All Switch 2 launch games

By Jesse Lennox Updated May 12, 2025

No matter how powerful or sleek a new video game console is, it doesn’t matter if there are no good games to play on it. When the Switch 2 was revealed, we learned that it would feature backwards compatibility with the best Switch games to automatically give the library a head start. However, most of us have already played those games and are looking for a shiny new title to make the purchase feel justified. We know of a ton of upcoming Switch 2 games for the rest of 2025 and beyond, but what are the hot new games you have to pick from at launch? Nintendo launch titles are traditionally very good, so let’s take a look at every launch title you can play on the Switch 2 and see how it compares.

Each game is sold separately, but you can preorder the Switch 2 in a bundle with Mario Kart World to save a little bit of money.

The Switch 2 launch lineup is quite impressive, featuring both Nintendo first-party games, third-party titles, and some older ports or remasters never seen on a Nintendo console before. There are also some Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games of existing Switch games that improve the visuals, frame rates, and sometimes even add more content.

These are all the games launching with the Switch 2 on June 5.

A major point of confusion about the Switch 2 launch lineup is the price of games. The first misconception we have to clear up is the fact that, no, there are no $90 Switch 2 games. The highest price for a game, not counting any special editions, is $80. There are only a handful of games at that price right now, and several for below even $70. Here is how much all the Switch 2 launch games cost that we know of so far from most to least expensive:

You may have heard Nintendo talking about Game-Key Cards in addition to the regular game cartridges and had no idea what the differences are. After reading through it, it isn’t all that complicated, but we understand how the names don’t make it totally clear.

Game-Key Cards are physical cartridges that you insert into your Switch 2 just like a normal game, only it doesn’t actually hold the entire game on the card. Instead, this card acts as a key that allows you to download the game via the internet. Once you’ve downloaded the game for the first time, you won’t be required to be online to play going forward, but do still need to insert that same Game-Key Card to play.

So, if you don’t have internet access when inserting a Game-Key Card for the first time, you won’t be able to play that game. You can check to see if a game you’re buying is a regular game cartridge, which doesn’t require an internet connection at all, or a Game-Key Card by looking at the back of the box for a key icon and the term “Game-Key Card” printed on it.