of this review.

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