Nintendo Switch 2: The 2025 Launch Roadmap and The Massive 2026 Lineup

If you had told me a few years ago that we’d finally stop squinting at 720p screens in 2025, I probably would have laughed—and then cried a little. But here we are. The Switch 2 has officially landed, and it’s been a wild ride for Nintendo fans. After years of rumors, leaks, and “my uncle works at Nintendo” stories, the console dropped, and the gaming landscape shifted once again.

Let’s take a look back at the chaos, the joy, and the undeniable success of Nintendo’s 2025, plus a sneak peek at what 2026 might hold for our wallets.

The Nintendo Switch 2 Launch: Did It Live Up to the Hype?

The launch of the Switch 2 was, in a word, loud. We all remember the scramble. Pre-orders vanished faster than a Super Star power-up, and scalpers were—unsurprisingly—the villains of the story. But once the dust settled and the consoles were actually in hands, the consensus was clear: Nintendo didn’t just iterate; they elevated.

The hardware finally caught up to modern standards. We got that crisp 4K output when docked (finally!), and the handheld mode’s battery life actually lets you play a full session of Zelda without being tethered to a wall like a sad puppy. The new Joy-Cons, now with drift-resistant magnetic sensors, were a godsend. It feels weird to say, but I haven’t had to perform surgery on a controller in months.

But hardware is just a fancy paperweight without software, right? Thankfully, Nintendo brought the heat.

The Best Nintendo Games of 2025

The 2025 library was stacked. It wasn’t just about porting old games; it was about defining a new generation. Below are some of the highlights, but even smaller games were able to help carry the platform.

• Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
• Mario Kart World
• Kirby Air Riders
• Pokémon Legends: Z-A
• Donkey Kong Bananza
• Yakuza 0
• Cyberpunk 2077

Confirmed Games for Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026

Okay, 2025 was great, but we’re gamers. We have short attention spans and we always want to know “what’s next?” The slate for 2026 is already shaping up to be a banger, with several confirmed titles that are going to eat up all of our free time.

Nintendo has officially locked in these titles for the coming year, as just some of the many highlights:

• The Duskbloods
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch 2 Edition
• Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave
• Pokémon Pokopia
• Pokémon Champions
• Yoshi and the Mysterious Book
• Mario Tennis Fever
• Resident Evil Requiem
• Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
• Dragon Quest 7: Reimagined 

The Rumor Mill: What Might Hit the Switch 2 in 2026?

This is where things get spicy. The internet loves a good Nintendo rumor, and honestly, half the fun is speculating wildly about things that might never happen. But where there’s smoke, there’s usually a Charizard.

Here are the titles the streets are whispering about for 2026:

• Star Fox Grand Prix: Is it a racing game? Is it an adventure game? Who knows. But Fox McCloud needs to come out of retirement.
• Zelda Wind Waker & Twilight Princess Remasters: Look, we buy these every generation. Nintendo knows it. We know it. Just give them to us already.
• Zelda Mainline Game: It seems unlikely we would get a massive mainline entry, the likes of Tears of the Kingdom. But the fact that Switch 2 has no current exclusive Legend of Zelda game seems criminal, so games like Link’s Awakening Remake or Echoes of Wisdom from the Switch generation may point us towards what we may see from Nintendo in 2026.
• Super Smash Bros. Universe: A soft reboot or a deluxe edition? The rumors are conflicting, but Sakurai can’t rest forever.
• Pokémon Gen 10: We have gotten plenty of Pokémon content from Nintendo, but nothing on the next generation. With leaks and rumours abound, perhaps 2026 is the year?
• 3D Mario Game: It has been nine years since Super Mario Odyssey released, so it seems a prime time to release a new title. This seems even more likely with the highly anticipated Mario movie sequel release.

Regardless of what actually lands, owning a Nintendo Switch 2 right now feels pretty good. The library is growing, the hardware is holding up, and my backlog is already unmanageable. Here’s to another year of button mashing and joy-con drifting (hopefully not literally).

Why Nintendo Still Wins

At the end of the day, Nintendo plays its own game. While other companies fight over teraflops and realistic pore rendering, Nintendo spent 2025 reminding us that fun is the most important metric. The Switch 2 isn’t the most powerful box under my TV, but it’s the one that gets turned on the most.

Whether you’re speedrunning Mario or just trying to pay off your debt to Tom Nook, 2025 proved that the House of Mario still knows exactly how to capture our hearts—and our disposable income. Here’s to another year of red caps, green tunics, and collecting coins.