Discover the best-looking Nintendo Switch 2 games, from ray-traced open worlds to DLSS-powered 4K racers and 120fps Nintendo exclusives. These are the titles that truly push the hybrid console to its limits.
When the Nintendo Switch 2 launched in June 2025, it didn’t just refine Nintendo’s hybrid formula—it fundamentally redefined what a portable console could deliver visually. For years, Switch owners accepted blurry handheld resolutions, heavy compromises, and 30fps caps as the price of portability. With Switch 2, that trade-off is largely gone.
Powered by NVIDIA’s custom Ampere-based Tegra T239 SoC, the Switch 2 offers roughly ten times the GPU performance of the original model. In practice, that means games now regularly hit native 1080p in handheld mode on a sharp 7.9-inch 120Hz HDR display, while docked titles scale cleanly to 4K. Frame rates are smoother, input latency is lower, and motion finally looks as fluid as it should—whether you’re racing, exploring, or aiming at 120fps.
Memory and bandwidth upgrades play a huge role here. With 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and significantly higher bandwidth when docked, developers can stream denser environments, reduce pop-in, and shorten load times dramatically. The real turning point, though, is NVIDIA’s DLSS upscaling and hardware ray tracing support. These technologies allow studios to push lighting, reflections, and resolution far beyond what raw horsepower alone would allow—without sacrificing performance.
Digital Foundry’s early analyses underline just how big the leap is. From ray-traced reflections in Star Wars Outlaws, to a rock-solid 1440p/60fps in Mario Kart World, to Metroid Prime 4 taking full advantage of high refresh modes, Switch 2 no longer feels like it’s catching up. It’s confidently carving out its own space, delivering visuals that feel modern whether you’re docked or on the move.
The Best-Looking Switch 2 Games
We’ve selected 14 games that best showcase what the Nintendo Switch 2 can do at its visual peak. These aren’t just good-looking titles—they’re technical showcases praised for their resolution targets, frame-rate stability, smart use of DLSS, and, in some cases, ray tracing.
Together, they highlight how far the hardware can be pushed, from polished Nintendo exclusives to ambitious third-party ports once thought impossible on a hybrid system. Each entry below breaks down why it stands out, what it’s doing technically, and how it stresses the console in different ways.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
When The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launched in 2023, it redefined what an open-world sequel could be. Its layered version of Hyrule—spanning floating islands, subterranean Depths, and a physics-driven construction system—felt limitless in ambition. Critically acclaimed as it was, the original Switch release struggled under that weight, with frequent drops into the low 20s during complex builds or large-scale combat. On aging hardware, its scope often outpaced its performance.
The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, released in June 2025 as a paid upgrade, finally delivers the experience many imagined from day one. Digital Foundry describes the upgrade as a “colossal difference,” and it’s easy to see why. The game now runs at a rock-solid 60fps across even the most demanding scenarios, with dynamic resolution scaling from 1440×810 up to a clean 2560×1440 when docked. Sharper textures, improved shadow quality, and noticeably thicker ambient occlusion give Hyrule a newfound sense of depth, while faster load times make exploration feel effortlessly fluid.
What stands out most is how the upgrade preserves the game’s distinctive art direction. The watercolor skies, soft lighting, and dense environmental detail all benefit from higher clarity without losing their painterly charm. This isn’t just a technical patch—it’s the definitive version of one of Nintendo’s most ambitious games, finally running at the level its design always demanded.
- Genre: Open-World Action-Adventure
- Year: 2025 (Switch 2 Edition; original 2023)
- Developer: Nintendo
- Metacritic Score: 95
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Few games have reshaped modern design quite like Breath of the Wild did in 2017. Its systemic physics, open-ended problem solving, and emphasis on player-driven discovery set a new standard for open worlds—and earned it countless Game of the Year awards. Still, even at launch, the original Switch version showed its limits, with unstable 30fps performance and soft, often muddy visuals in docked mode.
The Switch 2 Edition, released in 2025, reframes the entire experience. Digital Foundry calls it “transformative,” and for good reason. The game now targets a locked 60fps, with dynamic resolutions scaling from 1440×810 up to 2560×1440 when docked. Cleaner shadows, improved ambient occlusion, and higher-resolution textures bring renewed clarity to Hyrule’s rolling plains and ruined structures. Load times are drastically reduced, making fast travel and experimentation far more frictionless.
Beyond raw performance, this version simply feels better to play. Combat is smoother, traversal more responsive, and the world feels alive in ways the original hardware couldn’t fully support. Whether you’re discovering Hyrule for the first time or returning for nostalgia, this is the most refined and visually satisfying way to experience one of Nintendo’s most important games.
- Genre: Open-World Action-Adventure
- Year: 2025 (Switch 2 Edition; original 2017)
- Developer: Nintendo
- Metacritic Score: 94
Donkey Kong Bananza
Donkey Kong Bananza marks a bold reinvention of Nintendo’s iconic ape, launching as a Switch 2 exclusive in July 2025. Rather than leaning purely on nostalgia, it expands the franchise into a sprawling underground adventure built around mining, large-scale destruction, and character transformations. It feels both familiar and refreshingly ambitious—an attempt to reestablish Donkey Kong as a modern heavyweight.
Technically, it’s one of the Switch 2’s most demanding first-party titles. The game targets 60fps with dynamic resolutions ranging from 1080p to 1200p in docked mode, using AMD FSR 1 and SMAA to maintain image quality. Character models are richly detailed, animations are expressive, and reflective materials—particularly metals and crystals—show off the console’s improved lighting capabilities. Digital Foundry praises its ambition, noting that it pushes the system’s rendering limits more aggressively than most early releases.
It’s not flawless. Occasional frame drops during large boss encounters and some visible pop-in remind you this is still a hybrid console. But the vibrant art direction, dense environments, and sheer scale of destruction make Donkey Kong Bananza one of the most visually striking—and technically daring—Nintendo games in years.
- Genre: 3D Platformer / Action-Adventure
- Year: 2025
- Developer: Nintendo EPD
- Metacritic Score: 91
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
When Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade arrived on PlayStation 5, it set a new bar for cinematic RPG presentation. Its eventual release on Switch 2 in January 2026 initially sounded improbable—but the final result is a remarkably polished port that makes smart compromises without losing its visual identity.
Running at a locked 30fps, the Switch 2 version renders at 1080p docked, with DLSS used primarily for clean anti-aliasing rather than aggressive upscaling. Texture quality closely matches the PS5 release, while shadows and draw distances align more closely with the PS4 version. Even so, image clarity often surpasses the last-gen console thanks to cleaner reconstruction and faster storage, with load times dropping below ten seconds.
Digital Foundry calls it an “excellent port,” and that assessment holds up. Midgar’s neon-lit slums, dense character models, and dramatic lighting all translate surprisingly well to Nintendo’s hardware. Most impressive is how seamless it feels in handheld mode—delivering emotionally charged cutscenes and responsive combat without obvious compromise. It’s a clear example of how far Switch 2 can go when modern upscaling meets careful optimization.
- Genre: Action RPG
- Year: 2026 (Switch 2)
- Developer: Square Enix
- Metacritic Score: 90
Street Fighter 6
Street Fighter 6 revitalized the franchise in 2023 with its bold art direction, flexible control schemes, and the surprisingly deep World Tour mode. Its arrival on Switch 2 in June 2025—bundled as the Years 1–2 Fighters Edition—proved that competitive fighting games can thrive on Nintendo hardware without compromise.
The port runs at a fixed 960×540 internal resolution, upscaled to 1080p docked using DLSS, and locks perfectly to 60fps. Digital Foundry highlights its stability and image quality, noting that it often appears sharper than the Xbox Series S version thanks to superior reconstruction. Character models, facial animations, and flashy super moves retain their visual punch, while glossy materials and distant geometry show minimal aliasing.
What truly elevates the Switch 2 version is responsiveness. With support for 120Hz output, input latency is reduced significantly, making it viable even for competitive play. Combined with cross-platform matchmaking and solid portable performance, Street Fighter 6 stands as one of the best technical examples of a third-party game fully embracing the Switch 2’s capabilities.
- Genre: 2D Fighting
- Year: 2025 (Switch 2 Edition)
- Developer: Capcom
- Metacritic Score: 86
Mario Kart World
For decades, Mario Kart has been Nintendo’s gold standard for multiplayer chaos, but Mario Kart World—the flagship title of the Switch 2 launch in June 2025—pushes the series further than ever before. Developed by Nintendo EPD alongside Monolith Soft, it fuses traditional circuits with a fully connected open world, allowing players to seamlessly roam between tracks inspired by the wider Mario universe. With support for up to 24 players online, it blends exploration and competition in a way the franchise has never attempted.
Technically, it’s one of the cleanest showcases on the system. Digital Foundry praises its uncompromising presentation: a locked 1440p at 60fps when docked and 1080p handheld, achieved without dynamic resolution scaling or upscaling tricks. Instead, the game leans on raw GPU performance to deliver physically based materials, real-time reflections on water surfaces, volumetric fog during sunset races, and dense foliage that reacts dynamically as karts tear through it. Baked global illumination and subtle time-of-day transitions give the world a surprising sense of scale, while animated crowds and long draw distances complete the illusion.
The result is a racer that feels effortlessly smooth and visually rich, whether played on a living-room TV or in short portable bursts. It’s familiar Mario Kart chaos, but rendered with a level of polish that firmly plants it among Switch 2’s most impressive titles.
- Genre: Racing / Party
- Year: 2025
- Developer: Nintendo EPD, Monolith Soft
- Metacritic Score: 86
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
Cyberpunk 2077 has one of the most dramatic redemption arcs in modern gaming, evolving from its troubled 2020 launch into a technically refined open-world RPG. Its arrival on Switch 2 in June 2025—complete with the Phantom Liberty expansion—felt almost unthinkable at first. Yet the Ultimate Edition stands as one of the most ambitious third-party ports on the platform.
Powered by a custom DLSS solution, the game targets 1080p docked output across multiple modes, with internal resolutions dynamically scaling between 720p and 1080p at 30fps in quality mode, or lower targets in performance-oriented settings that push toward 40fps. Handheld modes scale accordingly, maintaining visual coherence on the smaller screen. Digital Foundry highlights image quality that surpasses the PS4 version in sharpness, with occasional texture parity with PS5, alongside improved asset streaming that minimizes pop-in across Night City’s dense streets.
Phantom Liberty does push the hardware hard, with occasional mid-20fps dips in the most demanding scenes, but the overall result remains deeply impressive. Neon reflections, crowded streets, and holographic signage retain their atmosphere, making Night City not just playable—but genuinely immersive—on a handheld console. It’s a demanding showcase that stretches Switch 2’s memory and GPU to their limits.
- Genre: Action RPG
- Year: 2025 (Switch 2)
- Developer: CD Projekt RED
- Metacritic Score: 85
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4
The Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series defined an era, and this remastered pairing of THPS 3 and THPS 4 brings two of its most beloved entries back with modern finesse. Released in July 2025 and built on the same engine as the acclaimed THPS 1 + 2 reboot, the collection preserves the series’ tight physics and combo-driven flow while modernizing visuals and performance for Switch 2.
Running at a locked 1080p and 60fps in docked mode, the game delivers near-arcade-perfect responsiveness. While Digital Foundry has yet to publish a full technical breakdown, hands-on comparisons show a clear leap over the original Switch ports: sharper geometry, cleaner image quality, and improved particle effects that make sparks, dust, and trick animations pop. Skate parks are crisp and readable, and animation fluidity ensures every revert and manual feels as responsive as it should.
It’s not a visual powerhouse in the same way as massive open-world games, but its clarity, stability, and smooth performance make it one of the most polished sports titles on the system—ideal for both couch multiplayer and quick handheld sessions.
- Genre: Sports / Skateboarding (Compilation)
- Year: 2025
- Developer: Iron Galaxy Studios
- Metacritic Score: 85
Hogwarts Legacy
Hogwarts Legacy was already an ambitious open-world RPG when it launched in 2023, offering players a richly detailed Wizarding World set in the late 1800s. The original Switch version made heavy sacrifices to fit on older hardware, but the Switch 2 release in mid-2025 transforms the experience into something far closer to its console counterparts.
Using DLSS upscaling, the game targets 1080p handheld output from a lower internal resolution and scales dynamically when docked, often approaching 1440p targets while maintaining a mostly stable 30fps. Digital Foundry describes the upgrade as a “gigantic leap” over the original Switch port, citing improved ambient occlusion, restored screen-space reflections, richer foliage density, and global illumination that dramatically improves interior lighting within Hogwarts itself.
Draw distances are significantly extended, loading screens are largely eliminated, and broom flight over the highlands finally feels expansive rather than constrained. While performance doesn’t reach 60fps, the visual upgrade alone makes this the definitive portable version of Hogwarts Legacy, balancing atmosphere and scale with impressive technical restraint.
- Genre: Action RPG / Open-World
- Year: 2025 (Switch 2)
- Developer: Avalanche Software, Portkey Games
- Metacritic Score: 84
Star Wars Outlaws: Gold Edition
Star Wars Outlaws arrives on Switch 2 in September 2025 as part of its Gold Edition, and it quickly earned a reputation as one of the system’s most technically impressive ports. Developed by Massive Entertainment, the game drops players into the criminal underbelly of the Star Wars galaxy, blending stealth, exploration, and open-world traversal across multiple planets.
Digital Foundry calls it the most impressive Switch 2 port to date, and the praise is justified. The game runs at a stable 30fps while outputting up to 1440p docked and 1080p handheld, aided by DLSS and hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Reflections shimmer convincingly across sand, metal, and glass, while ray-traced global illumination enhances interiors and night-time scenes. Despite some reductions in volumetric fog, overall image quality often surpasses the Xbox Series S in sharpness.
Frame pacing remains remarkably consistent even in busy market hubs, and environmental detail—from swaying foliage to richly modeled starships—holds up well in portable play. It’s a striking demonstration of what’s possible on Switch 2 when developers fully embrace its modern GPU features.
- Genre: Open-World Action-Adventure
- Year: 2025 (Switch 2)
- Developer: Massive Entertainment
- Metacritic Score: 81
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Set in feudal Japan, Assassin’s Creed Shadows arrived in late 2025 carrying enormous expectations. With dual protagonists—the agile shinobi Naoe and the imposing samurai Yasuke—the game blends classic stealth assassinations with large-scale combat across a vast, seasonally changing open world. From cherry blossom-covered villages to snow-draped mountain strongholds, it’s one of Ubisoft’s most visually ambitious entries to date.
Its December 2 launch on Switch 2 was initially met with skepticism, but that quickly turned to surprise. Digital Foundry labeled it an “almost impossible port,” and the description fits. Using DLSS to upscale a dynamic internal resolution—peaking around 900p and dipping lower in demanding scenes—the game outputs a clean 1080p docked image at a mostly stable 30fps. Probe-based global illumination lends depth to temple interiors and urban streets, while dynamic weather and crowd density preserve the sense of scale expected from a modern Assassin’s Creed.
There are compromises: foliage density is reduced, ray tracing is absent, and frame pacing isn’t flawless in docked mode. Still, the overall presentation remains atmospheric and cohesive. Scaling misty mountains or slipping through guarded castles on a handheld device feels like a genuine technical achievement, one that proves Switch 2 can host sprawling open worlds without losing their identity.
- Genre: Open-World Action-Adventure
- Year: 2025 (Switch 2)
- Developer: Ubisoft Quebec
- Metacritic Score: 81
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
After years of silence, restarts, and mounting expectations, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond finally landed in December 2025—and it immediately established itself as the definitive Switch 2 showcase. Retro Studios’ long-awaited return doesn’t just continue Samus Aran’s first-person adventures; it uses the new hardware to push performance in ways rarely seen on a Nintendo console.
The game offers two distinct modes. Performance mode targets 1080p at up to 120fps, delivering exceptionally responsive aiming and motion controls, while the quality mode aims for a 4K output at a rock-solid 60fps with increased clarity and draw distance. Digital Foundry highlights how both modes share identical textures and shadow quality, underscoring Retro’s engine efficiency rather than simple visual trade-offs.
Alien worlds are drenched in atmosphere, with volumetric fog, detailed materials, and subtle lighting effects reinforcing the series’ trademark isolation. Whether you’re scanning ancient ruins or engaging in beam-heavy combat, the experience feels fluid and modern. It’s not just a technical win—it’s one of the most confident demonstrations of what high-frame-rate gaming can look like on a hybrid console.
- Genre: First-Person Adventure / FPS
- Year: 2025
- Developer: Retro Studios
- Metacritic Score: 78
Super Mario Odyssey – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
When Super Mario Odyssey launched in 2017, it instantly became one of Nintendo’s most beloved 3D platformers. Its sandbox kingdoms, inventive capture mechanics, and boundless charm set a new standard for the genre. The Switch 2 Edition, released as a free upgrade in early 2025, doesn’t reinvent the game—but it perfects it.
Now running at a native 1440p upscaled to 4K docked, and 1080p handheld, the game holds a flawless 60fps. Improvements include sharper anisotropic filtering, higher-resolution shadows, and noticeably reduced load times that keep exploration flowing. New Donk City’s skyscrapers and Bowser’s lava-filled lairs gain extra depth and clarity without altering the original art direction.
It’s a subtle but meaningful upgrade. The vibrant worlds feel cleaner and more responsive, reinforcing why Odyssey remains a benchmark for 3D platform design. On Switch 2, it plays exactly as you remember—only smoother, sharper, and more immediate.
- Genre: 3D Platformer
- Year: 2025 (Switch 2 Edition; original 2017)
- Developer: Nintendo EPD
- Metacritic Score: 97
Kirby Air Riders
Kirby Air Riders was one of 2025’s biggest surprises. Reviving the cult-classic Kirby Air Ride from the GameCube era, this sequel blends high-speed racing with chaotic multiplayer modes, including the return of City Trial. Directed by Masahiro Sakurai and developed by Bandai Namco in collaboration with Sora Ltd., it balances accessibility with modern technical ambition.
On Switch 2, the game targets roughly 1080p docked—occasionally pushing higher in top-down modes—while maintaining a mostly locked 60fps. Digital Foundry praises its forward-rendering approach, featuring physically based materials, probe-based lighting, and subtle ray-traced elements that enhance reflections and bounce lighting. Kirby himself benefits from subsurface scattering, giving the character a soft, almost toy-like sheen that fits the series’ tone perfectly.
The result is a game that feels both playful and surprisingly advanced. Particle effects, motion blur, and vivid color work elevate every boost and collision, making it a standout multiplayer title that proves technical sophistication doesn’t have to come at the expense of fun.
- Genre: Arcade Racing / Action-Party
- Year: 2025
- Developer: Bandai Namco Studios / Sora Ltd.
- Metacritic Score: 79
Switch 2’s Graphics Leap: Why These Games Matter
These games aren’t one-off technical stunts—they’re a clear signal of where the Nintendo Switch 2 is headed. They show that a hybrid console can deliver both portable flexibility and visually impressive experiences without constant compromise. Whether it’s Nintendo studios targeting high refresh rates with surgical precision, or third-party developers using DLSS to bring large-scale worlds to life, the Switch 2’s hardware is proving surprisingly versatile.
What stands out most is how well first-party polish and third-party ambition now coexist. Nintendo’s signature art direction scales beautifully to higher resolutions, while external studios are finally able to bring visually demanding games over without feeling like second-class versions. The result is a library that doesn’t just look good today—it’s built to age well.
As 2026 continues, expect developers to push even further, with broader ray tracing adoption, smarter upscaling techniques, and more ambitious ports. If these games are the early benchmark, the Nintendo Switch 2 is set to host some of the most impressive hybrid visuals we’ve ever seen—at home or on the go.
