Best Nintendo Switch 2 games in 2025
Exclusives are the lifeblood of any console, and on Switch 2, there's a small handful that are certainly worth playing. This includes Donkey Kong Bananza, which is such a delight, it might be the first Switch 2 system seller. Then there's Mario Kart World, which reworks the kart racer series in some interesting ways while still offering the friendship-ruining Mario Kart experience we all love.
The Nintendo Switch 2 also offers portable versions of some of the biggest blockbuster games around, including Cyberpunk 2077 and Hogwarts Legacy. And we can't forget the upgraded version of fan-favorite Switch 1 games like Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild.
Determining the 'best' Switch 2 games is highly subjective; not every game on this list will appeal to every player, but below are the games that I believe every early adopter should at least consider playing on Nintendo's new console.
So, these are the best Nintendo Switch 2 games you can play right now.
You would probably assume that the first flagship 3D platform for Switch 2 would star Mario, but instead, Nintendo opted to build a game around his old foe, Donkey Kong. It was a stroke of genius. Donkey Kong Bananza isn't merely a traditional Mario platformer with a DK skin; instead, it's an experience built around the oversized ape. Levels are almost fully destructible, letting you smash up, down and sideways to discover hidden collectibles as you explore colorful levels from a snowy mountaintop to a dusty canyon-sized desert. Plus, the story, which pairs DK with a young Pauline, is simple but sweet. Oh, and completionists will be pleased to know there are hundreds of shiny objects to find, and each one feels rewarding to uncover.
There's a good chance you already have a copy of Mario Kart World, as Nintendo released a Switch 2 bundle including the game for launch. But if you picked up just the console and are wondering if the latest entry in the kart racer phenomenon is worth buying, the short answer is, absolutely. It's less content-rich than Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but World makes some big changes to the formula, including the inclusion of a vast, but somewhat empty, open world. Fundamentally, it offers the same great Mario Kart racing action that the series has done for decades, but with new moves like wall riding and rail grinding. The new Knockout Tour mode is also fantastic and sees 48 players compete to be crowned the winner battle royale style.
Yes, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour probably should have been a pack-in title. It's a collection of micro-games, tech demos and information packets that explain how Nintendo designed the Switch 2 hardware. It makes a great introduction to the system, and the central setup of the whole tour taking place inside a building-sized Switch 2 is pretty novel. There's also a lot to see, with a 100% playthrough likely to take you around 10 hours. If you want to get a better understanding of the ingenuity that went into making your Nintendo Switch 2 console, it's a worthwhile experience, and at $10, it feels appropriately priced. Though Nintendo could have gained a lot of goodwill and avoided some online backlash by making it free, ala Wii Sports.
Cyberpunk 2077 is one of gaming's great redemption stories. Released in late 2020, it was heavily criticized for omitting promised features and being a technical mess, but developer CD Projekt Red has spent the last five years improving the game and releasing the essential expansion Phantom Liberty. Now the complete sci-fi action-RPG experience is available on Switch 2, and it's currently the best place to play Cyberpunk 2077 on the go. If you're unfamiliar with this one, it comes from the same developers as The Witcher, and sees you play a mercenary named V in the seedy and crime-filled Night City. Your goal is to become a legend of the underworld, or die trying. Packed with well-written quests, memorable characters and a near-unrivalled sense of atmosphere, Cyberpunk 2077 is now considered a masterpiece for very good reason.
Consider this a dual-entry, as both The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and its predecessor, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, have never looked or run better than they do via their new Nintendo Switch 2 Editions. Both 100+ hour games have been fully remastered for the Switch 2 with improved framerate performance and superior image resolutions. These were already must-play masterpieces, and now, thanks to Nintendo's new hardware, they are somehow even more essential. If you have to pick one, I'd recommend opting for Tears of the Kingdom, solely because its Ultrahand ability, which lets you cobble together vehicles and structures to complete puzzles and explore the world, is so enjoyable it's hard to return to BOTW without it. However, you really should play them both if you can.
Hogwarts Legacy on Nintendo Switch 2 is a great showcase of the improved power of the hybrid console over its predecessor. This open-world adventure set in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is available on Switch 1, but it's a seriously compromised experience with ugly textures, a crawling framerate and loads of additional loading screens. Hogwarts Legacy on Switch 2 is much closer to the flagship version found on other platforms, even if a few restrictions remain in the name of squeezing the large RPG onto a portable device. It's a must-play for Potter fans, and lets you attend and explore the iconic wizarding school as you unravel a sinister goblin plot. And yes, you do get sorted into one of the four houses, so best hope you're not put in Slytherin.
Sonic Generations was already considered one of the Blue Blur's best games of the modern era, and this remastered package adds a new chapter that lets you play as everybody's favourite motorcycle-riding anti-hero hedgehog, Shadow. Blending 3D sections with more traditional side-scrolling levels, Sonic X Shadow Generations is a true celebration of Sonic's past and present, and with the recent blockbuster movies bringing the gaming icon to a whole new audience, it's a perfectly timed package. It's also well-suited for the portable nature of the Switch 2 as levels can be completed in short bursts, making it ideal for pick-and-play fun. Even when running at blazingly fast speed, Sonic x Shadow Generations runs very well on Nintendo Switch 2.
If you've collected a large library of the best Nintendo Switch games, you'll be pleased to know that the Switch 2 offers pretty robust backwards compatibility. In short, yes, you can play Switch 1 games on Switch 2, but with a few caveats.
Switch 2 supports both physical Switch 1 game cards and digital software, which can be (re)downloaded via the Nintendo eShop. Nintendo reports that over 15,000 Switch 1 games can be played on Switch 2 with no issues found 'during basic compatibility testing.'
There are select games with 'issues that prevent progress' on Switch 2, and while this list represents a tiny fraction of Switch 1's library, it does include popular games like Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Overcooked! All You Can Eat.
Meanwhile, certain titles like Ring Fit Adventure, 1-2-Switch, Nintendo Switch Sports and Nintendo Labo are playable on Switch 1, but require a set of Joy-Con controllers, as they are not compatible with the Switch 2's stock Joy-Con 2s.
(Note: The Nintendo Labo Toy-Con VR Kit is not compatible, as the larger Switch 2 unit doesn't fit into the cardboard holder.)
Overall, the vast majority of Switch 1 games function without issue on Switch 2, and Nintendo has given some first-party titles a performance boost via a free update.
These include Pokémon Scarlet/Violet, Splatoon 3, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. The full list is on Nintendo's website.
Nintendo Switch 2's library is growing pretty rapidly, but it's great that you can enjoy Switch 1 games on the new console as well. This lets you circle back to play old favorites or critically acclaimed titles you missed, or if you're brand new to the Switch platform, you've got a lot of excellent games to catch up on.
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