Buying a new console is exciting, but the first question is always: What should I play first? Nintendo’s switch 2 has just launched, and while it’s early days, there’s already a surprisingly deep library to explore. This powerful new handheld builds on the original Switch’s success, offering backward compatibility alongside brand-new titles and enhanced versions of beloved classics.
Expert players and critics have already put the system through its paces, curating a list of must-have experiences. These top picks showcase the console’s capabilities, from stunning performance upgrades for familiar worlds to innovative new gameplay only possible on the Switch 2. Whether you love sprawling RPGs, intense action, cozy life sims, or family-friendly fun, these best Switch 2 games offer something for everyone right now.
The Top 12 Games for Switch 2 Right Now
Nintendo’s latest console might feel young, but its launch lineup and early releases provide plenty of compelling reasons to jump in. This curated selection represents the diverse experiences shining brightest on the new hardware.
Arcade Archives 2: Ridge Racer
Embrace nostalgia with this perfect port of the 1993 arcade classic. Ridge Racer on Switch 2 is pure, unadulterated racing bliss. It strips away complexity, focusing on tight corners, thrilling drifts, and vibrant, low-poly aesthetics. Hamster delivers slavish authenticity to the coin-op original. While minimal in content (one car, one track), its smooth, crisp performance on the Switch 2 is a testament to timeless design and expert emulation. It’s a purist’s dream and a nostalgic joyride.
Cyberpunk 2077
Night City fits surprisingly well in your hands. Cyberpunk 2077 on Switch 2 offers a compelling way to experience its vast, detailed open world at your own pace. Despite the game’s demanding nature, the base experience is stable with clear resolution on the new hardware. While the Phantom Liberty expansion’s performance can be less consistent, the main game holds up brilliantly. The Switch 2’s unique controls add value, with motion controls surprisingly effective for aiming and mouse controls available in tabletop or docked modes for added precision in this deep urban RPG.
Deltarune
From the creator of Undertale comes Deltarune, a spiritual successor that doubles down on character charm and inventive ideas. Less focused on a single overarching message, it becomes a delightful playground exploring diverse themes through distinct “Dark Worlds.” Its strength lies in touching character moments and clever storytelling styles. The turn-based battle system is a highlight, uniquely integrating narrative elements into encounters, offering a fresh tactical layer whether you fight or seek peace. Deltarune is endlessly inventive and emotionally rich.
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
Level-5 masterfully blends RPG depth with cozy life simulation in this engrossing sequel. Fantasy Life i is an adorable experience centered on pleasurable grind and cute world-building. With over a dozen swappable “Lifes” (jobs) like combat, crafting, and gathering, it offers simple yet deeply compelling systems focused on self-improvement. Cooking alone can become an obsession. Until a new Animal Crossing arrives, this serves as the ultimate comfort game on the Switch 2, offering limitless hours of engaging, low-stress gameplay.
Fast Fusion
This futuristic racer offers an exhilarating blend of speed and strategy. Fast Fusion looks like a successor to F-Zero, pushing speeds past 400 mph on gravity-defying tracks. Its unique twist is collecting coins, often in risky locations, to fuel your speed boost. This forces a strategic balance between maintaining momentum and executing daring maneuvers. The visual blend of sci-fi vehicles and rich, natural environments looks absolutely gorgeous, making every high-speed dash a stunning experience on the Switch 2 display.
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess
Step into a unique world blending Japanese folklore, real-time strategy, and tower defense. Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess retains its praised old-school charm on Switch 2. By day, you prepare defenses, recruiting villagers and positioning them strategically. By night, you protect a shrine maiden from unpredictable, dimension-hopping monsters in surreal visual spectacles. The game constantly demands adaptation, never letting you rely on a single strategy. There truly is little else quite like Kunitsu-Gami’s compelling mix of genres and aesthetics.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild & Tears of the Kingdom
Two of the greatest games ever made arrive as stunning Switch 2 Editions at launch. Experiencing Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom in higher resolution at a flawless 60 frames per second is transformative; they simply feel dramatically better. Breath of the Wild offers a purer, tougher survival experience, while Tears of the Kingdom is bewilderingly vast with unparalleled freedom through its building tools. Both are essential journeys, whether you’re discovering Hyrule’s open world for the first time or revisiting its many secrets.
mario Kart World
Nintendo’s flagship racer gets a bold evolution on Switch 2. Mario Kart World moves beyond traditional circuits with an open-world map and point-to-point races, while keeping the familiar, polished Kart formula intact. Though mildly controversial among hardcore fans, it’s a lavishly produced, thoroughly enjoyable racing romp for most players. Best in local multiplayer, it offers rewarding racing mechanics, fantastic music, creative collectibles, and even a chill free-roam mode. It’s a strong debut showcasing Nintendo’s willingness to iterate on a classic.
No Man’s Sky
The Switch 2 upgrade transforms No Man’s Sky from a technically challenged port to a genuinely impressive handheld experience. Hello Games’ year-in-the-making update is free but acts as an official Switch 2 Edition, fixing the original Switch version’s performance, resolution, and pop-in issues. The game now runs better, looks clearer with improved lighting, and feels far smoother. With years of content updates adding deep customization, base building, exploration, quests, and settlements, No Man’s Sky on Switch 2 finally lets you fully appreciate its vast, weird, and wonderful universe on the go.
Split Fiction
From the creators of It Takes Two, Split Fiction is another expert entry in the rare genre of dedicated split-screen co-op action-adventure. Designed purely for two players, it excels where it matters: delivering fun, novel co-op mechanics and genuine gameplay challenges. While the abstract sci-fi story takes a backseat, the moment-to-moment co-op design is brilliant. The Switch 2 version leverages detachable Joy-Cons and tabletop mode, making this critically acclaimed experience uniquely playable anywhere, reinforcing its position as a must-play co-op title with awards potential.
Street Fighter 6
Street Fighter 6 is renowned for being incredibly welcoming to both genre veterans and newcomers. Its vast roster and detailed tutorials make learning a joy. The Switch 2’s portability makes this accessible fighting game even more convenient. Visuals look fantastic even in handheld mode. While the Joy-Con 2 lacks a d-pad, the game is playable, though a Pro Controller or third-party accessory is recommended for serious online play and complex combos. A free demo is available to test controls, but the core experience is a vibrant, engaging fighter.
Survival Kids
This surprise resurrection of an old Konami series is a fantastic family-friendly addition to the Switch 2 launch lineup. Survival Kids, developed by Unity, offers a super-approachable, easygoing survival experience. It truly shines in local co-op, supporting Nintendo’s GameShare feature for three-player sessions across two consoles. Presented in a top-down view, it simplifies survival mechanics like crafting and gathering with one-button interactions, minimizing inventory fuss. It’s a busy, fun adventure focused on exploring a treasure island together, perfect for younger players and families.
Essential Switch Games with Free Switch 2 Upgrades
Nintendo has released free patches for several original Switch games, significantly improving their performance and visuals on the Switch 2 hardware or adding compatibility for new features. These upgrades are so impactful they make revisiting or playing these games for the first time a vastly superior experience.
Arms
Nintendo’s unique bendy-armed fighter from the original Switch’s early days gets a new lease on life. Arms runs at a crisp 4K resolution and 60 frames per second on Switch 2. This performance boost highlights the game’s unique and surprisingly deep motion-controlled fighting mechanics. It feels fresh and captivating, showcasing the potential of enhanced older titles on the new hardware.
Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics
This extensive collection of classic games like chess, darts, and bowling is an obvious fit for the Switch 2’s features. With the free upgrade, Clubhouse Games works perfectly with Nintendo’s GameShare system. This allows multiple players to join in using different consoles with just one copy of the game, making it an ideal travel companion for families and groups on train journeys or long trips.
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening & Echoes of Wisdom
These charming, old-school style Zelda adventures from developer Grezzo suffered from performance issues on the original Switch, particularly Echoes of Wisdom. The Switch 2 upgrade smooths out the judder, providing a vastly improved and more consistent frame rate. Both titles, especially the innovative object-conjuring gameplay of Echoes of Wisdom, are now far more enjoyable to play thanks to the hardware boost.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
The massive open-world expansion, Bowser’s Fury, added to the Switch port of Super Mario 3D World, felt a bit constrained on the original hardware. On Switch 2, Bowser’s Fury gets a new lease of life running at a smooth 60 fps. If you missed this unique, free-roaming 3D Mario adventure the first time, the Switch 2 performance makes it feel like a whole new game to explore alongside the classic 3D World levels.
Super Mario Odyssey
The flagship 3D Mario game for the original Switch still looks and plays beautifully. On Switch 2, Super Mario Odyssey benefits from enhanced visuals and runs incredibly smoothly. The upgrade also adds support for GameShare, allowing a friend to jump in and control Cappy, Mario’s hat companion, even if they don’t own the game. This makes one of the best platformers ever even more accessible and enjoyable in co-op.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes games better on the Switch 2 compared to the original?
The Switch 2 hardware offers significant upgrades over its predecessor. Games benefit from higher resolutions, improved frame rates (often reaching a smooth 60 frames per second), faster loading times, and enhanced visual effects like improved lighting and reduced asset pop-in. The console also supports HDR and introduces new control features like the Joy-Con 2’s mouse mode.
How do I choose the best Switch 2 game from this list?
Consider your preferred game genres and play style. If you like deep RPGs, consider Cyberpunk 2077 or Fantasy Life i. For action or strategy, Street Fighter 6 or Kunitsu-Gami are great picks. If you value portability and unique controls, Cyberpunk 2077 or Split Fiction shine. The list was selected to offer breadth and variety across genres, so there’s likely something for every taste and how you prefer to play, whether docked or handheld.
Are there Switch 1 games I already own that play better on Switch 2?
Yes! Several existing Switch games have received free updates or patches specifically designed to enhance their performance on the Switch 2. Notable examples include The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom (with significant performance boosts), No Man’s Sky (transformative improvements), and titles like Arms and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury which now run at higher frame rates or resolutions. Clubhouse Games and Super Mario Odyssey also gain GameShare functionality.
Conclusion
Despite being early in its lifecycle, the Nintendo Switch 2 already boasts a compelling lineup of games. From exciting new releases like Mario Kart World and unique experiences like Kunitsu-Gami and Survival Kids, to enhanced classics like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and No Man’s Sky that truly leverage the new hardware’s power, there’s plenty to keep players engaged. Whether you’re diving into a deep RPG on the go or enjoying split-screen co-op with friends, the best Switch 2 games available now demonstrate the console’s versatility and promise for the future. Don’t hesitate to jump in and start building your library on Nintendo’s latest system.
