Nintendo Switch 2 Games: The biggest games launching with the Nintendo Switch 2 include Mario Kart World, Split Fiction, Hogwarts Legacy, and more

The wait for the next Nintendo console is almost over! The Nintendo Switch 2 hits store shelves on June 5 in Australia and promises to be bigger and better than the best-selling original (find out everything you need to know here), but it wouldn’t be much fun without some games to play! Thankfully, there will be plenty of options at launch, from new instalments in classic Nintendo series to blockbusters making their Switch debut.

Here are some of the most exciting titles to look forward to.

NOTE: Prices are accurate at time of publishing.

Mario Kart World

The headliner of the Switch 2’s launch line-up and the first new Mario Kart game in over a decade, Mario Kart World mixes up the formula of the family favourite racing series by adding open-world areas, a battle royale mode and even more racers on the track to throw shells and bananas at. Mario Kart World will be available for purchase on its own or as part of a bundle with the Switch 2 console. 

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition

The popular sci-fi RPG starring Keanu Reeves was so big and so graphically advanced that it could not have worked on the original Switch hardware, so the Switch 2 version could be one of the first real showcases of just what this new console is capable of. The Ultimate Edition includes the Phantom Liberty expansion, which adds even more content (and Idris Elba) to an already massive game that gives you plenty of choice as to how you want to play. 

Split Fiction

One of the best-reviewed games of 2025 so far, Split Fiction is designed entirely to be played with a friend or loved one. You’ll have to cooperate to conquer this light-hearted adventure through sci-fi and fantasy worlds, with tons of different gameplay mechanics that change every level. Even better, if you want to play through Split Fiction with someone online, you’ll only need one copy of the game.

Sonic X Shadow Generations

Both a remaster of Sonic Generations, one of the blue hedgehog’s best-reviewed outings in recent years, and a whole new adventure starring his edgy rival Shadow, Sonic X Shadow Generations will see you race through two campaigns that combine the 2D levels of the series’ retro beginnings with the 3D gameplay from its modern installments. If your kids loved the recent live-action Sonic films, they could have a blast with this. 

Street Fighter 6: Year 1-2 Fighters Edition

Street Fighter has a long history on Nintendo consoles, and its bite-sized brawls should feel right at home on the portable Switch 2. Street Fighter 6 reinvigorated the genre-defining series with a fresh art style, an open-world single-player mode and new training tools to help newcomers master every fighter in the roster – which is even bigger in the Switch 2 version, as it includes every character added as downloadable content to the game since its original release in 2023. 

Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut

With more than a dozen instalments, the beloved Yakuza saga can be a little intimidating for newcomers, but this is the perfect way to dip your toes in. An origin story for the series, Yakuza 0 is equal parts serious crime drama and wacky comedy – one minute you’ll be brawling with rival gang members and the next you’ll be singing karaoke or running a real estate agency (really). The Director’s Cut promises to be the “definitive edition” of the game, too, adding new cutscenes and a multiplayer mode. 

Sid Meier’s Civilization 7

If you’re a history buff and a fan of games that make you think, Civilization 7 will be right up your alley as you take charge of one of mankind’s greatest empires and lead it through history in turn-based strategic battles. The game makes use of the Switch 2’s new ‘mouse mode’, which lets you use the controllers like a computer mouse – a feature that should fit Civilization 7 perfectly, given the strategy game’s roots on PC.

Hogwarts Legacy

Hogwarts Legacy is the kind of Harry Potter game fans have wanted for years, allowing you to create your own witch or wizard, join your favourite house, learn spells and brew potions, all while battling monsters and dark forces in a faithful recreation of the iconic school. Hogwarts Legacy did come to the original Switch, but it was far from the ideal version of the game, so here’s hoping its release on Switch 2 will recapture the magic.

What’s old is new again

The Nintendo Switch 2 will also be backwards compatible with the vast majority of the original Switch’s library of digital and physical games, so if you missed out the first time around, you’ll have even more to play at launch. Not only that, a number of titles will be getting upgrades for the new system, but here’s where it gets a little confusing.

Nintendo Switch 2 Editions

Some games will get paid upgrades called ‘Nintendo Switch 2 Editions’, which can include visual improvements, better performance and even new features or additional game modes – but that will vary depending on the title. The good news is, if you own the original games already, you can buy the upgrade pack on its own for a lower price. 

Launching alongside the console are Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which promise to improve two games already considered to be some of the greatest ever made.

Free upgrades

A bunch of other Switch games will also get free upgrades at launch that “improve playability” on the Switch 2, but seemingly won’t be as comprehensive as the paid Switch 2 Editions. Still, they promise to make some of the Switch’s best games even better:

Don’t forget about these…

Although these games don’t have any kind of upgrades on the way (at least, not yet), they’re still some of the greatest games in the original Switch’s library and are absolutely worth picking up and playing all these years later.

The Nintendo Switch 2 and its launch line-up drops June 5, with pre-orders available now. 

Buy the Nintendo Switch 2 Console here, or check out the Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle.

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