TheSwitch 2is coming. Nintendo has revealed it, the console has a release date, and if pre-orders aren’t already available in your part of the world, they soon will be. You’ve likely been worrying about how long you’ll need to sit in a virtual queue, already fearful that you might not be among the first to get your hands on Nintendo’s next-gen console. But have you really stopped to think whether the Switch 2 is even worth having the second it launches?
Nintendo threw a lot at us during its hour-long Switch 2 Direct. A new Mario Kart, a Donkey Kong game that looks a lot like theMario Odysseyteam may have created it, andmore heavy-hitting third-party games than I could count. There was so much crammed into that presentation thatthe controversial price revealthat came later didn’t matter. Nothing could persuade you that this isn’t a console you need to have on day one.
The Nintendo Switch 2 Will Only Have One Brand New First-Party Game At Launch
If you’re lucky enough to have a Switch 2 drop on your doormat on June 5, you will be able to fire it up and playMario Kart Worldright away. A seemingly fantastic evolution of the Mario Kart formula, and despite its $80 price tag, it wouldn’t surprise me to see its sales numbers eventually compete with those ofMario Kart 8 Deluxe.
But what else will you do during those first few weeks with your Switch 2? The driving force behind Nintendo is its first-party games. It consistently puts out all-timers, and the only place you can play those all-timers is on its hardware. However, when the Switch 2 launches, the only first-party exclusive it will have is Mario Kart World, and don’t you dare try to throw the Switch 2 Welcome Tour my way as a retort.
Maybe that’s Nintendo’s grand plan. Limit the first-party options at launch so everyone caves and pays $10 for its tech demo just so they have something new to play.
The bulk of games releasing on the Switch 2 on day one will be third-party - as I mentioned above, there’s going to be a lot of them. They’re not new third-party games, though. I don’t want to generalize here, but I’d guess the bulk of those eager to own a Switch 2 on launch day are avid gamers. The kind of gamers who probably own multiple platforms already. That almost certainly means most of the third-party games coming to the Switch 2 on its release day are games you’ve played already, somewhere else. Gamers using the Switch 2 to play Elden Ring are not going to be people who have playedElden Ringbefore. Those using it to play Elden Ring for the first time also won’t be the same consumers fretting about whether they’re going to be able to land a pre-order.
Most Of The Good Stuff Is Coming Throughout 2025 And Into 2026
The only other ‘new’ games available on the Switch 2 at launch will beBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom’s $10 upgrades andthe limited GameCube catalogue coming to NSO. Much like the decision to make people pay for Welcome Tour, these, combined with a single first-party game at launch, feel like a way to squeeze a little bit more money out of those who absolutely must have the Switch 2 as soon as possible. “Hey, while you’ve got nothing else to play, chuck us a little extra cash and you can have some prettier Zelda games and a few GameCube classics to tide you over.”
Since Nintendo appears to be sticking to its ‘one big first-party game per month’ approach, it really will be worth sitting it out and waiting a while before picking up a new console.Donkey Kong Bananzain July, and thenMetroid Prime 4: Beyond,Pokemon Legends: Z-A,Kirby Air Riders,Drag x Drive, andHyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonmentwill all be here in 2025, likely sprinkled throughout the rest of the year, a month or so at a time.
Hell, ifThe Duskbloodswas the thing that got your heart racing the most during that Direct, you can sit tight until 2026.
Don’t Be Like Me, Be Strong
I’ll hold my hands up now, I’m a hypocrite. I was blinded by the Direct and, since I live in the UK where retailers were unable to contain their excitement, my Switch 2 pre-order has been secured. I will be one of the fools who plays Mario Kart World until their eyes are sore and then spends $10 on the Welcome Tour just for something else to do, and then upgrades to the Expansion Pack and playsGameCubegames I already have on an actual GameCube for something to do after that.
If you don’t have a Switch 2 right away, it’s going to be tough. Listening to everyone harp on about how good Mario Kart World is, and the odd “You know, Welcome Tour is well worth the $10, actually” tweet from someone trying to convince themselves they were right to buy it (probably me). It will be worth holding out in the long run, though. The idea of not having a Switch 2 until Christmas might sound bad now, but when you get it, you’ll have enough games that you won’t have to resort to throwing even more money into the Nintendo pot just for the sake of it.
