Belkin Tempered Glass Anti-Reflective Screen Protector for Nintendo Switch 2: review

The Belkin Tempered Glass Anti-Reflective Screen Protector is designed for anyone looking to defend their Nintendo Switch 2 from knocks and scratches.

Made from tempered glass, covered with an anti-reflective surface and treated with an anti-fingerprint coating, it promises to keep your handheld console crack-free, while not diminishing your gameplay experience; a big swing, particularly given its relatively affordable $24.99 / £14.99 / AU$29.95 price.

The process of applying the screen protector to our Switch 2 was easy, thanks in no small part to Belkin’s simple system. Once you’ve popped the supplied frame over the Switch 2’s screen, the screen protector naturally nestles into its exact position on the glass, without the hesitation and second-guessing often experienced when applying screen protectors.

All I then had to do was peel back the top layer of film and coax all of the air pockets to the edge of the display; this took all of about 20 seconds, which is far faster than with some of the best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories.

Admittedly, a few stubborn bubbles remained, but I’ve applied a lot of screen protectors in my time – I’m both an early upgrader and horrendously clumsy – and I’ve always found that these eventually get squeezed out over the first few days of use.

As long as you’ve ensured that your Switch 2’s screen is sufficiently clean before applying the protector, it really is hard to imagine how you could go wrong here.

Once it was applied, I was genuinely impressed with the quality of Belkin’s screen protector. Thanks to the tempered glass it’s fashioned from it feels sturdy to the touch – rather than the plasticky feel of some products, you get all of the hardness of standard glass without the brittleness. And its bevelled edges mean it can have a decent thickness to it while not having a pronounced lip around its rim, allowing it to blend seamlessly into the device.

Sometimes this kind of protection can come at a bit of a tradeoff, giving you peace of mind at the cost of increased reflectivity, but Belkin’s anti-reflective treatment seemed to minimize the amount of reflections cast across the screen. It didn’t seem to hurt the pop of the Switch 2’s gloriously vibrant display at all, with Mario Kart World’s colorful palette still looking as hyperreal as ever.

Even under the harsh lighting of our photography studio, I had to spin it to pretty extreme angles for reflections to significantly affect the viewing experience, and you’re unlikely to encounter conditions this unfavorable under real-world use.

Being this well designed doesn’t mean anything if a screen protector cracks under pressure though. So how did the Belkin Tempered Glass Anti-Reflective Screen Protector perform under testing conditions?

Pretty capably, it turns out.

Out of the gate, I wanted to make sure it was going to actually go the distance – it doesn’t matter how hard your screen protector is if it peels off long before it sees any action. Rubbing the corner didn’t cause any layers to come away and, even when I got my nail in there, it didn’t easily lift away from the screen. My impression is that the Belkin should hang on in there for the long haul.

Simulating multiple years of cumulative wear and tear isn’t all that easy, so it’s important that we subject these screen protectors to a level of abuse I’d hope you wouldn’t subject your own console to.

Taking my keys to the screen protector, I started trying to scratch it, gingerly at first and then, when it resisted my efforts, rather less gingerly. No matter how hard I tried to score the glass, the keys in my hand just slipped off it, so while I imagine it will sustain damage from direct blows, you can rest easy knowing that it’ll laugh off regular scuffs and scrapes with ease.

Even though I’ve spent a lot of money on screen protectors over the years, the Belkin Tempered Glass Anti-Reflective Screen Protector for Nintendo Switch 2 still impressed me. It’s easy to apply, well made, and should guard your handheld console against all but the most severe abuse.

Once you factor in the aforementioned price – just $24.99 / £14.99 / AU$29.95 – it becomes a bit of a bargain, especially given that you shouldn’t have to replace it for trivial reasons, like superficial scratches or premature peeling. If you want to safeguard your Switch 2, it’s a very safe bet.

Belkin Tempered Glass Anti-Reflective Screen Protector for Nintendo Switch 2 review: price & availability

• Launched June 4, 2025
• Retails for $24.99 / £14.99 / AU$29.95

First released on June 4, 2025, the Tempered Glass Anti-Reflective Screen Protector for Nintendo Switch 2 is Belkin’s first foray into the gaming screen protector space. Priced at $24.99 / £14.99 / AU$29.95, it’s a very competitive option – although it is worth noting that some rivals’ offerings include two protectors for the price of one.

Still, I would argue that the value you’re getting here is pretty decent. Two screen protectors over one sounds like a bargain, as long as they don’t last half as long, effectively negating their cheaper price. Based on Belkin’s track record in this space, and how durable its screen protector proved in our testing, this one should last you a decent while, making it still a smart investment for the price.

Should I buy the Belkin Tempered Glass Anti-Reflective Screen Protector for Nintendo Switch 2?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

How I tested the Belkin Tempered Glass Anti-Reflective Screen Protector for Nintendo Switch 2

• I applied the screen protector following the instructions
• I tested how it affects brightness, shows fingerprints, and how easy it is to damage
• I relied on decades of handheld gaming experience

Since TechRadar has started testing Nintendo Switch accessories, it’s been important for me to work out a standardized process for how we test them. First off, we apply the screen protector to a Nintendo Switch 2 to see how easy it is to adhere. Then we test how the screen protector affects the brightness of the screen and viewing angles, before seeing how it copes with smudges and fingerprints.

I also wanted to make sure that we checked how well the screen protectors cope with damage. While I wasn’t quite brave enough to drop a flagstone onto our testing Switch 2 and see whether it survived until the release of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, I did try several methods to test the hardiness of the Belkin Tempered Glass Anti-Reflective Screen Protector. I tried scuffing the edges of the screen protector and peeling it with my nails to see if it would come loose, before attempting to scratch it vigorously with my keys.

In terms of experience, not only have I been gaming on the go for most of my life – Imma OG Game Boy right here – but I’ve been writing about tech and gadgets on and off for almost 15 years. My reviews team tests a wide array of gaming accessories from controllers to wireless headsets – and perhaps most relevant, I’ve broken more screens than I can count.

• First reviewed: September 2025
• Read more about how we test

It’s fair to say that Nintendo’s slate of Nintendo Switch 2 Editions has been a mixed bag, both in terms of what the company offers in each, how much it’s charging, and how the reception has been.

The Switch's Zelda titles getting a frame rate and resolution boost for a few bucks each was very welcome but many were left decidedly out of the party mood when it came to Super Mario Party Jamboree’s Jamboree TV add-on.

In many ways, that makes the hilariously titled Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World an outlier, and not just because it’s got possibly the longest name on the platform.

It meshes a modest visual improvement with additional content that’s easy to recommend, and takes a fantastic platformer to new heights, not unlike its protagonist floating on the breeze. It’s not perfect, but it’s still a great stand-in as the wait for a new open-world Mario game goes on.

Rescue mission

It sounds odd, but I’ve always likened Kirby and the Forgotten Land to the early Astro Bot games, before Sony’s cute mascot went and became a platforming megastar. Its levels feel diorama-like - they’re 3D, but with minimal camera panning, and you’re tasked with searching in every nook and cranny to find a Waddle Dee.

If you’re coming to this new version, wondering if anything has changed in that regard, the answer is yes, but only insofar as you’ll be hunting down Starries this time around. While I must admit I had been expecting a separate menu icon a la Jamboree TV Switch 2 upgrade, or even Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, I was surprised to jump into my old save and see that everything happens in the same world map.

Star-Crossed World's story is as simple as a mystery meteor landing and turning various older areas into more colorful, crystal-tinted versions, while even giving some of Kirby’s (admittedly adorable) foes a crystalline makeover, too.

Your pink blob’s mission is simple: rescue Starries in each level, while also ticking off some side objectives that might require a little more exploration.

What’s old is new

While there’s an argument that for around $20 / £16.99, fans should be able to expect wholly new levels, that’s not what’s happened here. In fact, it’s much cleverer than that. Kirby is tasked with reclaiming Starries (not as cute as Waddle Dees, for my money) by finding them in existing levels, but each becomes a much more expansive quest.

As an example, one area sees Kirby travel through an existing level, only to essentially part the sea midway through and explore a whole new region under what would have been the water. In another (and a personal favorite), our puffy pink protagonist hits the gem to open a new path, only for it to begin a railway track or rollercoaster of sorts that they need to fight and platform their way along.

Given a big differentiator of the base game from the rest of Kirby canon was having our hero wander through a sort of post-apocalyptic, recognizable world, some took umbrage with the more restrictive creativity brought upon by a new setting. That’s almost entirely jettisoned here, like Nintendo is letting its hair down somewhat.

In fact, if you’re jumping in for the first time, the meteor hits right after the first set of levels is completed, so you don’t have to reach the end credits to experience everything new.

All you can eat

The Mouthful mode returns in Star-Crossed World, and the same criticisms from the original TechRadar Gaming review apply - namely that, as funny as it is to see Kirby become a vending machine or a traffic cone, its implementation is all very linear.

This time around, there’s a Spring for jumping high and crashing down on foes, as well as a Sign that turns Kirby into a sort of flat shape for downhill sliding sections. The highlight, however, is the Gear Mouth, which allows Kirby to roll around on floors, walls, and ceilings, adding a literal new dimension to platforming.

That brings us to the platforming, and while it’s mechanically great to play, it’s just lacking the challenge of, say, a Super Mario Odyssey or even some of Donkey Kong Bananza’s trickier sections. I should stress that this doesn’t make all of the game’s imaginative ideas moot, but it does mean it’s easier to blow through in a weekend than some of its genre peers.

Another holdover from the base game is that boss fights are a little formulaic. While I appreciate that there are usually a handful of approaches to take with a few different upgrades available before the start of each skirmish, it does tend to devolve into dodging as much as you can and then spamming whichever attack you have to hand.

There’s a new Ultimate Cup Z EX boss rush that’s been added to the Coliseum for those looking for more of a challenge, though, which is a nice touch and helps scratch that trickier itch similarly to the Forgo areas of the 2022 original.

Not quite 4K(irby)

Although the original game was hardly a slouch in terms of visuals, the bump in resolution on Nintendo Switch 2 is welcome.

Both The Forgotten Land and its Star-Crossed World additions run at what appears to be 1440p while docked, meaning it’s not quite as sharp as the Switch 2 upgrades of Tears of the Kingdom or Breath of the Wild, but it does run at a crisp 1080p in handheld.

The real relief is that it’s now running at 60fps across the board, which makes replaying even old levels feel just a little fresher thanks to the smoothness on offer. Load times have been improved, too.

Still, I do feel like Nintendo could have divorced the new content and the visual upgrade when it comes to what’s on offer.

Is the company really going to be any worse off for giving away the visual upgrade for free and charging just for the extra content? It’s hard to say, but if you’ve been waiting to play Kirby and the Forgotten Land on Switch 2, you won’t get any visual improvements without paying.

All in all, then, Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World is one of the easiest ‘upgrade packs’ to recommend at the time of writing for Nintendo’s nascent console.

While I wish the visual upgrade had been free to anyone with a Switch 2 and a copy of the base game, the added areas in Star Crossed World are some of the best yet, and I’d wager playing the game without them would now make the game feel incomplete in some ways.

Should you play Kirby and the Forgotten Land Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility

Sadly, there aren’t a huge number of accessibility features here. There are two difficulty modes, Wild Mode and Spring-Breeze Mode, which offer additional difficulty for more coins, or additional health, respectively.

There’s no button remapping outside of swapping between a pair of preset options, either.

How I reviewed Kirby and the Forgotten Land Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World

I spent the last couple of weeks playing the new content, immediately after replaying the entirety of the base game to give me a better perspective on how things differ and what’s new.

I played both in docked and handheld, with the former being on a Sky Glass TV while the latter made use of AirPods Max for listening to those oh-so-satisfying sound effects that had me itching to play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate again.

First reviewed August 2025

The very first time I booted up Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S on Nintendo Switch 2, I had to look up a list of what had actually been changed.

This is a port of one of my favorite puzzle games ever, the original Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 from 2020 - a title that I’ve sunk more than a hundred hours into across PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. Still, the tweaks present in this new version are so slight that even I struggled to see them at first.

You’re basically getting a single new mode here: the co-op Puyo Tetris Double Mode which features fast 2v2 battles. It’s a fun way to play for sure, but it’s not a necessary addition in a game that is already overflowing with content. If you own the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera accessory, you have the option of showing your face as you play too - another ultimately superfluous extra.

There’s also support for the mouse controls of the Joy-Con 2, though they’re disappointingly awkward to use. Playing Tetris or Puyo Puyo with a cursor is considerably slower than button inputs, making matches more fiddly thus putting you at a clear disadvantage.

At least GameShare is well implemented, giving you an easy way to play with friends on either Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2.

Bursting at the seams

The original version of Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 offers so many modes that it’s almost hard to keep track of them, so here’s quick run-down of the most significant ones so you know what you’re in for before I get into the new stuff:

• Versus - a traditional competitive match of either Puyo Puyo or Tetris
• Big Bang - clear a board of existing pieces faster than your opponent
• Party - competitive Puyo Puyo or Tetris with special items added in
• Skill Battle - play Puyo Puyo or Tetris as a character with special skills and items
• Fusion - Puyos and Tetris pieces fall at the same time
• Swap - Swap between Puyo Puyo and Tetris every 25 seconds

These can either be played solo against bots or as part of a robust online offering that’s complete with a basic competitive ranking system.

This is on top of loads of unique challenge modes, a detailed ‘Lessons’ tutorial mode, and a full-on RPG style single-player campaign with cute artwork and fully voiced dialogue scenes packed with charming moments.

This all results in what is without a doubt one of the most comprehensive and content-rich puzzle games of all time. Seriously, after more than a hundred hours, there are still some modes that I’ve barely touched.

Mix and match

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S adds just one new mode, available as an option when you select the Versus mode. It splits four players into two teams of two, with each team sharing their own board.

It’s nothing particularly wild in comparison to the modes found in the base game, but still very entertaining as you desperately try to coordinate placing pieces with your partner in high-speed matches. As good as it is, however, it sits in a sea of other excellent modes so doesn't justify much of the $39.99 / £34.99 asking price.

The same is true of the new mouse controls, which allow you to browse the menus with a cursor or drag the Joy-Con 2 around to position falling pieces on the board.

The latter implementation is awkward though, proving significantly slower than just using the buttons, so it’s something that anybody would probably never want to use. The Nintendo Switch 2 Camera support is lackluster too, simply allowing you to show your face in matches instead of the usual character portrait.

GameShare is great at least, and, in my testing, proved impressively responsive when I paired my Nintendo Switch 2 up with my Nintendo Switch Lite. If this all was sold as a $9.99 / £9.99 or so Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade rather than a more pricey standalone release, then I could see this feature alone being well worth the cost.

Ghost town

In the graphics department, things haven’t changed as much as you might think. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 was already a great looking game on Nintendo Switch and, while the picture quality of Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S is a smidge sharper, it’s not a noticeable upgrade unless you directly compare the images side by side.

Loading times seem extremely similar too, which is to say that they’re still good but not substantially improved.

This apparent lack of technical differences leaves me wondering why Sega has made the baffling choice to split multiplayer matchmaking pools between Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 and Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S.

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 still has a very active online scene, even after all these years, so you can reliably find matches at almost any time. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S, on the other hand, seems deserted after just a few weeks.

I have managed to get into a couple of games here and there, but waiting times are significantly longer than the original game. It’s a huge shame and means that existing Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 owners have no real reason to splash out for this release, as it comes at the cost of online play.

If you’ve never experienced Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 before, then the purchase is a bit more justifiable. You’re still getting a great game here at the end of the day with hundreds of hours of quality puzzle action and a handful of new features designed to take advantage of the capabilities of your brand new console.

This is technically the most definitive version of the game so far, so it’s not a bad starting point if you’re a newcomer.

Should I play Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S?

Play it if…

Don’t play it if…

Accessibility features

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S doesn’t feature any dedicated accessibility settings. It has a limited settings menu, with options like turning off auto save, disabling controller vibration, and tweaking the language. The game is fully voice acted, but subtitles are still featured throughout.

How I reviewed Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S

I played just under five hours of Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S on Nintendo Switch 2, having played a significant amount more of the original Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 on Nintendo Switch, PC, and PS5.

During my time with the game, I compared my experience with that of the original release, making careful note of any differences. I endeavored to test every one of the new features, plus the new mode extensively.

First reviewed August 2025