The Switch 2 is a pricey hybrid home-and-handheld console — and it’s only going to get more expensive by the end of 2026 — but Nintendo’s grip on gamers certainly hasn’t loosened. The family-friendly gaming giant started off its latest console generation with a slate of must-play games, including Donkey Kong Bananza, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokemon Pokopia, encouraging fans to make the switch. While sales numbers have seemingly slowed in the face of tariffs and rising hardware prices, nearly 20 million Switch 2 consoles have already been sold worldwide since the system launched in June 2025. Nintendo’s latest console may not be able to run every game a PS5 or Xbox can, but it’s far more powerful than its predecessor. While the original Switch struggled to run games like Tears of the Kingdom and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet , the Switch 2 consistently keeps these games chugging along stutter-free at 60 frames per second. And when the console is docked, native 4K resolution means your favorite Switch exclusives look prettier than ever before. A couple of those experimental game swings that Nintendo is so well-known for are present here, too: The Switch 2’s new Joy-Cons add an optional mouse control scheme, and GameChat finally lets you party up with friends with voice and video chat on a Nintendo console. Whether you’re looking to indulge in some of that multiplayer adrenaline or you just want to traipse through a couple of single-player adventures, these are the best games you can play on the Switch 2 right now. Best Nintendo Switch 2 Games Nintendo Pokemon Pokopia Dare I say that this is the ultimate cozy Nintendo experience? Developer Omega Force channeled its experience with the Dragon Quest Builders series to make the most adorable Pokemon game ever. In Pokemon Pokopia, environmental disasters have caused humans and pocket monsters alike to disappear. But one determined Ditto (that’s you) is ready to create new habitats to make the world bright and beautiful again. The best open-world cozy game elements are present here: You can collect resources, relandscape the world and create and decorate homes for your new friends. Each Pokemon oozes with its own unique personality, rewarding your efforts to find and care for different species. Pokopia endeared me to monsters I’ve never cared about before — like Bonsly and Rolycoly — which is a truly impressive feat, considering my favorites have been set in stone for decades now. Within a week of its release, Pokopia sold more than 2.2 million copies . This game is the type of exclusive that markets a console, and for good reason: The world of Pokemon has never been more charming. Release Date: March 5, 2026 Genre: Block-based town builder featuring pocket monster friends Developer: Omega Force $69 at Amazon Nintendo Donkey Kong Bananza There’s a reason why Donkey Kong Bananza was released just a month after the Switch 2. Created by the same development team responsible for Super Mario Odyssey, this pedigreed platformer was the console’s first must-have exclusive. It’s a joy to use Donkey Kong’s brutish strength to tear apart the colorful layers of Bananza’s hollow earth as Nintendo’s great ape quests toward the planet’s core. Bananza’s lengthy list of Banandium collectibles feels a bit reductive — it’s just Odyssey’s moons (or Super Mario 64’s stars) all over again. But the game’s unparalleled player freedom in navigating the open world and the budding friendship between DK and a young, inexperienced Pauline hold this experience together, ensuring that this platformer never feels like a rote repetition of its Italian plumber-led predecessors. Donkey Kong Bananza’s impressive world destruction, inventive power-ups and lighthearted narrative made it my personal pick for Game of the Year 2025. Quit monkeying around and pick up a copy for yourself. Release Date: July 17, 2025 Genre: 3D platformer featuring super satisfying terrain destruction Developer: Nintendo EPD $69 at Amazon
Sumber: CNET