The Nintendo Switch is more than six years old, and shows no signs of slowing down. Part of the $299.99 console’s appeal is its unique home-and-away design that lets you play your favorite titles on a big-screen TV when docked or in handheld mode when you're waiting in line at the post office. It's especially convenient for commuters or people with busy lifestyles. Drop some extra cash, and you can pick up the premium, $349.99 Nintendo Switch OLED model the features a big, beautiful screen and superior kickstand. There's also the cheaper, portable-only, $199.99 Nintendo Switch Lite if you don’t want to bother with a TV at all.
The other appeal is the excellent games. The Nintendo Switch saw one of the best first-year libraries in gaming history, and more must-have games are coming out every month. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an action-adventure epic that will be spoken about for years to come. Splatoon 2 is a more-than-worthy follow-up to the excellent Wii U original. And Super Mario Odyssey is simply one of the best Mario games ever made.
Critics will likely retort, "You only mentioned first-party games!" Yes, because they're absolutely darling titles. That said, the Switch has many solid, second- and third-party games, with surprisingly strong ports from both previous and current console generations, such as Bayonetta 2, Diablo III, Doom, Skyrim, and The Witcher 3.
Next-Gen One Year Later and 2022 Gaming PreviewThe system is strong with retro and indie games, too. Hamster, a company that specializes in many arcade-to-console ports, has brought loads of SNK's classic Neo Geo titles to the system, such as The King of Fighters '98 and Metal Slug. Nintendo is eking out its own classic pre-NES arcade games, and, though a true Virtual Console is still curiously missing from the system, the Nintendo Switch Online service includes a library of dozens of NES and SNES classics. Meanwhile, indies are extremely well-represented, with games like Hollow Knight, Night in the Woods, Inside, Into the Breach, Slay the Spire, The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories, and Undertale available on the Switch. You'll even find excellent expansions to games you may already own, like Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course and Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak.
In short, even with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X on store shelves, the Nintendo Switch is the most compelling console. If you want to experience the Joy-Con life, these games are where you should start. For something more specific, here are the best Nintendo Switch games for kids. You should also check out the best Nintendo Switch Lite games.
The Best Games on Every Platform