Switch 2 Welcome Tour Review: Worth the $9.99?

I’ll admit it: when I saw “Welcome Tour” listed for $9.99 on my new Switch 2, I nearly swiped left. My mind drifted to Astro’s Playroom on PS5—free, bursting with personality, and instantly charming. Still, curiosity—and a hefty dose of FOMO—pushed me to hit “Purchase.” Worst-case scenario: I’d waste ten bucks on a glorified PDF. Best-case? A hands-on walkthrough of every fresh feature hiding inside Nintendo’s latest hybrid.

Key Takeaways

• Welcome Tour morphs console onboarding into a collection of bite-sized mini-games.
• Its playful NPCs and quizzes strike a balance for newbies and longtime Nintendo fans alike.
• The $9.99 tag stings when Astro’s Playroom set the “pack-in intro” bar at zero dollars.
• Once you’ve explored HDR fireworks and HD Rumble puzzles, replay value plummets.
• Hardware aficionados will clamor for live overlays, benchmarks, and an Expert Mode.

First Impressions: Cynic to Grin-Maker

Docked or handheld, the moment my Mii-style avatar—complete with goofy hiking pack—materialized on a colossal, 3D Switch 2 model, I knew Welcome Tour wasn’t your typical PDF tutorial. It’s more like a toy museum meets scavenger hunt: part hardware explainer, part interactive sandbox. As I poked an oversized analog stick and prodded the magnetic rails, I felt echoes of blowing into a DS mic or flicking a Wii Remote. Snarky and supportive NPCs chimed in with tips that felt as charming as they were informative.

Gameplay Mechanics: Demo or Game?

Welcome Tour is neatly divided into zones—Joy-Con, touchscreen, HDR display, kickstand, rails, and more. You unlock each by earning medals, essentially “tutorial XP.” After roughly two hours, I’d completed every demo, aced all quizzes, and discovered most secrets. The pacing is thoughtful: you tackle one feature at a time, perfect for families, non-techies, or anyone new to Nintendo’s ecosystem.

Highlights include:

• HDR fireworks: pop rockets in dim scenes to see boosted contrast and color depth that genuinely pop.
• Touchscreen tracing: draw shapes and multi-touch gestures with near-zero lag—thanks to a claimed 120Hz polling rate.
• HD Rumble marble maze: feel subtle vibration pulses as your marble skims walls, showcasing Nintendo’s advanced haptics.

But herein lies the rub: once you’ve traced curves, popped every firework, and conquered the marble maze, the novelty vanishes. There’s no built-in challenge mode or leaderboard to lure you back.

Deep Dive for Hardware Buffs: Room to Grow

If you’re the type who pores over frame rates and thermal readouts, this tour scratches the surface but leaves you thirsty. An “Expert Mode” with real-time FPS counters, CPU/GPU utilization graphs, or power-draw meters would’ve been a revelation. Imagine toggling screen brightness while watching a power meter spike on-screen, or comparing Joy-Con latency in microseconds. Competitors like Steam Deck allow third-party overlays; PS5 hides a rudimentary stats screen. Nintendo could offer a DLC “Tech Guru Pack” to satisfy gearheads—alas, none of that here.

Technical Breakdown: Next-Gen Highlights

• HDR Display: Deep blacks and vibrant highlights rival docked 4K output, even in handheld.
• Advanced Haptics: HD Rumble pulses feel nuanced—far ahead of the original Switch’s one-note buzz.
• Touchscreen: Fluid responses in drag-and-drop puzzles underscore the 120Hz polling upgrade.
• Magnetic Rails: Joy-Con latch engagement feels 25% faster and more secure than v1.
• Performance: Load times nearly vanish; boot-to-menu speed improved ~40% over the original.

Comparisons: Against the Competition

Astro’s Playroom remains the gold standard—free, imaginative, and bursting with console lore. Xbox Series consoles lean on dashboard pop-ups and videos for hardware demos. Steam Deck users cobble together monitoring via Proton apps. Welcome Tour slots comfortably in the middle: more engaging than a YouTube teardown but less deep than PC-style overlays or benchmarks.

Who Should Dive In—and Who Should Skip It

Recommended for: First-time console owners, families, and tech-averse friends. Its gentle pace, friendly NPCs, and fun quizzes make it the perfect “orientation guide” for anyone new to modern gaming hardware.

Skip it if: You’re a hardcore hardware enthusiast. After one evening, you’ll have seen all it offers. You’ll long for live stats, community challenges, or downloadable content to rekindle excitement.

Replay Value & Long-Term Thoughts

Medals and trivia encourage a thorough initial run, but without daily challenges or seasonal events, there’s little reason to return. A timed fireworks challenge or marble-race leaderboard could prolong engagement—and justify the price tag. As it stands, Welcome Tour shines brightest in Week 1; by Week 2, most players will shelve it.

Conclusion & Final Verdict

In the end, Welcome Tour is well-crafted, witty, and genuinely informative. It spotlight’s Switch 2’s new features—HDR, advanced haptics, touchscreen upgrades—with Nintendo’s signature charm. Yet the standalone $9.99 price never stops buzzing in your mind when competitors deliver free or deeper tours. For newcomers and casual players, it’s a fast-track to mastery and worth the spend. For hardware buffs, it’s a fleeting appetizer, not the full meal.

Strengths: Playful presentation, clear demos, strong first impression.

Weaknesses: Limited replay value, no expert overlays, price hurdle.

Rating: 7/10

Final Recommendation: Pick up Welcome Tour if you’re new to Switch 2 or gifting it to non-gamers. If you live for benchmarks and real-time stats, wait for a deeper expert pack—or stick with free intros from Sony.