Ahead of the Switch 2’s launch, Nintendo assured players that it had revamped the system’s eShop this time around. While we didn’t get too many glimpses of that ahead of release, Digital Trends can now confirm just what has been upgraded. The new eShop is faster, features more sorting options, and even includes video previews.
Digital Trends received its Nintendo Switch 2 unit on Wednesday morning, one day ahead of its June 5 launch. While a full review is coming once we’re able to test it in depth, we were able to access the eShop and see exactly what has changed.
The most immediate difference is that the shop loads significantly faster. While it still takes a few seconds for it to load up, menus tabs load up in no more than a second. I’m able to continuously scroll down a tab like Recent Releases with thumbnails loading almost instantly and only butting up against an occasional page load hitch that stops my scroll for a split second. I’m seeing a major improvement on the Enter Code screen especially, as I can access it instantly. On previous Switch models, that would often be a point of slowdown thanks to some lag.
There are some new tabs on the sidebar menu, including a Wish List and For You tab. The latter will allow players to get custom recommendations based on their preferences. When I clicked on “Get Recommendations” for the first time, I was taken straight to a full screen trailer for VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action. Recommendations are refreshed every Saturday.
The eShop features one other new trick in the form of rollover video. When you mouse over a thumbnail for a game, you’ll now load up a trailer that auto plays on hover instead of screenshots. It’s a small update, but one that showcases how much quicker the eShop can function.
Players can navigate the eShop using the Joy-con 2’s new mouse functionality. I was able to scroll the shop using two Joy-cons acting as one mouse.
We’ll have much more coverage to come as we test the console in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for our full review. The Nintendo Switch 2 launches on June 5.
