When I first heard about the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, I figured it was a fun little bonus, a free way to get acquainted with the new hardware. Turns out, it costs €9.99. Not outrageous, but you do expect something more than a glorified tech demo. What you actually get is an interactive showroom experience that feels more like a glossy tutorial than a proper piece of software. It’s charming in parts, but ultimately thin on substance.
Welcome to the tour
The core concept is pretty cute: you find yourself in a stylized space with a massive Nintendo Switch 2 looming in the middle, each of its components acting as entry points to themed areas. The left stick, the headphone jack, the triggers, they all unlock miniature zones you can explore. Your goal? Collect stamps scattered around to “learn” what each part does. It’s a light puzzle-meets-hunt vibe, but the stakes are so low that even calling it a game feels generous.
Still, the presentation is slick. Everything is oversized, polished, and bursting with charm, but it’s too bad it isn’t Nintendo’s classic style. I think it would work better if this was somehow linked to the Super Mario universe or even WarioWare. The presentation is just too clean and could have used some improved atmosphere. That being said, it’s easy to imagine younger players or tech-curious parents having a mild “ah-ha” moment when discovering what a haptic trigger actually is. For seasoned gamers, though, it feels more like walking through a digital IKEA manual.
Tech demos that could have been more
Things start to pick up once you hit the tech demo section. These are interactive experiments meant to show off what the Switch 2 can really do. You’ll be asked to shake maracas and guess what’s inside, thanks to the revamped HD Rumble 2 system. It sounds silly, but it actually works. You can feel the difference between tiny beads and a solid ball. Impressive stuff!
There’s also a cute segment about Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), where a slow-moving robot suddenly becomes smooth and responsive once VRR kicks in. It’s like a playable PowerPoint presentation, but in a good way.
These moments shine because they’re tactile and focused. If the entire Welcome Tour had been built around short, punchy tech showcases like these, it could’ve been something special. But those demos are few and far between.
Beyond the demos, there are a few minigames scattered throughout, but don’t get too excited. They’re light distractions, think rhythm tapping or memory matching with no real depth. They feel like interactive transitions more than standalone experiences. You’ll probably try each once, nod politely, and move on. Golf and UFO mini-games are fun to play around with, but never do they really justify that this isn’t a free game.
A more annoying downside? Some parts are locked behind extra accessories. Want to fully complete the experience? You’ll need a Pro Controller and even the USB-C camera. That’s a lot of gear to justify for a ten-euro digital tour.
Conclusion:
Let’s be honest: this isn’t for hardcore gamers. If you already know the ins and outs of Nintendo hardware, you’ll breeze through the tour in under an hour with few surprises. But if you’re gifting the Switch 2 to a parent, grandparent, or kid who’s brand new to the ecosystem, the Welcome Tour does do a decent job easing them in. It’s the kind of thing you’d play once, maybe with a curious family member, and never touch again. The Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is not bad, it’s just not essential. It looks okay, explains things well, and has a few fun moments. But it’s also limited, shallow, and weirdly locked behind optional gear. Worst of all, it’s something that really should’ve been free or bundled with the console at launch. If you’re a curious new user or gifting the Switch 2 to someone tech-averse, this might help bridge the gap. But for everyone else, it’s more of a €9.99 curiosity than a must-download.
