GoKawiilThe Switch 2 is a pricey hybrid home-and-handheld console -- and it's only going to get more expensive by the end of 2026 -- but Nintendo's grip on gamers certainly hasn't loosened. The family-friendly gaming giant started off its latest console generation with a slate of must-play games, including Donkey Kong Bananza, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokemon Pokopia, encouraging fans to make the switch. While sales numbers have seemingly slowed in the face of tariffs and rising hardware prices, nearly 20 million Switch 2 consoles have already been sold worldwide since the system launched in June 2025.
Nintendo's latest console may not be able to run every game a PS5 or Xbox can, but it's far more powerful than its predecessor. While the original Switch struggled to run games like Tears of the Kingdom and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the Switch 2 consistently keeps these games chugging along stutter-free at 60 frames per second. And when the console is docked, native 4K resolution means your favorite Switch exclusives look prettier than ever before.
A couple of those experimental game swings that Nintendo is so well-known for are present here, too: The Switch 2's new Joy-Cons add an optional mouse control scheme, and GameChat finally lets you party up with friends with voice and video chat on a Nintendo console. Whether you're looking to indulge in some of that multiplayer adrenaline or you just want to traipse through a couple of single-player adventures, these are the best games you can play on the Switch 2 right now.
Best Nintendo Switch 2 Games
Nintendo Pokemon Pokopia Dare I say that this is the ultimate cozy Nintendo experience? Developer Omega Force channeled its experience with the Dragon Quest Builders series to make the most adorable Pokemon game ever. In Pokemon Pokopia, environmental disasters have caused humans and pocket monsters alike to disappear. But one determined Ditto (that's you) is ready to create new habitats to make the world bright and beautiful again. The best open-world cozy game elements are present here: You can collect resources, relandscape the world and create and decorate homes for your new friends. Each Pokemon oozes with its own unique personality, rewarding your efforts to find and care for different species. Pokopia endeared me to monsters I've never cared about before -- like Bonsly and Rolycoly -- which is a truly impressive feat, considering my favorites have been set in stone for decades now. Within a week of its release, Pokopia sold more than 2.2 million copies. This game is the type of exclusive that markets a console, and for good reason: The world of Pokemon has never been more charming. Release Date: March 5, 2026 Genre: Block-based town builder featuring pocket monster friends Developer: Omega Force $69 at Amazon
Nintendo Donkey Kong Bananza There's a reason why Donkey Kong Bananza was released just a month after the Switch 2. Created by the same development team responsible for Super Mario Odyssey, this pedigreed platformer was the console's first must-have exclusive. It's a joy to use Donkey Kong's brutish strength to tear apart the colorful layers of Bananza's hollow earth as Nintendo's great ape quests toward the planet's core. Bananza's lengthy list of Banandium collectibles feels a bit reductive -- it's just Odyssey's moons (or Super Mario 64's stars) all over again. But the game's unparalleled player freedom in navigating the open world and the budding friendship between DK and a young, inexperienced Pauline hold this experience together, ensuring that this platformer never feels like a rote repetition of its Italian plumber-led predecessors. Donkey Kong Bananza's impressive world destruction, inventive power-ups and lighthearted narrative made it my personal pick for Game of the Year 2025. Quit monkeying around and pick up a copy for yourself. Release Date: July 17, 2025 Genre: 3D platformer featuring super satisfying terrain destruction Developer: Nintendo EPD $69 at Amazon $69 at Walmart
Nintendo Pokemon Legends: Z-A Pokemon Legends: Z-A isn't a pretty game. It doesn't really have a compelling story, and its characters are mostly one-note caricatures. But this follow-up to Legends: Arceus shakes up a stagnant franchise with the first truly massive change to Pokemon's gameplay mechanics in 30 years: This time around, you're commanding your pocket monsters in real-time battles. It's a novel treat to watch your favorite Pokemon navigate the battlefield, moving in tandem with the player character and executing powerful moves. Whether you're taking on other trainers in cash prize matches or defending yourself against the massive, out-of-control Alpha Pokemon that roam cordoned-off wild areas around the city, Pokemon Legends: Z-A lets you feel like you're playing out an anime battle. The fan-favorite mechanic of mega evolutions returns, adding an appreciable layer of depth to battles: You can only have one mega Pokemon on your team, and the powerful form needs to be charged up through attacking enemy monsters. You don't need to be worried about running out of new battles to fight in this game: Rogue mega Pokemon are stand-ins for the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Tera Raids, giving players an ample amount of repeatable endgame boss fights to cut their teeth on. Release Date: Oct. 16, 2025 Genre: Open-world pocket monster role-playing game with new real-time battle mechanics Developer: Game Freak $70 at Amazon
Nintendo Mario Kart World The latest Mario Kart is the equivalent of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for Nintendo's premier racing franchise. Everybody's here, from franchise staples like Mario, Luigi, Bowser and Princess Peach to fan-favorites like Dry Bones and Shy Guy. Yes, you even get to zip around the new iteration of Rainbow Road as a go-karting cow, for some reason. More importantly, Mario Kart World shakes up the game modes in a big way: In addition to the Grand Prix cups and party games present in previous Mario Kart games, the Knockout Tour adds competitive depth and replayability to the arcade racer. Gone are the days of waiting in the back of the pack to find the best item pickups -- the Knockout Tour mode prunes the worst-performing racers at each checkpoint along a massive track, ramping up tension as up to 24 players scramble to outpace one another. If you want to get acquainted with those big new tracks, Mario Kart World also features an open-world free roam, complete with secrets and collectibles to discover as you cruise. Mario Kart World is a great game to whip out at parties, but it has plenty of content for the solo player completionist. The Switch 2 pack-in bundle is a great way to get your hands on the latest Nintendo arcade-like experience for a cheaper sum, but it's also well worth shelling out for if you already have the console. Release Date: June 5, 2025 Genre: Party game kart racer with plenty of characters and cartoonish antics Developer: Nintendo EPD $79 at Amazon
Nintendo/Screenshot by CNET Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Nintendo consoles aren't known for their first-person shooters. For the family-friendly gaming giant, the genre is usually an afterthought. But the one big in-house exception is Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, where Samus' FPS alien-blasting adventures continue for the first time in nearly 20 years. This is a game that takes advantage of the Switch 2's full potential, featuring gorgeous graphics that are lovely on their own and marvelous at 4K resolution running at 60 frames per second while the console is docked. The new Joy-Cons' mouse mode is also a treat, allowing you to emulate classic PC shooter controls for precision aiming. While Prime 4: Beyond isn't a particularly innovative FPS, it's a polished spacefaring adventure where players get to explore an unknown planet. Laser battles segue into motorcycle chases across an exotic world -- even when the gameplay isn't difficult, there's enough beat-by-beat bombast to keep players engaged. The Switch 2 might not be the first piece of hardware you think of for an FPS game, but Metroid Prime 4: Beyond proves you shouldn't count the console out. And if you're looking for a more classical Nintendo bounty hunter experience, Metroid Dread is always available as well. Release Date: Dec. 4, 2025 Genre: Spacefaring linear FPS adventure Developer: Retro Studios $69 at Amazon
Hazelight Studios Split Fiction At this point, seeing developer Hazelight Studios' name stamped on a co-op game is a bona fide seal of quality. Split Fiction is perhaps the studio's most ambitious game to date, featuring familiar platforming and puzzle-solving gameplay combined with world-jumping visual bombast. You and a partner play as Mio and Zoe, two young writers who have been selected for a corporate experiment that allows people to experience their fictional story ideas as if they were reality. When an accident occurs during the initial test, our heroines end up trapped and forced to fight their way through a mix of sci-fi and fantasy stories pulled straight from their own heads. It's an absolute thrill to jump between cyberpunk train heists, medieval dragon flights and wacky side stories that range from lackadaisical wizard market visits to dystopian gameshow action. Split Fiction represents a massive leap in gameplay quality over Hazelight's previous game, It Takes Two. The studio has refined its approach to couch co-op action, producing a final product with more difficult platforming challenges and boss fights that require a high level of coordination to overcome. But sticking with your partner and beating this game (even if you need to restart a section more than once) rewards you with some of the most bombastic on-rails action setpieces in recent history. Getting to experience these frenetic genre-bending moments alongside a cherished friend or loved one is what gaming is all about: Split Fiction is a must-have for Nintendo's family-friendly console. Release Date: March 6, 2025 Genre: Couch co-op platformer requiring plenty of teamwork and coordination Developer: Hazelight Studios $50 at Amazon $50 at Best Buy
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