The 8 Best Switch 2 Games of Summer 2026: The Complete Guide

One year after its launch in June 2025, the Switch 2 is finally starting to show what it's made of. The launch catalog was okay — Mario Kart World at the moment - but summer 2026, that's a different story. Between Nintendo exclusives, 4K/60fps remasters, and ports we never thought possible on a hybrid console, there's plenty to choose from.

We have prepared a selection for you. 8 games worth checking out this summer, whether you're a fan of JRPGs, action, or devilish races. Some have already been released, others are arriving in the coming weeks. And spoiler: the Switch 2 has clearly taken a technical step forward compared to its predecessor.

Well, technically it was released in June 2025 with the console. But if you have a Switch 2 and you don't have Mario Kart World yet... what are you doing, seriously? That's the game console , final point.

Nintendo completely revamped the formula with open circuits — you choose your route during the race, with shortcuts, alternative paths, and vertical sections. 48 circuits at launch, and they regularly add more via free updates. The online mode runs flawlessly, and local play with 4 on the couch remains a Saturday night classic.

The console + game bundle at 509.99 euros remains the best deal to start on Switch 2. If you don't have it, stop reading this article and go buy it.

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Release date: July 23, 2026 | Price: 49.99 euros | Switch 2 Exclusive

Splatoon Raiders takes everyone by surprise. Instead of a classic multiplayer Splatoon 4, Nintendo offers a complete solo adventure with an expanded Salmon Run mode. Three levels of difficulty — Tourism, Adventure, and Survival — to adapt to all player profiles.

The gameplay is nervous, precise, and the aquatic effects of the Switch 2 are impressive. The customization of the equipment is dense, with gadgets that really change the approach to combat. However, don't expect an open world: it's a mission-based structure with islands to explore. Some environments are a bit repetitive — the Isle of Eccuail and the Pluchurs Coast look too similar — but overall, it's very well done.

And yes, there is still multiplayer: up to 4 players locally or online for the co-op mode. Previews announce 1.2 million units sold in the first month.

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No one saw it coming. Announced during the June 2026 Nintendo Direct, Kingdom Hearts 4 lands on day one on Switch 2 Square Enix and Nintendo have obviously been working together in secret for a while, because the port runs remarkably well.

Obviously, it's not the PS5 rendering - don't dream. But the Switch 2 manages with 1080p portable / 1440p dock and a stable framerate at 30fps. Unreal Engine 5 has been seriously optimized for the console's Nvidia chip. And the game itself? Still this unlikely mix of Disney and Final Fantasy who walks strangely super well. Sora in a more realistic Quadratum, fights more aerial than ever, and a story that... well, we still don't understand anything, but it's beautiful.

If you've never touched Kingdom Hearts, it might not be the best starting point. But for fans, it's an event.

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Release date: July 30, 2026 (digital) / October 1, 2026 (physical) | Price: 9.99 dollars (upgrade)

The original Xenoblade on the first Switch, it was great but technically limited. Blurry resolution in portable mode, unstable framerate in large areas... The Switch 2 Edition fixes all of that at once. 4K on dock, 1080p on portable, 60fps constant. It's the same game, but it looks like a next-gen title.

Nintendo has added additional content: a new wave defense mode, a rare unique Blade with its dedicated quest, equipment designs for Pyra and Mythra, and all cutscenes are now dubbed The file weighs 45.8 GB — almost double the original version — but it is understandable given the increase in visual quality.

This is the second part of a remaster trilogy: the first one is already out, the third one is coming in December. If you missed Xenoblade 2 in 2017, now is the time or never.

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Release date: August 28, 2026

The carrying that nobody dared to hope for. Elden Ring on Switch 2 , with the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC included. FromSoftware worked with Nvidia to leverage the DLSS of the chip — result: 1080p/30fps in portable mode that holds up, and 1440p in docked mode. It's not 60fps, but for a game of this scale on a hybrid console, it's impressive.

All the content is there: the gigantic open world, the 80+ bosses, the secret areas, the DLC with the Realm of the Shadow. And if you already have 300 hours on PC or PS5, having Elden Ring on the go to farm runes on the train, it changes your life.

Only downside: loading times are longer than elsewhere. Count 15-20 seconds between fast travels, compared to 5-8 on PS5. This is the price to pay to play Elden Ring on the toilet.

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Release date: July 9, 2026

Granblue Fantasy Relink was already an excellent action-RPG in coop. Endless Ragnarok, it's the expansion that transforms it into quasi-MMO portable . New social hub, daily quests, guild system, and above all a much tougher endgame with 8-player raids.

On Switch 2, the port is careful. We lose a bit in resolution compared to the PS5 — 900p portable, 1440p dock — but the framerate holds at a constant 30fps. The action is readable even in the chaos of group battles, which was not a given. And playing a Granblue raid in the subway, that's the kind of thing that was impossible two years ago.

If you like Japanese action-oriented RPG with loot and if you have friends to play in co-op, it's probably the best value for money this summer on Switch 2.

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Release date: July 10, 2026

It had been a long time since Digimon had a game up to par. Time Stranger corrects the shot with a classic but effective turn-based RPG, carried by a scenario that mixes time travel and digital multiverse. We find the DNA of Digimon Story on DS, but with graphics finally worthy of the time.

The Digivolution system is the most comprehensive to date: more than 400 Digimon playable, branching evolution trees, and the ability to merge Digimon to create new forms. It's the kind of game where you find yourself at 2 in the morning optimizing your team without realizing it.

The Switch 2 port is correct without being exceptional — you can feel that the game was designed for PS5/PC first. But in portable mode, it remains very enjoyable and the genre lends itself well to short sessions.

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Release date: July 23, 2026

Another remaster, yes. But FFX, it's not just any game. Twenty-five years after its release, Tidus and Yuna's journey remains one of the most beautiful stories in JRPGs. And on Switch 2, Square Enix pushed the bar: 4K on dock, remastered HD textures, smooth 60fps The decorations of Spira have never been so pretty.

The two games are included — FFX and X-2 — with all the bonus content from previous editions. The Conditional Turn-Based combat system remains a model of its kind: each action shifts the timeline, and replacing a character in the middle of combat retains all its strategic flavor.

If you've never played FFX, this might be the best version that will ever exist. And if you've already played it three times... well, you already know you're going to buy it again. We don't judge.

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No. Splatoon Raiders and Xenoblade 2 Switch 2 Edition are exclusive to Switch 2. Ports like Elden Ring and Kingdom Hearts 4 also require Switch 2 to run. Only a few multiplatform titles have a Switch 1 version, but it is becoming increasingly rare.

If you regularly play on a portable console, yes. At 469.99 euros without a game — or 509.99 with Mario Kart World — it's an investment, but the catalog is starting to get serious. With 4K/60fps remasters and AAA ports, it's clearly a step above the first-gen Switch.

Mario Kart World if you have friends. Xenoblade 2 if you like JRPGs. Elden Ring if you've never had the opportunity to play it. Kingdom Hearts 4 if you're a fan. There are no bad choices, it depends on your tastes.

Donkey Kong Bananza lands on November 12, 2026 - it's the big end-of-year piece. A 3D open world platformer in the vein of Mario Odyssey, but with DK. The previews are raving. There's also Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Switch 2 Edition in December and potentially a Zelda Ocarina of Time remake. The year is far from over.

Summer 2026 is the moment when the Switch 2 goes from 'promising console' to 'essential console'. The catalog fills up quickly, the technical quality of the ports is above what we hoped for, and Nintendo continues to release exclusives that justify the purchase on their own. All that's left is to choose where to start — and that's the kind of problem we like to have.