Nintendo is coming off a 12 months of two halves in 2025. In our look again, I identified that there was a major trajectory change when the Swap 2 arrived in June, that means the problem for the ‘Home that Mario Constructed’ is sustaining that momentum.
And, to its credit score, Nintendo appears poised to try this with a collection of exclusives, stronger third-party assist than the unique Swap noticed in its lifetime, and people all-important Swap 2 editions of video games, doubtlessly with an prolonged array of bundles.
After Switch 2’s big launch, here’s everything we’re expecting in 2026, and the big questions that remain for Nintendo’s next year.
Lots of exclusives, but where’s Mario?
The Nintendo Switch 2’s first few months have given us Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and whereas a few them are on the prior era {hardware}, Nintendo already has loads of exclusives lined up for the primary quarter of 2026.
Between January and March, we’ll get Mario Tennis Fever, Pokopia, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Swap 2 Version. Provided that the latter entry was Swap 1’s second-best-selling title, count on the improve to attract a crowd. That brings us to different Swap 2 upgrades, too. Super Mario Bros. Wonder will get a Swap 2 Version, for instance, which is nice.
Nonetheless, Nintendo’s pricing is in every single place. Some releases get efficiency upgrades without spending a dime (or are in any other case accessible cheaply), which could be very welcome, however others really feel much less straightforward to advocate, like Super Mario Party Jamboree.
Fortunately, there are new video games to depend on, too. Yoshi and the Mysterious Ebook, Hearth Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, and the inevitable reveal of extra first-party titles at an as-yet-unannounced Nintendo Direct really feel like they’re prone to enchantment to present Nintendo followers. Nonetheless, with a Mario film sequel arriving in 2026, we’d wager the corporate’s mascot will get some type of 3D platformer round that point to coincide with its launch – particularly given Tremendous Mario Odyssey will probably be 9 years previous at that time. 9!
For the primary time in a very long time, Nintendo’s first 12 months appears full of third-party assist, too. Many publishers took a extra reactive method to the unique Swap, however Nintendo received them over in time.
With the likes of Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Elden Ring making their Nintendo debuts, there’s an argument that it’s nonetheless ready for large video games years after launch, however new releases are mounting up, too. 007 Hearth Mild, Resident Evil: Requiem, Reanimal, and Dragon Quest 7: Reimagined are all launching within the subsequent few months, whereas the Bloodborne-looking The Duskbloods by FromSoftware stays a Swap 2 unique.
Expect fresh bundles, but no new hardware
Amazon dropped the value of the Nintendo Swap 2 in the course of the Black Friday buying interval, suggesting it won’t be out of the query to count on extra reductions in 2026 – however I wouldn’t financial institution on something widespread, particularly because the console is promoting properly on the flip of the 12 months.
As an alternative, count on extra bundles. Nintendo put Mario Kart World and Pokémon Legends: Z-A in bundles inside the Swap 2’s first few months, and it’s possible that’ll proceed with different titles in 2026.
One of many few gripes many have with the Swap 2 is that it’s not packing an OLED display, nevertheless it nonetheless feels too quickly for a {hardware} revision of that magnitude. I additionally suppose it’s too quickly for a Swap 2 Lite – each of these really feel like strong merchandise for 2027 on the earliest if Nintendo follows its personal playbook.
Alternatively, count on a lot extra Pleasure-Con 2 choices for the brand new system, with loads of coloration choices and possibly a brand new Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller design, too, which ties in with some type of massive launch. There’s already precedent for that, with a restricted version design based mostly on Resident Evil Requiem launching on February 27 – the identical day as the sport itself.
The questions that remain
It’s a case of ‘so far, so good’ for Nintendo right now, with the company avoiding the supply constraints of the last generation while also packing in a whole host of exclusives early on. A second year can be tricky, but Nintendo’s wide library of exclusives (and the fact we’ve not had a Switch 2 Mario or Zelda title yet) means things are likely to continue smoothly.
Perhaps the biggest question right now is about the original Switch. It’s no doubt earned its place in the company’s pantheon of products, but will Nintendo discontinue it or leave it as an affordable entry point for consumers? Does it need to cut the string that ties cross-gen games to it in order to push devs towards Switch 2?
And, while its third-party credentials look very promising for the next six months, will that continue? Will the likes of Square Enix expect too much of a port of Final Fantasy 7 Remake (six years after its debut), leading to it toning down its Switch 2 output? We’ll find out in the months to come, but for now, things are looking positive.
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