The Best Nintendo Switch 2 Games for 2026

With Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Ubisoft’s hit murder simulator finally goes to Japan. You control two noble warriors, the stealthy ninja Naoe and mighty samurai Yasuke, each with their own strengths and combat strategies. Open-world games are already such a nice fit on the Switch 2, a platform that lets you enjoy short or long gameplay sessions on the go. And Assassin’s Creed Shadows is one of the most elaborate and immersive worlds that Ubisoft has created to date.

After a rocky launch that saw the game pulled from console stores, Cyberpunk 2077 now sits proudly next to The Witcher 3 as an acclaimed RPG from CD Projekt Red. On Switch 2, Cyberpunk 2077 is a visual showcase that lets you explore the digital dystopia on a TV or handheld screen. It also leverages motion controls and mouse inputs for additional play options. Best of all, this package includes the Phantom Liberty DLC expansion, which is significantly better than the main campaign.

Donkey Kong Bananza, Nintendo’s latest blockbuster, smashes together all sorts of wild and wacky concepts. The sandbox 3D platforming is the next evolution of Super Mario Odyssey. You can dig through the entire underground world and its various terrain, leading to creative experimentation like a recent Zelda title. And Donkey Kong puts his primal strength to great use by bashing baddies. It’s pure monkey business, and that’s fantastic.

A sequel to a cult hit 3DS game, Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time blends cozy life-sim elements with classic RPG-style questing. You shape your character by taking on different “life” classes, like alchemist or woodcutter, and gaining new skills to complete new tasks, such as honing your combat or becoming a better gatherer. This supersized entry includes an open world full of shrines and secrets to encounter. On Nintendo Switch 2, Fantasy Life i runs with superior performance, and Switch 1 owners can upgrade to the new version for a small fee.

Just like the first Switch, Switch 2 launches with a gorgeous, futuristic racing game courtesy of Shin’en Multimedia. Fast Fusion is very much a spiritual successor to F-Zero and Wipeout, putting you behind the wheel of a high-tech hovercraft as you race at incalculable speeds. The visuals look better than ever thanks to Switch 2’s power and multiple graphic options. Fast Fusion also supports GameShare, so several people can compete with just one game copy.

World of Assassination bundles Agent 47’s globe-spanning missions from the Hitman reboot trilogy. So, you can spend countless hours slickly killing naughty rich people in scenic locales. The levels are dense with many potential ways to get the job done, so your replays feel like new experiences. The game’s robust online modes offer limited-time assignments and targets.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment rolls back time to Hyrule’s distant past, detailing Princess Zelda’s journey in Tears of the Kingdom. Although the story is canon, the gameplay trades Zelda’s adventuring for Dynasty Warriors’ action-packed combat. In Age of Imprisonment, you battle massive hordes using a wide cast of characters, delivering devastating synced attacks. On Switch 2, this game receives a notable performance boost, resulting in smoother gameplay. Age of Imprisonment isn’t a grand Zelda quest, but it is a fine way to tide yourself over until then.

Kirby Air Riders is an incredibly faithful follow-up to the cult classic GameCube racer. While Mario Kart is a relatively straightforward take on mascot racing, Kirby Air Riders is a cosmic fever dream from creator Masahiro Sakurai. The unique control scheme places less emphasis on acceleration and more on wacky interactions, such as boosting through chaotic turns and picking up dramatic power-ups. The standout mode, City Trial, is a mad dash to create the most absurd vehicle possible.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land finally gave the pink puffball a 3D platforming adventure to call his own. Fortunately, it was worth the wait. Kirby’s imaginative levels are even better with three dimensions, and his copy abilities like hammer, sword, and tornado gain more depth with added moves. This Switch 2 edition improves the visuals and performance across the board. It also adds an entirely new campaign, Star-Crossed World, with extra crystalline stages and bonus abilities.

A curious release from Capcom, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess blends action-focused combat, real-time tower defense strategy, and Japanese folklore. As you guide the goddess through dangerous paths, you must cut down monsters that threaten her safety. Command allies, gather resources, and place traps to ensure no evil escapes. On Switch 2, the game supports mouse controls for precise inputs.

Chances are that most Nintendo Switch 2 players don’t need encouragement to check out Mario Kart World, but this latest entry in the popular kart racing series is truly special. Instead of disconnected tracks, courses exist together in one open land. For example, in Grand Prix, you race from one course to the next. In Knockout Tour, you dash across the entire map until you’re eliminated. In Free Roam, you drive around at your leisure, taking in the sights and completing challenges. It’s Mario Kart at its grandest scale yet.

Like a relic plucked from 1990s arcades, Marvel Cosmic Invasion is a colorful, comic-book-style romp that features heroes like the Black Panther, Silver Surfer, and Storm uniting to defeat Annihilus and his endless waves of evil space bugs. Taking a cue from fighting games, Marvel Cosmic Invasion lets you swap characters in the middle of a combo to continue your offense in stylish fashion.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, gaming’s long-awaited reunion with Samus Aran, is a masterpiece. Exploring its immersive maze of a world demands you not only blast aliens with your gun, but wrap your head around mind-bending puzzle-solving abilities, including psychic bombs and energy blasts guided by your will. The game is a work of art, with visually stunning and conceptually diverse otherworldly environments. Featuring gorgeous 4K graphics and precise mouse controls exclusive to Nintendo’s next-gen system, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is an essential game for any Switch 2 owner. 

Years of updates and expansions have transformed No Man’s Sky from an intriguing premise to one of the most engrossing gaming universes. The original Nintendo Switch version was impressive, but the free Switch 2 upgrade makes the procedurally generated planets even more beautiful. Switch 2 players can also enjoy expanded multiplayer and settlement-building features.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet on the Switch 1 were, if nothing else, ambitious. The open-world Pokémon titles let you tackle tasks however you wanted, with your pocket monsters at the ready. However, the games were plagued by technical issues. A free patch on Switch 2 fixes all that, dramatically boosting the games’ frame rates and resolutions. Now, Scarlet and Violet fully embrace their monster-battling potential.

In Skate Story, extreme sports are absolutely satanic. Instead of skating your way through Hollywood or Miami, you play as an unnamed demon who must literally shred its way out of hell. Familiar skateboarding controls are paired with psychedelic visuals in an underworld rendered like broken stained glass. Performing rad tricks won’t just get you new gear; it may save your soul.

Sonic Generations successfully streamlined Sonic’s questionable history into a fun greatest hits collection, including retro 2D stages and breakneck 3D stages. This remaster also includes Shadow Generations, a new platforming adventure in which the angsty antihero runs through some of the best 3D Sonic levels ever conceived. If you haven’t played it already, this is the Sonic game to get.

Street Fighter practically invented the fighting game genre, and the excellent Street Fighter 6 proves that no one has defeated the champ. Reimagined control schemes provide accessible ways for newcomers to join the battle, while deep mechanics give advanced players unique ways to approach combat. Robust online modes let you fight and fraternize in an arcade-style hub, while the single-player campaign lets you brawl through a fully realized Metro City. The Switch 2 version supports wacky motion controls and amiibo figurines.

The original Tony Hawk games turned pro skateboarding into digital bliss. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 continues to remaster these gems for a new generation, combining modern visuals with time-tested skating controls. Revisit classic parks as well as a handful of new locales. Control old-school and new-school skaters, or shred as Doom Guy and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.

The Yakuza saga is huge and sprawling, but if you’re looking to get into Sega’s gangster melodrama, Yakuza 0 is the place to start. For starters, it’s a prequel that takes place in 1980s Japan and acts as an origin story for Kiryu and Majima. Plus, Yakuza 0 is also one of the best games in the series, with a twisty storyline and satisfying beat ’em up combat that gives you multiple styles when fighting enemy mobs. The Switch 2 Director’s Cut includes a new English dub as well as a multiplayer mode.