The 14 best Nintendo Switch 2 games
Donkey Kong Bananza! Mario Kart World! Metroid Prime 4! Final Fantasy VII Remake!
The Nintendo Switch 2 is quickly becoming one of our favourite ever handhelds, as we’ve put hundreds of hours into the very best Nintendo Switch 2 games. Want to know which new Nintendo games should be in your collection? You’ve come to the right place.
Nintendo lined-up a cracking list of games for the launch of its new-and-improved hybrid handheld, and has kept the momentum going with a solid stream of releases since release, both in terms of first-party titles and third-party hits.
From the arcade racing thrills of Mario Kart World to the scuzzy future-noir of Cyberpunk 2077, there’s something for everyone, with later releases like platformer Donkey Kong Bananza and sci-fi shooter Metroid Prime 4: Beyond keeping the hype train rolling.
The next evolution of the Nintendo Switch console is here! Experience new, exclusive games like Mario Kart World only on Nintendo Switch 2.
With the Switch 2 comfortably now our most-played gaming handheld, here's our verdict on the best games Nintendo Switch 2 currently has to offer. And, as ever, we're only talking about titles we've had personal hands-on experience with here — so expect this list to shake up dramatically in the coming weeks and months as new releases land.
The best Nintendo Switch 2 games
1. Mario Kart World
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe perfected the form of the arcade racer. So where does Nintendo go from there?
Off-road, of course.
Mario Kart World is the series biggest departure from its standard mascot-on-mascot, shell-slinging roots since Double Dash’s dual racer gimmick, with World giving drivers a massive map to bomb around in, beyond the confines of traditional Mario Kart tracks.
Yeah, you’ve still got tarmac to burn rubber on, but there’s the promise here of a secret-filled map to explore, and less downtime between races as you go off the beaten path while competitive lobbies fill.
New racers include the Moo Moo Meadows cow, while you’re also able to grind pipes and poles to find new shortcuts across the multi-layered maps. A new battle-royale knockout-style competition is the star of the show though — a 24 racer point-to-point challenge that sees those at the back of the pack whittled away in a tense ongoing battle for pole position. Think Outrun with Blue shells, and you’ll be on the right lines.
A unique spin on a classic formula, we’re ready for Mario Kart World to take over our lives this summer.
2. Donkey Kong Bananza
It was easily our most-wanted Nintendo Switch 2 as soon as we set eyes on it, and Donkey Kong Bananza didn't dissapoint.
Developed by Nintendo’s EDP Tokyo — the same gang that made Mario Odyssey — it’s a substantial departure from Nintendo’s previous 3D platformers, be they from the plumber or his buddy-come-nemesis simian counterpart.
Where Mario games are about precision and athleticism, Donkey Kong Bananza is all about destruction and brute force. The titular ape gets a new look for this, his first 3D outing since 1994’s Donkey Kong 64, and a whole new moveset unlike anything we’ve seen from the character before. Donkey tears up the landscape — literally. He can smash his way through rock walls, deforming the levels around him, and even making makeshift projectiles from the ground he rips apart.
Though the new destruction-based carnage could easily have resulted in a messy platform game devoid of challenge, Bananza instead stands tall as a great, muscular adventure — beautiful to look at and with tonnes of secrets to discover as you explore its subterranean biomes. There's charm to spare, and while it's no Super Mario Odyssey, it still ranks among some of the best platforming action of the decade.
3. Yakuza 0 Director's Cut
The finest game in the Yakuza series? We’d say so, and the Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut edition for Switch 2 only makes it even better. In terms of sheer performance, this is the most impressive launch title we’ve played so far — hitting a locked 4K / 60fps in docked mode.
But it’s also a much enhanced game in terms of content too, with new cutscenes, a much-improved ‘Save anywhere’ system, and, for the first time, an English dub of the Japanese script.
It’s a brilliant game generally — a superb mix of brawling action, a twisty-turny underworld narrative, and charm in spades. It’s a wonderful rendering of 1980s Tokyo, with Yakuza 0 expertly walking a line between hard crime drama and campy presentation. This is a must play on Switch 2, even if you’ve already enjoyed it elsewhere before.
4. Hogwarts Legacy
Don't let anyone tell you Hogwarts Legacy is just for kids; it's a charming open-world adventure that truly shines on the Nintendo Switch 2. This native version offers a night-and-day difference compared to the original Switch port, which was notoriously held back by the original console's underpowered hardware.
A game that tested the resolve of home consoles, we were impressed with how it looks in Switch 2's handheld mode. The visuals are now on par with what you'd see on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, a huge leap from the muddy textures and compromises of the first Switch version.
Excuse the pun, but it makes for a much more magical experience. The expansive open spaces and intricate castle interiors are a joy to explore, brimming with secrets to uncover. Plus, the frame rate stays stable around 30 frames per second (fps), ensuring a smooth and stress-free experience as you cast spells and explore the wizarding world of Harry Potter on the go. It's a massive title, and seeing it squeezed into a handheld with this calibre should be applauded. It also makes for an excellent way to snip away at the hundreds of hours of challenges the game contains.
5. FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade has made the leap to Nintendo Switch 2, and it's a genuinely impressive port of Square Enix’s beloved action-RPG. Alongside Hogwarts Legacy and Cyberpunk 2077 it's arguably the best showcase yet for Nintendo’s hybrid console, delivering beautiful lighting, faithful visuals and the complete INTERmission DLC included as standard.
Performance is stable and reliable: the game runs locked at 30 fps in both docked and handheld modes, with little to no perceptible slowdown during intense battles or busy environments. While this is a step down from the 60fps options seen on PlayStation or Xbox, it’s a solid compromise for a portable experience of this scale.
Visually, Switch 2’s version sits noticeably above the old PS4 build, with improved textures and lighting that sometimes nearly rival higher-end consoles.
As for the game itself? You'll probably know the score with FF7 and this big budget remake by now, but the joy of playing a deep, 30-plus-hour RPG on the go is something really special. An epic tale of magic-wielding freedom fighters taking on global megacorps and otherworldly enemies, its robust combat and cinematic storytelling make the portable leap fully intact, making this port an excellent way to experience Midgar for the first time.
6. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond shot up our most-wanted list following our Nintendo Switch 2 preview play session last summer, and it's delivered on that epic promise now it's officially in our hands.
What Metroid Prime 4 brings a real sense of surprise and wonder to the table. Though its development has had to keep the original Switch hardware in mind (it’s out on both generations), seeing it run in silky-smooth 120fps was revelatory, and not the sort of cutting-edge performance we’re used to seeing from Nintendo hardware.
A first-person shooter at its heart, it’s a great example of the potential of the Joy-Cons-as-mice hook the new console is pushing. Aiming bounty hunter Samus’s crosshairs with a swipe of the ‘mouse’ is natural and instinctive — even if getting used to the repositioned buttons when the Joy-Con is held like that will take some getting used to. It has helped us picture a time when twitchy competitive shooters could hold their own on the Switch 2 hardware — a point of hardware separation that the PS5 and Xbox consoles can’t naturally match with first-party input options.
The signature sense of isolation on an alien world tis diminished somewhat thanks to the inclusion of some chatty companion characters. And the desert hubworld and motorbike sections feel a bit at odds with the classic Samus exploration beats. But Metroid Prime 4 keeps that eerie, otherworldly tone its predecessors masterly developed, while the power of the Switch 2 allows it deliver boss battles, set pieces and visual finesse that has been previously missing from the series.
It's not the best Metroid game ever, or even the best Metroid Prime game. But it's still head and shoulders above what most first person shooters offer these days.
7. Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
The original Switch had its fair share of ‘impossible ports’ — Doom Eternal, The Witcher 3 to name just a couple. But Cyberpunk 2077 takes things to a whole new level.
Here’s a game that was so demanding at launch, even high-end PC gamers had to scrap their systems and rebuild them for it to run at the level of detail the game demanded. PS4 and Xbox One consoles could barely keep up.
But here in 2025? You can play Cyberpunk 2077 on the back of a bus, on a handheld, thanks to the Nintendo Switch 2. And, somewhat shockingly, it works! Developers CD Projekt RED have managed to squeeze the game onto Nintendo’s new machine relatively unscathed. The cyborg-packed open world is all there, and looking pretty darn great — to the point where this might be the best-looking handheld game ever released.
Are there concessions here? Sure — resolution dynamic scaling can be spikey, and frame rate can be equally varied. But it remains very playable, there’s time yet for further optimisations, and it’s going to be a trip hooking up with Keanu Reeve’s Johnny Silverhand on the toilet.
8. Street Fighter 6
You can't teach an old dog new tricks? Tell that to Street Fighter 6. Throwing in a free-roaming career mode along with its usual 1-vs-1 classic fighting action, it's the most feature-rich entry into the series to date.
This Switch 2 version has all the core additions from previous versions of the game, including avatar matches against create-a-fighter creations from other players around the world, and multiple control types to make pulling off even the flashiest of moves easy enough for anyone to jump onboard with.
But for the Switch 2, developers Capcom have thrown in some exclusive tricks, too. As well as supporting standard Switch 2 features like tabletop mode and amiibo figures and cards, it introduces unique modes that take advantage of the Joy-Con 2 motion controls. "Gyro Battle" sees you using motion gestures to do battle with your opponents, while "Calorie Contest" keeps you active, challenging you to burn as many calories as possible while playing with motion controls. It's a great game made greater, and runs silkily smooth on the Nintendo Switch 2, with its beautiful anime-like art style really shining on the system's high-refresh screen.
9. Dragon Quest VII Reimagined
The Dragon Quest series is one of the genetic building blocks of modern gaming — without it, the JRPG genre as we know it today likely wouldn't exist. Square Enix has been playing up to that heritage of late, pulling together remasters and re-releases of classic entries into the series for new and returning players. But none have had quite the same care and attention lavished on them as Dragon Quest VII Reimagined.
A full-blown remake of what's arguably the best-loved entry in the series, Reimagined does more than just throw a fresh like of paint on the PS1 classic. Yes, there's a gorgeous new art-style — Pixar-grade anime leads cast against diorama-like backdrops, a 3D feast for the eyes a million miles away from the pixels of the original. But the edges to the gameplay have been greatly sanded down too. The original Dragon Quest VII is as notorious as it is beloved, thanks to it's meandering story and grindy endgame. Reimagined tightens all this up considerably — it's still the turn-based classic JRPG systems at play, but the chaff of the story has had a serious edit, and the most gruelling battles and grind stretches softened for modern sensibilities. It's a wonderfully accessible game that should open up the fairytale adventures of the series to a much wider audience, and feels perfectly at home on Nintendo's new console.
10. EA Sports FC 26
EA got no end of slack for its half-hearted handheld efforts with the FIFA franchise on the Nintendo Switch. But it's pulled out all the stops for the Nintendo Switch 2.
EA FC 26 is a totally fully-featured kickabout on Nintendo's lastest console, with complete parity (barring a frame rate drop) against the PS5 and Xbox entries. That means full access to up to date Ultimate Team modes, new on-the-ball physics changes, and all manner of tweaks to rosters managerial modes.
Even at 30fps it's a great game of football, with the Switch 2 entry maintaining the 'Authentic' (slower, more realistic) and 'Competitive' (faster) playstyle options introduced this year. The Manager Career mode is totally revamped too and better than ever, with a rotating set of scenarios and awards to ensure no two seasons play out identically. And it's got pitch side mascots, too!
Though it's a one horse town when it comes to football games on the Switch 2, EA FC 26 is still an easy recommendation to make.
11. Hitman World of Assassination: Signature Edition
Hitman could — and should — be so much higher on this list. It's one of the finest series of games of the last decade, putting you in the shoes of a ruthless assassin as he travels the world taking out targets in exotic and glamorous locations.
It's as much puzzle game as action — each globe-trotting level is packed with hundreds of NPCs, and just as many ways to take out your targets without being noticed. But it takes meticulous planning, and an eye for flair and creativity, to pull off the job.
The core gameplay is all present here and as amazing as ever, and in a near-complete package pulling together multiple years of content. So why the lower ranking? At the time of writing, Hitman's performance on Switch 2 is just a bit lacking. Though it runs reasonably well in handheld mode, where the Switch 2's VRR screen can smooth out the peaks and troughs of the game's choppy framerate, that feature's not available in docked mode. It leaves Hitman feeling like a slideshow when played on the bigcreen, so further refinement from the devs will be needed post-launch before we can heartily recommend it. For now, it's a great game running in not-so-great conditions.
12. SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS
A Sonic platformer on a Nintendo console before even Mario gets one of his own? What's the world coming to!
Thankfully SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS is excellent fun pulling together both the Sonic and Shadow Generations titles in a single package.
It's a bit like a greatest hits package for the Blue Blur, mixing 2D side-scrolling action with 3D levels, and seeing the characters travel across time to interact with earlier versions of themselves. It's fast paced and, thanks to its time-hopping narrative, a welcoming entry point for Sonic fans who've perhaps not been paying attention to his latest adventures. It's a smooth and solid presentation on the handheld console too. Definitely worth a look, even if it feels like a betrayal of the plumber mascot.
13. Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
A charming digital tour of the features of the new console, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour lets you guide a miniature person around a Switch 2-turned-museum, letting you learn all the cool new things your console can do. Full of trivia and minigames and a clean toy-town like isometric design, there’s some ingenious explanations of the console’s new tricks, such as playing the very first ever 2D Mario level in a tiny pixel-perfect resolution that unfurls across the span of a modern 4K screen.
It's fun, if slight — the only reason it’s near the bottom of this list is that it feels a bit stingy for this to not be a pack-in title with the console, as per Wii Sports, or the PS5’s excellent Astro’s Playroom.
14. Diablo II: Resurrected | Reign of the Warlock (Infernal Edition)
Diablo II: Resurrected may be a modern remaster of a 25 year old game, but it's enduring popularity means it just got an all-new DLC pack, and a fresh lick of paint for today's hardware. The Infernal Edition bundles up the classic action RPG that defined the 'click-kill-loot' genre, and includes the remastered Diablo II, the Lord of Destruction expansion, and the newer Reign of the Warlock DLC, adding a new class, items, and expanded endgame content. The game features updated 3D visuals, remastered audio, and quality-of-life improvements while preserving the original gameplay fans love.
In other words, it's tempting another 25 years of dungeon looting from the Diablo faithful, who'll be able to take the dark, brutal world of Sanctuary every where from the school bus to the toilet with this Switch edition. Diablo II has always been a killer for pick-up-and-play short bursts, but having it on-the-go should come with a doctor's prescription — it's that addictive.
Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games: Remasters and re-releases
With gaming's greatest back catalogue, Nintendo is giving Switch 2 owners plenty of opportunities to revisit their best titles of yesteryear. As well as new additions to the Nintendo Switch Online retro gaming library for subscribers, Nintendo is also introducing 'Nintendo Switch 2 Edition' games. These paid-for upgrades are essentially Switch 1-era game remasters, upping their resolutions, frame-rates and overall graphical sheen, as well as introducing new gameplay features. Here's our pick of the bunch so far...
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom Switch Zelda games have received a Switch 2 glow-up re-release — making two of the finest games ever made even better. These upgrades cost £7.99 each on top of the price of the original games, though Nintendo Switch Online+ Expansion pack subscribers get them free with their ongoing subscriptions.
Though both are amazing, of the two, we’re picking Breath of the Wild for our most-coveted for two reasons — firstly, it’s the older of the two, so we’re just about ready again to dive into its gigantic adventure. Secondly, being the older title, originally built for the Wii U, it’s the one that had most to gain in terms of performance from a Switch 2 remaster.
And boy has it delivered. After a few hours running around Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule, it looks astonishingly great, enough to suck us back in for another 100+ hour adventure. Higher frame rates, sharper resolutions, quicker loading times — the game looks as gorgeous as ever, but it’s all smoother and snappier. A new accompanying app also lets you repair damaged items (a controversial, divisive omission from the original release), as well as hunt down secrets with something akin to a GPS system. If you’ve never had the joy of trying the game before, you are in for a superlative treat here. For everyone else, it’s a perfect excuse to go Korok hunting once again.
Mario Party Jamboree - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV
A Switch 2 Edition re-release, this is classic Mario Party action, with a Switch 2 twist. Players face off across mini-game filled boards with familiar Nintendo characters, earning coins and game-winning stars for their efforts.
Where Jamboree gets a Switch 2 refresh is in its new mini-games. Mouse-based challenges, such as an electric buzzer wire loop-alike and a spray-paint face off, are fun examples of the potential of Nintendo’s new control scheme. The all-new Jamboree TV is an even bigger departure — it uses the new camera accessory to put you in a deadly game show with Bowser, where your onscreen movements and shouts will determine your success.
Throw in the amazing Game Chat camera features that proved to be a highlight of the new console's launch, and we're sold.
Gamecube Retro Titles
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers have been crying out for GameCube titles to be added to the service’s retro gaming library, and with the launch of Switch 2, Nintendo delivers. Right now, players are able to dive into classics including...
- The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
- F-Zero GX
- Soul Calibur 2
- Mario Smash Football
- Chibi-Robo! Plug Into Adventure!
- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
- Luigi's Mansion
- Wario World
... and will soon be getting...
- Super Mario Sunshine
- Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness
- Pokémon Colosseum
With this membership option, you’ll get access to all the benefits of the standard Nintendo Switch Online membership, in addition to a growing library of classic Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance and SEGA Mega Drive games, and access to downloadable expansions for select Nintendo Switch games.
Some of these games are incredibly difficult to track down now, so having an official outlet to experience them once again is excellent. Nintendo has put a decent amount of effort into porting them to Switch 2, too, with upscaled visuals, save state support, and auto-widescreen configurations where available. It’s a bit of a bummer that it means we’re now unlikely to see the superior Wind Waker HD port hit Switch anytime soon, but as a subscription value-add, it’s a winner.
- Nintendo Switch 2 review: Powered up in all the right places
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