All Nintendo Switch 2 Games Available at Launch

The launch of the Switch 2 is finally upon us! This Thursday, June 5, marks the official worldwide launch of Nintendo's Switch 2 hardware, the long-awaited successor to the incredibly successful Nintendo Switch. Like its predecessor, the Switch 2 is a hybrid console capable of seamless handheld and home display play, with the latter now capable of 4K gaming at 60 FPS. The improved hardware of Switch 2 allows it to compete with much more powerful hardware, with long-awaited third-party titles from the 8th and 9th console generations to come to Nintendo platforms for the first time. Joining these titles are a select few new Switch 2 exclusives and some excellent-looking Switch 2 upgrades of original Switch games to round out the console's launch software lineup.

• Developer — Hamster Corporation, Namco
• Publisher — Hamster Corporation
• Genre — Driving/Racing
• Price — $16.99

Namco's 32-bit classic arcade game Ridge Racer is making its way to the Switch 2 as part of Hamster's Arcade Archives line, marking the first entry in the new Arcade Archives 2 series. Rather than a port of the PS1 home console version, the Arcade Archives 2 release of Ridge Racer is aiming to replicate the original arcade experience.

• Developer — Cattle Call
• Publisher — Square Enix
• Genre — JRPG
• Price — $39.99

One of a small handful of Switch 2-exclusive titles available at launch is Square Enix's HD remaster of the original Bravely Default. Originally released on the 3DS, Bravely Default gets its name from the title's unique take on turn-based combat, in which players can choose to "Brave" or "Default" during their turn, either spending future turns at the cost of not being able to act later or saving up turns to unleash powerful attacks. Along with its excellent take on classic JRPG combat, Bravely Default features a fairly robust job system that emphasizes mixing and matching abilities to create unique character combinations, and the HD remaster even adds in some new content.

• Developer — Firaxis
• Publisher — 2K
• Genre — Strategy
• Price — $69.99 ($9.99 Switch 2 upgrade for original Switch version)

Sid Meier's Civilization VII has been out on the original Switch for several months now, but the title is getting a Switch 2 upgrade available at launch. For $9.99, owners of the original Switch version can upgrade to the new and improved Switch 2 port of Civilization VII, which includes the addition of mouse functionality made possible by the Switch 2's Joy-Con controllers. The original Switch version of Civ VII reportedly runs fairly well despite the console's age, but hopefully the Switch 2 version will still be a marked improvement in terms of visuals and performance.

• Developer — CD Projekt RED
• Publisher — CD Projekt RED
• Genre — RPG, FPS
• Price — $69.99

Several third-party games of the last generation that had yet to appear on the Switch are now making their way to the Switch 2, and one of the new console's marquee launch titles is perhaps the most anticipated of them all: Cyberpunk 2077. The Switch 2 version of Cyberpunk 2077 has already been touted as a great benchmark for the new console's power, and seeing it in action in both handheld and docked mode is impressive. Best of all, the Switch 2 version of Cyberpunk includes the full experience (which includes the base game and the Phantom Liberty expansion) entirely on the game card, with no additional downloading or DRM keys required.

• Developer — Toby Fox
• Publisher — Toby Fox
• Genre — Adventure, RPG
• Price — $24.99

Toby Fox's Undertale is one of the more beloved indie games of all time and a major hit on the original Switch, so it comes as no surprise to see the developer time the release of the latest chapters for its follow-up, Deltarune, to coincide with the Switch 2's launch. On June 5, players will have access to the long-awaited 3rd and 4th chapters of Deltarune, and Switch 2 owners will be able to pick up the entire first half of the Deltarune saga (Chapters 1-4 of a planned 8-chapter game) as a console launch title.

• Developer — Level-5
• Publisher — Level-5
• Genre — RPG, Simulation
• Price — $69.99 ($9.99 Switch 2 upgrade for original Switch version)

Having just released on the original Switch and PC, Level-5's Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is also arriving on the Switch 2 at launch courtesy of a paid Switch 2 upgrade. While the Nintendo eShop doesn't currently have a listing for the premium upgrade, it's believed to become available on June 5 to coincide with the console's launch, but there's a chance that the planned premium upgrade option could slip out into later in the year. Either way, player response to Fantasy Life i has been very positive so far, and it's actually one of two simulation RPGs that should be available on the Switch 2 at launch.

• Developer — Shin'en
• Publisher — Shin'en
• Genre — Driving/Racing
• Price — $14.99

Shin'en's futuristic racing games have helped kick off two previous generations of Nintendo hardware, with Fast Racing Neo launching alongside the Wii U and Fast RMX an original Switch launch title. The company is continuing that trend with the Switch 2, with its latest racing game Fast Fusion arriving as a budget launch title for the console. This excellent-looking futuristic racer looks to follow in the footsteps of the aforementioned previous Shin'en racing games and fills the F-Zero-sized hole in Nintendo's first-party launch library.

• Developer — Epic Games
• Publisher — Epic Games
• Genre — Battle Royale
• Price — Free to Play (In-game Microtransactions)

Epic Games' Fortnite is practically ubiquitous with modern gaming, so of course the Switch 2 will have a new edition of the title available at launch. This free-to-play Battle Royale game is still one of the world's most-played titles, and it should be looking and running much better than the Switch version on the Switch 2 hardware.

• Developer — IO Interactive
• Publisher — IO Interactive
• Genre — Action, Stealth
• Price — $59.99

IO Interactive's Hitman trilogy are three of the best modern stealth games, and the company's decision to package them all as a single collection of incredibly immersive stealth sandboxes using Hitman III's engine is a stroke of genius and one of the genre's best titles. The World of Assassination trilogy is finally coming to a Nintendo platform thanks to its Switch 2 release (following a cloud-only version of Hitman III for the original Switch), and it will be interesting to see how well its impressive stealth gameplay holds up on the go.

• Developer — Avalanche Software
• Publisher — Portkey Games
• Genre — Action-Adventure, RPG, Open-World
• Price — $59.99

Switch owners had to wait longer than everyone else to finally get a port of Hogwarts Legacy, and it's arguably the worst way to play the best-selling action RPG set in Harry Potter's Wizarding World. So, to coincide with the launch of the Switch 2, Avalanche Software and Portkey Games are delivering an updated Switch 2 version of Hogwarts Legacy that is much more in line with the current-gen console and PC versions of the game. Notably, this is a standalone retail release and not a premium upgrade, meaning players will need to pay full retail price for Hogwarts Legacy's new version.

• Developer — Capcom
• Publisher — Capcom
• Genre — Tower Defense, Hack-and-Slash
• Price — $39.99

The excellent Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess is both one of the most unique and most underrated games of the last few years, and it's set to hopefully get a brand-new audience as one of the Switch 2's launch games. This blend of hack-and-slash action and tower defense features some breathtaking art and music and an obvious reverence for Japanese culture, and it's one of the more original titles to come from Capcom in quite some time.

• Developer — Nintendo
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Genre — Action-Adventure, Open-World
• Price — $69.99 ($9.99 Switch 2 upgrade for original Switch version)

Breath of the Wild was and is an incredibly impressive achievement considering the limitations of the original Switch, so it makes perfect sense for Nintendo to take both it and its sequel and reimagine them for the Switch 2. The Switch 2 version of Breath of the Wild features HDR support and better performance, incentivizing even the most experienced players to return to its picturesque version of Hyrule. Best of all, players who are subscribers to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack tier get the premium upgrade fee of $9.99 waived, allowing them to check out Breath of the Wild on Switch 2 for free if they already own the original version.

• Developer — Nintendo
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Genre — Action-Adventure, Open-World
• Price — $69.99 ($9.99 Switch 2 upgrade for original Switch version)

Similar to Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom is getting a Switch 2-enhanced release to coincide with the system's launch which sees it both look and run better than the original Switch version. Those who don't already own the original on Switch will need to pay full retail price for the Switch 2 release of Tears of the Kingdom, but those who already own the game can simply pay a $9.99 upgrade fee (or get it for free with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to the Expansion Pack tier).

• Developer — Nintendo
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Genre — Driving/Racing
• Price — $79.99

The flagship game for the Switch 2, and the only first-party Nintendo title in the console's lineup of launch games, is the long-awaited successor to Mario Kart 8, Mario Kart World. Taking things off the track and into the titular world at large, Mario Kart World sees the series attempt something similar to the excellent Forza Horizon games, and chances are it'll quickly become the "must-have" game in the Switch 2 library for the foreseeable future. It's almost impossible to have a Nintendo console and not have Mario Kart, and Nintendo is wisely cutting out the middleman by making it the Switch 2's marquee game.

• Developer — Nintendo
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Genre — Simulation, Mini-Game
• Price — $9.99

Most players expected the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour to be a free pre-installed title on Switch 2 consoles after its reveal at the April Nintendo Direct presentation. Unfortunately, Nintendo is sticking to its guns that Welcome Tour is indeed a premium product, though it is reasonably priced at just $9.99. In addition to giving players a full-spec rundown of the Switch 2's feature set, Welcome Tour reportedly includes several mini-games that players can routinely come back to.

• Developer — Kou Shibusawa
• Publisher — Koei Tecmo
• Genre — Turn-Based Strategy
• Price — $69.99

The long-running Nobunaga's Ambition series' latest entry, Awakening, is getting a Complete Edition re-release on both Switch 2 and PlayStation 5 to coincide with the former's launch. Like Civilization VII's Switch 2 release, expect Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition to make great use of the Switch 2 Joy-Con's new mouse functionality.

• Developer — Sega
• Publisher — Sega
• Genre — Puzzle
• Price — $39.99

Would it even be a Nintendo console without some version of Tetris? I think not. Fittingly, Sega is delivering a Switch 2-enhanced version of the excellent Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 as a launch title, which blends the classic falling block puzzling of Tetris with the Match-3 puzzle gameplay of Sega's Puyo Puyo series. There are plenty of modes and even some competitive multiplayer to dive into, making Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S a great Switch 2 launch game to play in between other larger titles.

• Developer — Marvelous
• Publisher — Marvelous
• Genre — RPG, Simulation
• Price — $69.99 ($9.99 Switch 2 upgrade for original Switch version)

The release of the standard edition of Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is perfectly timed with the launch of the Switch 2, allowing Marvelous to deliver both a version for the original Switch and for Nintendo's new hardware. Rune Factory is a long-running RPG and farming sim hybrid, and the latest entry looks to continue what players love about these engrossing games, albeit with improved performance and visuals over its original Switch counterpart.

• Developer — Hazelight Studios
• Publisher — Electronic Arts
• Genre — Action-Adventure, Platformer, Co-Op
• Price — $49.99

One of the more exciting third-party games to arrive as a Switch 2 launch title is Hazelight Studios' Split Fiction, which is already a prime contender for Game of the Year honors. This off-the-wall co-op adventure is just a well-thought-out game with so much obvious passion poured into it, and the seamless co-op at the heart of its gameplay makes it unlike just about anything else (except for maybe other Hazelight Studios games like It Takes Two). Best of all, players only need one copy to play with a friend, with a free "Friend Pass" option available to anyone who wants to take on the role of Player 2.

• Developer — Sonic Team
• Publisher — Sega
• Genre — Platformer
• Price — $49.99

Despite being one-time rivals, Sega and Nintendo continue to have a very fruitful partnership regarding the former's software on the latter's hardware, and Sega is delivering two excellent titles as Switch 2 launch games. One of them is Sonic X Shadow Generations, a remaster of Sonic Generations combined with a brand-new Shadow Generations experience. Sonic X Shadow Generations was a genuinely great game and one of 2024's best platformers, and it'll be right at home on the Switch 2.

• Developer — Capcom
• Publisher — Capcom
• Genre — Fighting
• Price — $39.99-$59.99

Capcom's Street Fighter 6 is one of the more interesting pivots that the series has taken, complete with a more in-depth story mode that allows players to take the street fighting action into an open-world setting. The title is getting a special Switch 2 edition at launch, with players able to pick up either the base game or the more expensive Fighters Edition that contains all DLC characters from years 1 and 2 of the game's release.

• Developer — Konami
• Publisher — Konami
• Genre — JRPG
• Price — $49.99

The beloved first two games in the Suikoden series recently received an HD remaster that saw them packaged together (which makes sense, considering the two titles feature connected stories and shared characters), and that compilation is making its way to the Switch 2 as a launch game. Other than Bravely Default's HD remaster, Suikoden I & II HD is the only other traditional JRPG available on the console at launch, and you could hardly ask for two better games to sink dozens of hours into.

• Developer — Konami
• Publisher — Konami
• Genre — Adventure, Survival
• Price — $49.99

Konami's Survival Kids originated as a Game Boy-exclusive title decades ago, and now the company is reviving the franchise on the Switch 2. The similarly-named Survival Kids is an open-world survival and crafting game with a lighthearted atmosphere and some strong, cartoon-like visuals that looks to tap into the ongoing interest in the genre.

• Developer — Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
• Publisher — Sega
• Genre — Beat 'em Up, Open-World
• Price — $49.99

The other Sega game to get a Switch 2 launch release is the director's cut of the phenomenal Yakuza 0. Built using the same engine responsible for Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2 (the remakes of the first two games in the series), Yakuza 0 is perhaps one of the all-time best games in the legendary series that shows the origins of protagonist Kiryu, his frienemy Goro, and the saga as a whole. Nintendo has been sorely missing most of the Yakuza games, and the arrival of Yakuza 0 Director's Cut as a Switch 2 launch title could very well indicate that the rest of the series will make its way to the platform.