The Complete List of Launch Games for Nintendo Switch 2

Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza are just the tip of the Switch 2 release schedule. These games are titles exclusive to the Switch 2. But there are also all the games from third-party publishers that have already been released on consoles and/or PC, as well as Switch 1 games that have been upgraded.

Nintendo Switch 2 Games Available at Launch

We're talking here about "first-party" games. These games are exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 and have been developed specifically for this console. The list is not very long at the moment. But other games will be arriving this summer and at the end of the year, such as Donkey Kong Bananza, scheduled for July 17, and new titles such as Pokémon Legends Z-A and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.

Nintendo charges different prices depending on whether you buy the physical or digital version. Nintendo games with cartridges in boxes are more expensive than digital versions purchased via the eShop.

Another Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive is access to GameCube games in the Nintendo Classics virtual catalog. A subscription to Nintendo Switch Online + an additional pack is required to benefit from this.

• Read also: GameChat on Switch 2: How Nintendo wants to keep perverts away

Switch 2 Ports Available at Launch

These games come from third-party publishers and have already been released on other platforms such as the PS5, Xbox Series X/S or PC. The list is logically more exhaustive, and the games are generally less expensive than Nintendo exclusives.

Nintendo's official website is very confusing when it comes to pricing. Nintendo does not reliably specify for each of the games listed below whether they will be available in a physical version or not.

And here again, many other ports are planned for the weeks and months to come. Elden Ring, Hades II, and Borderlands 4 are among the most notable.

Switch Game Upgrades Available at Launch

Nintendo Switch 2 is backward compatible with many games from the original Switch. For some of these games, Nintendo is offering "upgrades" to optimize them for the Switch 2.

These upgrades are not free. They cost less than the price of the full game, but you must own a copy of the game on Switch 1. If you don't, you can buy the full game in its Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. This contains the base game released on Switch 1, plus the upgrade pack for Switch 2.

• Read also: Playing on PS5, Xbox Series X, or Switch 2 will be very expensive

For the time being, only the last two Zelda games will benefit from an upgrade at Switch 2 launch. But Super Mario Party Jamboree will do so on July 24, 2025, followed by Kirby and the Forgotten World a month later, on August 28.

The Nintendo Switch 2's game catalog will gradually expand throughout the year. If this article generates interest, updating it regularly as new games are released could be interesting. Perhaps a tutorial on how to request and receive an upgrade pack might also be useful. What do you think?

Source: Nintendo