The Best Nintendo Switch 2 Games to Play Right Now

So you just spent $450 on a Nintendo Switch 2—or maybe more, depending on how the market behaves in the near future—and you want to play something new on it. Technically, there are thousands of games to play on your Switch 2, thanks to backward compatibility, but a slightly better framerate isn’t a very enticing reason to dive back into a game.

No, you want it to feel new. It should be a Switch 2 exclusive game, ideally, but there aren't many of those just yet. If it can't be an exclusive, then it should at least be one of the games with official Nintendo Switch 2 editions—games that have received additional attention aside from just being allowed to run on hardware with roomier constraints.

We put together a list of our favorite games to play on your Switch 2. These are experiences you simply can't get on your aging Nintendo Switch.

Donkey Kong Bananza

Donkey Kong's latest game is a Switch 2 exclusive, and it's his second adventure in a fully 3D environment—the last of which was Donkey Kong 64, a whopping 26 years ago. It's about time!

Donkey Kong Bananza is great as a single-player game or in co-op, and it's also fun to play as a platformer or to just mess around in. You can destroy just about anything, cutting your own path through the world. It’s a worthy game to fill the gap until the next new Super Mario adventure.

Mario Kart World

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe might be the "ultimate" Mario Kart, pulling in a massive array of tracks and dozens of kart drivers, but Mario Kart World is the one you can't play anywhere else. You can take part in 24-player races and explore an open world that connects different tracks together, across 16 new and 14 remade tracks.

A standout feature is the new Knockout mode, in which racers compete not just for first place, but to stay out of the back end of the race. With each new checkpoint, the last few players at the tail end are, as the title suggests, knocked out of the race. This is a fun way to mix up races that makes great use of the new 24-player limit and hardware.

Fast Fusion

Nintendo won't carry forward the torch of F-Zero, so someone else has to do it. Look no further than the $15 downloadable Switch 2 exclusive, Fast Fusion.

It might sound like a new kind of restaurant, but it's actually a fast-paced, sci-fi racer that calls to mind games like F-Zero and Wipeout. Digital Foundry called Fast Fusion "brilliant technology” and an “exceptional game." And with so many of these games selling for $70, it's nice to get a killer $15 title.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom - Switch 2 Edition

The Legend of Zelda games pushed the original Switch to its limits, especially Tears of the Kingdom. On Nintendo Switch 2, they have much more room to work with, and you'll get better framerates, higher resolution, improved textures, and HDR capability.

These editions also offer an additional save slot, and access to the Zelda Notes mobile app, which will give you access to things like a map to find all those korok seeds, as well as daily bonuses and more. These are two of the best games from the Switch (if not all-time), and now they’re better than ever and ready for either first-time players or old fans.

Star Wars Outlaws: Gold Edition

Star Wars Outlaws debuted in pretty rough shape on other platforms, but the team at Ubisoft has done a lot to get the game to where it needs to be since launch. And that's great news for Switch 2 owners. You get the complete version of the game in what is apparently an excellent port—Digital Foundry called it a "ray-traced revelation." This might be the best way to play this open-world Star Wars adventure.

Yakuza 0: Director's Cut

Generally considered to be one of the best games in the long-running Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, Yakuza 0 takes Kiryu back to his roots in 1980s Tokyo and Osaka during the economic bubble. The Switch 2 edition brings a brand-new English dub, adds brand new cutscenes that promise to bring additional depth to the game's characters and events, and even implements a new online mode called Red Light Raid.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land: Switch 2 Edition

Kirby's latest adventure hit Nintendo Switch back in 2022 and gave us a fun, tight platformer adventure to enjoy with our favorite pink orb. For Nintendo Switch 2, though, you'll get a few new upgrades. First and foremost, there's a whole new story in addition to the original, called Star-Crossed World. But you'll also get a noticeable graphical upgrade and improved framerate to make the whole thing a more enjoyable experience.

What's next?

There are a handful of new Switch 2 exclusives on the way to keep your eye on. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Kirby Air Ride, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment are all set to be released this year. Metroid and Pokémon also have Switch editions, but you can expect the Switch 2 versions to offer some notable improvements.