15 Essential Nintendo Switch 2 Games to Play in 2026
Top 15 Nintendo Switch 2 Games for 2026

Nintendo's latest console, the Switch 2, has rapidly built an enviable library of games less than a year after its launch. The platform offers a compelling mix of brand-new experiences and enhanced versions of beloved Switch classics, catering to players of all tastes. From relaxing life simulators to brutally challenging adventures, the selection is both broad and deep.

We have curated a list of the 15 best titles currently available on the hybrid console. This guide spans family-friendly favourites, complex strategy games, and intense action RPGs, ensuring there is something for every type of gamer to enjoy in 2026.

Enhanced Classics and Cosy Escapes

The Switch 2 catalogue shines with updated versions of iconic games. Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Switch 2 Edition launches on 15 January, revitalising the 2020 hit with overhauled visuals, improved multiplayer, and support for the console's camera. It remains the ultimate digital retreat for crafting a peaceful island life.

Similarly, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Kirby and the Forgotten Land receive significant visual upgrades on the new hardware. The former expands the vast, shattered world of Hyrule with a revolutionary physics engine, while the latter introduces a brand-new story to Kirby's first 3D platforming outing.

For management sim fans, Two Point Museum from the creators of Two Point Hospital offers a charming and complex challenge. Players design their ideal museum and dispatch explorers to find artefacts, all wrapped in the studio's signature comic style.

Thrilling New Adventures and Sequels

2026 is also a landmark year for fresh franchises and long-awaited sequels. Hades II, the follow-up to Supergiant Games' 2020 masterpiece, casts players as the witch Melinoë on a quest to defeat the god of time. It retains the addictive rogue-like loop of its predecessor while introducing a host of new characters and challenges.

The critically acclaimed Hollow Knight: Silksong finally arrived in 2025 and stands as one of the console's must-play titles. This fiendishly difficult Metroidvania sequel tasks players with guiding Princess Hornet through the haunted realm of Pharloom.

Another standout is Donkey Kong Bananza, a platformer that shatters genre conventions by letting Kong pulverise entire environments with his fists. It's a cathartic and inventive twist on a classic formula.

Revitalised Franchises and Innovative Indies

Nintendo's flagship series receive exciting new entries. Mario Kart World reinvents the kart racing series with a vast open world to explore, enhanced by the Switch 2's GameChat for a more social online experience. Pokémon Legends: Z-A offers a fresh take set in a Parisian-inspired Lumiose City, featuring lively battles and an open world to explore.

For strategy enthusiasts, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles modernises the 1997 PlayStation classic with updated visuals, fresh voice acting, and new difficulty levels. The tense, tactical combat remains as engaging as ever.

The indie scene is strongly represented by titles like the surreal skating sim Skate Story and the cooperative puzzle adventure Split Fiction from the makers of It Takes Two. The Simogo Legacy Collection is also a treasure trove, preserving the Swedish studio's pioneering early App Store games.

Rounding out the list are the impeccable Metroid Prime Remastered, a tense sci-fi shooter inspired by Alien, and Street Fighter 6, which brings eye-popping special moves and hyper-colourful visuals to the iconic fighting series.

With this diverse and high-quality lineup, the Nintendo Switch 2 has firmly established itself as an essential console for gamers. Whether you seek cosy creativity, white-knuckle action, or strategic depth, its library in 2026 delivers in spectacular fashion.