The original PowerWash Simulator ended up being one of my favorite podcast games ever. I used to look forward to every single level pack or paid DLC just to have more levels to play and clean. What initially seemed like one of those Steam joke simulator games ended up getting me addicted to the point where I made sure I owned the game and all DLC on every platform. While this itself is notable and surprising, the real shocker to me was that FuturLab developed PowerWash Simulator. I adored the Velocity series from the Brighton-based developer, but I was delighted to see the team finally find massive success with PowerWash Simulator.
If you’ve never heard of PowerWash Simulator, your aim here is to dust off an actual power washer and clean specific things across different locations and levels to earn money, upgrade your equipment, and take on more challenging tasks. It might sound boring on paper, but PowerWash Simulator is one of the most relaxing games out there and one I will never tire of playing, especially with that addictive ding sound when you finish cleaning an object. FuturLab’s level and location design really elevated this from just an addictive experience to a fantastic game.
PowerWash Simulator was originally available on PC and Xbox platforms before seeing PlayStation and Nintendo Switch releases later on. I ended up putting the most time into it on PS5 and Steam Deck because the Switch version had a few too many stability issues. Those eventually got resolved, but I appreciated how you could access any new content pack on its own without finishing prior levels. This allowed for jumping between platforms more easily, and, speaking of content packs, PowerWash Simulator had tons of post-launch content through free and paid content.
You might be wondering why FuturLab decided to release PowerWash Simulator 2 as a standalone sequel instead of just continuing to work on new free and paid packs for PowerWash Simulator itself. I think there are a few reasons for that, which I will get to, but the most notable one is that PowerWash Simulator 2 is self-published while PowerWash Simulator was published by Square Enix. I think a clean break is better for FuturLab, but also because PowerWash Simulator 2 delivers way more content right now for its asking price compared to what we saw in paid DLC packs for the first game.
PowerWash Simulator 2 debuts this week on Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series, and PC simultaneously. I had a chance to play the PC and, more recently, Switch 2 versions pre-release for this review. While I need a bit more time to try out the online on Switch 2 and test the game with its final release build instead of a pre-release one, I can safely say that PowerWash Simulator 2 is already one of my favorite games of 2025.
PowerWash Simulator 2 builds (or washes over) on the original game by adding multi-stage jobs (levels that change as you clean across phases), a new home base with customization, massively improved online support with progression saving for all parties, a new soap mechanic, improved controls (with an option to play with classic controls), and more. I love how even something like furniture or cosmetics in a base you spend time in between jobs has its own set of washing required. When you purchase furniture for your base, you need to actually power wash it before you can place it. This is a nice touch.
As for the multi-stage levels, I believe the demo included the first of these, but I feel like the team could’ve done a better job of hiding them with the job progress indicator not actually showing you how far into a stage you are in leading into a sense of surprise rather than just wondering how the level will change as you clear out the first phase. Beyond that, I have no complaints with this new mechanic.
While cleaning a specific level, you still get text messages with lore and even unlock new jobs during another job. All of this comes back to your main home base, where you select a new job from the map and customize things with furniture and more. I also love how the team was creative with the different modes by having you go into a room to access miniatures for levels you’ve completed to access them in free play mode for a revisit.
When it comes to the controls, it took me a while to get used to the new modern scheme, given the more than a hundred hours I put into PowerWash Simulator with what the team now calls “Classic Controls.” You can opt for these, but I recommend trying the new ones because they feel more intuitive. I like the HD Rumble 2 implementation as well. The controls are actually one area where I found the current Switch 2 version disappointing.
Right now, there is no gyro support or mouse controls in PowerWash Simulator 2 on Switch 2. This might change, but I’m shocked to see neither of these input options available right now. I will say that I appreciate having paddles/back buttons with PowerWash Simulator 2 since you end up pressing into the Right Stick to highlight the dirt quite often. Being able to do that on the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller or an 8BitDo controller like the Ultimate 2 is a lot nicer than pressing into the sticks. I hope the gyro and mouse controls are added via patches in the near future.
Barring the inputs, PowerWash Simulator 2 runs quite well and loads fast on Switch 2, both docked and handheld. It targets 60 frames per second and it isn’t perfect, but it runs a lot better than PowerWash Simulator did on Switch, all things considered. I also think it looks really nice in Handheld mode, but the level draw distance is quite low on Switch 2, with environmental details getting cut off quite close to you. This doesn’t affect the actual levels, but it is noticeable when looking around in them.
As for multiplayer, I was able to test it out on PC with a friend and it worked great on my Steam Deck. The big news with online is progression saves for all players when doing the campaign. This is a huge deal. There is also split-screen co-op, but I will be testing this more when I try out the online multiplayer on Switch 2 from launch day.
While I need a bit more time with PowerWash Simulator 2 to try out the online and final patched build on Nintendo Switch 2, it is already one of my favorite games of 2025 and one I see myself sinking hundreds of hours into with friends. As for the Switch 2 port, it looks very good and runs better than I expected, but it isn’t perfect. The lack of gyro and mouse controls is disappointing, which I hope are added in future patches.
Version Tested: Nintendo Switch 2
Review copy provided by FuturLab
Lack of motion controls and HDR are deal breakers for me on tje Switch 2, clearly an afterthought platform for them which is disappointing as it’s something I’d love to take with me during autumn camping. If they’re added in later I’ll reconsider but for now it’s a sad pass.