The Nintendo Switch 2 is barely out of its box, but we’re starting to see a range of titles launch on the console. Whether you’ve just powered yours on or you’re still desperate to find one in stock, there’s only one big question: what should you play first?
While Mario Kart World is the only true first-party exclusive launch title made just for the Nintendo Switch 2, there’s already a decent little launch line-up to play now. From upgraded ports with buttery-smooth frame rates to third-party titles that now shine on Nintendo’s beefed-up system, there’s lots to stick your teeth into.
We’ve rounded up the best Nintendo Switch 2 games you’ll want to play today, and we’ll be updating this list as more drop. We’re especially looking forward to Donkey Kong Bananza, the Switch 2 edition of Super Mario Party Jamboree and Jamboree TV, which turns the party game into a gameshow hosted by Toad, and the long-awaited Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, due later this year. Here’s what to play (so far).
How we tested
We’ve spent several hours playing each of the featured titles. Our picks are based not just on how good the games are, but how well they run on the Nintendo Switch 2. That means looking at frame rate, loading times, graphical upgrades and overall performance, especially for games that have been ported or updated for the new console.
We also factored in any new features or content that enhance the experience specifically on Switch 2, such as cross-save support, QR code sharing or Joy-Con functionality. Where games haven’t changed much, we focused on whether they still feel good to play today, and whether this is the best version of the game to play in 2025.
Why you can trust us
Alex Lee is The Independent’s senior tech critic, specialising in consumer tech and gaming. He’s been reviewing Nintendo Switch games for years and has been covering Nintendo’s new console since before its release. Jake Brigstock is our gaming correspondent and reviews games across all platforms. Together, we’ve played through the Switch 2’s early library and hand-picked the best titles worth your time right now.
The best Nintendo Switch 2 games of 2025 are:
- Best overall – Mario Kart World: £74.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best action RPG – Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition: £57.89, Amazon.co.uk
- Best open-world game – The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Switch 2 Edition: £64.95, Amazon.co.uk
- Best narrative game – Split Fiction: £41.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best classic Zelda game – ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Switch 2 Edition: £64.95, Amazon.co.uk
Mario Kart World
Mario Kart World is the biggest, most ambitious reinvention of Nintendo’s biggest racing series ever. Built to showcase the power of the Switch 2, it trades the menu-based track lists of old for a connected world you can actually drive through. Each cup feels like a road trip, with courses now stitched together by sweeping motorways, bustling cities and themed landscapes. Free Roam mode lets you explore these spaces at your own pace, uncovering secrets, shortcuts and minigame-style missions, while Knockout Tour delivers 24-player chaos that’s easily one of the most exciting online additions since the series began.
The game looks incredible, with dynamic weather, day-night transitions and a huge character lineup that includes everything from the Moo Moo Meadows Cow to Wiggler. Tracks are stuffed with visual detail and clever design, from the vertical grind rails of Great ? Block Ruins to the shipwreck of Wario’s Galleon. Each Grand Prix feels colossal, and there’s a refreshing sense of momentum as you barrel through one world into the next, like you’re in a racing Super Mario Bros. game.
That said, the new open-world format isn’t for everyone. In Grand Prix mode, you’re often forced to drive lengthy stretches between tracks, and once you finally reach them, you’re usually only given a single lap before being moved along again. The intermission driving can feel slow, and the truncated courses don’t always leave enough room to master the shortcuts. But even with those hiccups, Mario Kart World remains the most inventive and flat-out fun game you can play on the Switch 2 right now.
Buy now £74.99, Amazon.co.uk
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Switch 2 Edition
It might be strange to see an eight-year-old game so high up on this list of best Nintendo Switch 2 games, but The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild stands the test of time, especially with the Switch 2 Edition. The improvements delivered make the upgrade feel like how the game was always meant to be enjoyed.
It now runs at 4K in docked mode and 1080p in handheld at a very stable 60fps. Gone are the stuttering and frame rate issues in dense sections, and the game now runs smoothly across the board.
Loading times have been drastically reduced, there’s a second save option so players can carry over a previous save and start the game again, and there’s also the Zelda Notes companion app, which has useful features such as navigation. The Switch 2 Edition of Breath of the Wild truly is the definitive way to play one of the greatest games ever made.
Buy now £64.95, Amazon.co.uk
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
Cyberpunk 2077 is brilliant. It has a huge open world, a great story, superb characters, and it’s packed with side missions. However, I’m most impressed with how this game has been adapted for the Switch 2.
Cyberpunk 2077 has been hailed as a “miracle port” by tech experts, and it’s easy to see why. The game runs at 1080p at 30fps consistently in quality mode across both docked and handheld, with performance mode reaching 1080p at 40fps when docked and 720p at 40fps handheld.
There is a little bit of stuttering and performance issues in the Phantom Liberty expansion, but nothing too outrageous. Car and NPC density in the open world has been reduced, but it doesn’t affect the game too much.
The Switch 2 version includes cross-save, so it’s easy to pick up previous saves from other consoles, and the game looks great. The Switch 2 is the perfect way to enjoy this game on the go.
Buy now £57.89, Amazon.co.uk
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Switch 2 Edition
The Switch 2 Edition upgrades to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are similar to those of Breath of the Wild. It runs at 4K in docked mode and 1080p in handheld at a very stable 60fps.
In addition to the other improvements, such as reduced loading times, a second save option and the Zelda Notes app, included in the app for Tears of the Kingdom specifically, Blueprints made with Ultrahand can be sent to the app and converted into QR codes for other players to use.
Tears of the Kingdom is still a brilliant game and looks as good as it ever has on the Switch 2. For those who haven't played the game or want to dive back in, like with Breath of the Wild, this is the definitive experience.
Buy now £64.95, Amazon.co.uk
Split Fiction
Split Fiction is a fantastic co-op game set in two very different worlds of fantasy and sci-fi. It tells the story of two unpublished writers, Mio and Zoe.
They’re different in pretty much every way, but both have been invited to try out an early test of a machine where their stories can be simulated and lived within. As it turns out, the company is actually using the writers to steal their brilliant ideas, and players have to play through their stories to survive.
The Switch 2 version of this is not the best platform to play it on, however. I found that the graphics look a little rough around the edges. A glaring miss from the developers is that individual Joy-Cons cannot be used, which seems like a bit of an own goal given this is a game that can only be played in co-op. But Split Fiction is still brilliant in its own right, and if this is the only way players can play it, it’s still very much worth it.
Buy now £41.99, Amazon.co.uk
Hitman World of Assassination Signature Edition
There’s a bit of a similar story from Split Fiction with Hitman World of Assassination. It’s a great game, but Switch 2 isn’t the best way to play it unless it’s the only option. Hitman World of Assassination is Hitman 3 rebranded, but it features all three games from the Hitman trilogy reboot along with loads of extra content.
The game itself is incredibly fun, and it's great working out different ways to eliminate a target. There's a lot of replay value across each mode, and the game encourages trial and error. This is the Hitman players know and love, and it's a joy to play.
But lower resolutions (1080p in docked and 720p in handheld) and an uncapped frame rate drag Hitman World of Assassination down on the Switch 2. It targets 60fps but can wildly vary; it looks like it runs more at 30fps when docked, and some of the stuttering can be really bad in dense areas.
But perhaps worst of all, Hitman World of Assassination has a baffling oversight. Online saves will only work if you have an online connection; otherwise, your saves will be saved offline. These offline saves can only be accessed if you are completely offline, so you have multiple different save files at once. So if you play a mission at home and hit save, you won’t be able to access your progress if you then take your Switch 2 on the commute, for instance.
If you keep your Switch 2 at home and just want to play through the campaigns themselves, then this isn’t an issue. However, a game you can’t really take on the go feels completely against the DNA of the Switch 2.
Buy now £48.95, Amazon.co.uk
Survival Kids
Built around short, repeatable island missions, Survival Kids is a charming co-op survival-lite game that’s easy to pick up and surprisingly moreish. You play as a group of kids stranded on a tropical island, gathering resources, solving simple puzzles and rebuilding your raft to escape – only for a giant turtle (sorry, whurtle) to shipwreck you all over again. It’s accessible and designed with younger players in mind.
Each island is bright and breezy, with vibrant (though questionable) graphics, a playful soundtrack and just enough variety to keep the game from feeling stale. You gather wood, cook food, craft bridges or ropes, and figure out the best way to move bulky items from one end of the island to the other. Mistakes aren’t really a thing here, and the structure encourages replaying levels to earn all six stars through both speed and exploration. With local two-player support and GameShare options to boot, it’s not a difficult game for a co-op, and it’s fairly relaxing.
That said, the kids do kind of talk like they just walked out of a CBeebies cartoon, and the rinse-and-repeat format starts to wear thin after a few islands, especially in solo play. The stamina system slows things down without adding much challenge, and the need to re-collect tools and blueprints each time feels like artificial padding. It’s clearly designed with younger players in mind, and the pacing and repetition might test older kids’ patience. Still, if you’re looking for something low-pressure and easy, Survival Kids is cute and accessible.
Buy now £44.99, Nintendo.com
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is basically an interactive showcase of the console’s hardware and accessories, with themed zones based on the Joy-Cons, Pro controller and motherboard. You run around collecting stamps, trying minigames and completing tech demos that highlight features like the HD rumble and mouse support. The standout is a 4K version of Super Mario Bros. World 1-1, which looks stunning and plays like a love letter to Nintendo’s legacy.
That said, much of the experience is, frankly, boring. The stamp rally gets repetitive fast, the quizzes are dull and some medals are locked behind accessories you might not own (unless you enter cheat codes, which only unlock partial rewards). The visuals are flat, and it feels more like a digital manual than a true game. For something that costs the best part of a tenner, it’s a tough sell. It’s not essential, and it probably should’ve been a free demo like Astro’s Playroom or Wii Sports (both significantly more fun than Welcome Tour).
Buy now £7.99, Nintendo.com
The verdict: Nintendo Switch 2 games
The Switch 2’s launch line-up leans heavily on ports and upgraded re-releases, but thanks to the hardware boost, even familiar games feel fresh. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom now run at 60fps, Cyberpunk 2077 holds up shockingly well, and Mario Kart World leads the charge as the only true first-party exclusive, with older titles reworked just enough to make them worth revisiting.
That said, outside of Mario Kart World, there’s not a tonne of brand-new stuff yet. Survival Kids is a fun little co-op title for younger players, while Welcome Tour is more of a tech showcase than a must-play. But with Donkey Kong Bananza and Metroid Prime 4 already on the horizon, there’s already a lot to look forward to.
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