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The Nintendo Switch 2 didn’t come out of the gate with a host of exclusive, must-play games. But we’re a few months into the console’s lifecycle now and there are a variety of Switch 2-only games that are worth your cash, as well as a bunch of original Switch games that have received improvements for the new console And there’s also a robust selection of third-party games that have been on other consoles for a while, but not available on the Switch.
Between all those, there are plenty of good games for the Switch 2 — and if you don’t have an original Switch, there’s even more out there. You can see our list of our favorite Switch games here, but this list will focus on Switch 2 exclusives, original Switch games that have been improved for the new hardware and the best-performing, third-party titles worth your time. And keep an eye on this list, as there should be a lot more Switch 2 exclusives coming this fall that we're excited to try, including eagerly-awaited titles like Metroid Prime 4.
With Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo managed to follow up the reinvention of the Zelda series with a game that added more to discover and more to play with, and it even throws in a mystical LEGO kit. Link soon discovers Ultrahand, which lets you grab and stick objects, batteries, engines, weapons, food (and more) to other objects. It’s the standout addition compared to its predecessor; a creative toolbox of solutions (or foolish endeavors) to solve every puzzle, fight every beast and explore every part of Tears of the Kingdom.
The Switch 2 edition adds the sort of improvements and upgrades that, arguably, warrant paying to upgrade your Switch edition. To start with, I struggled to make the frame rates choke in my current playthrough. On the original Switch, the gorgeous world of Hyrule would often stutter and slow as you transitioned between sky, surface and underground. The game’s framerates would peak at 30fps, while busy moments (or lots of custom building) could knock those rates severely.
On the Switch 2, ToTK runs at 60fps, locked. It plays smoothly, pretty much all the time, and it’s a big improvement to what is still a beautiful adventure. The new hardware adds HDR to the graphics. This expanded dynamic range comes into its own in the underground depths sections, the low-light areas a little clearer and easier to navigate. No surprise: loading times are also quicker when fast travelling and loading the game initially.
There are also gameplay quality-of-life upgrades, including audio logs you can discover and listen to on the companion smartphone app and the ability to both store and share your items, weapons and ingredients. If your favorite part was crafting spinning laser death machines, et al, with your Ultrahand, the ability to save builds as QR codes and share with friends is a fun addition, if a little limited in utility at the start. You will have to manually scour the internet for creations from people who aren’t on your friends list.
That limitation aside, the Switch 2 edition delivers plenty for that $10 upgrade charge – and Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pass subscribers get both ToTK and BoTW upgrades for free. — Mat Smith, UK Bureau Chief
Some might have issues with its rigid level scaling or certain areas feeling a bit empty, but if Pokémon Scarlet and Violet had come out on the Switch 2 instead of the original Switch, Nintendo could have completely sidestepped one of the title's biggest issues: lackluster performance. But thanks to a free update pack for Nintendo's latest console, the game runs beautifully. Framerates are higher and more stable, draw distance is farther, monster density has been increased and textures and visuals have been optimized across the board. This is how the game was meant to be experienced all along and with an open world format, three different main storylines and over 100 new Pokémon to encounter, Scarlet and Violet feels like it's gotten a second life on the Switch 2. — S.R.
Cyberpunk 2077 certainly isn't the newest game on this list, but the idea of porting this game over to the original Switch and its outdated hardware is so laughable, CD Projekt Red probably didn't even try. But that's what makes seeing it run on the Switch 2 so impressive. Sure, if you do some serious pixel peeping, you might notice where some graphics don't look quite as good as they would on a high-end PC or PS5. But getting the game to run as smoothly as it does on a system that you can bring pretty much anywhere is no small feat. Plus, the Ultimate Edition version of the game includes the Phantom Liberty expansion, which means you'll have well over a hundred hours of sci-fi RPG ruckus to engage in. — S.R.
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