Picking the best Nintendo Switch 2 games in 2026 is really a question of which one to load first, because the console’s early library is unusually strong and UK eShop prices now range from £49.99 to £66.99 depending on the title. We have played the headline releases and lined up five we would actually spend money on, with the exact UK price, who each suits, and the catch worth knowing before you buy. Nintendo’s own Switch 2 games hub lists far more, but these are the five that justify the outlay.
Updated on 31 May 2026 with current UK eShop pricing.
How we chose these five Switch 2 games
We weighted three things: whether the game genuinely uses the Switch 2 hardware rather than being a Switch 1 port, whether it earns its UK price against the rest of the library, and who it actually suits, from a six-year-old to a returning Metroid fan. We checked every price on the UK eShop and against UK retailers on the day of writing, and we have noted where a physical copy beats the download. If you are still deciding on the console itself, our guide to the Nintendo Switch 2 in the UK explains the September 2026 price change worth beating first.
Mario Kart World: the best Switch 2 game overall
Mario Kart World is the easiest recommendation on this list and the game most Switch 2 owners should buy first. It costs £66.99 on the UK eShop and £74.99 as a cartridge, so the download saves you £8. The leap from previous Mario Kart games is the open, interconnected world you drive between races, and grids that scale up to 24 racers rather than the series’ long-standing 12. That doubling changes the feel of every race and is the clearest argument for buying on Switch 2.
Great for: couch multiplayer, families and anyone who wants one game that everyone can pick up. Not so great for: players who wanted a pure track-racer, since the free-roam world is a big change. At £66.99 it is not cheap, but it is the title we would least regret buying, and the one most likely to still be in the console months from now.
Donkey Kong Bananza: the best solo adventure
If you want a single big single-player game to sink into, Donkey Kong Bananza is it. It is £58.99 on the eShop and £66.99 physical, and the hook is terrain you can destroy: you smash, dig and tunnel through layered, breakable environments as Donkey Kong, with Pauline along for the ride. It is the kind of physics-led playground that only really works with the extra processing headroom of the new console, which is why it feels like a proper Switch 2 showcase rather than a cross-generation release.
Great for: players who loved 3D Mario and want a meaty solo campaign. Not so great for: anyone after competitive multiplayer, as this is a one-player game at heart. Our view is that Bananza is the best-value first-party adventure on the system right now: £58.99 buys dozens of hours, and the destructible world keeps surprising you long after the novelty of most platformers fades.
Kirby Air Riders: the best pick for parties
Kirby Air Riders is the social pick, a long-awaited sequel to the GameCube’s Kirby Air Ride directed again by Masahiro Sakurai. It costs £58.99 on the eShop and £66.99 physical, with new amiibo if you collect them. The appeal is simplicity: easy to grasp, hard to put down, and built for a room full of people rather than a solo grind. It is the game we would reach for when friends are over and not everyone is a serious gamer.
Great for: party nights, younger teens and lapsed players. Not so great for: anyone expecting the depth of Mario Kart World, since Air Riders trades complexity for instant fun. If you already own Mario Kart World, treat Kirby Air Riders as the second multiplayer game rather than a replacement, and wait for a sale if £58.99 feels steep for a party title.
Metroid Prime 4 Beyond: the best pick for grown-up players
Metroid Prime 4 Beyond is the one for players who want something atmospheric and adult rather than colourful. It arrives as a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, which is the version to buy for the sharper visuals and smoother frame rate the new console allows. The eShop digital price is around £58.99, but this is the title where you should shop around: UK retailers have discounted the physical Switch 2 cartridge heavily, and we have seen it well below the digital figure, so the disc is often the smarter buy here.
Great for: returning Metroid fans and anyone who wants a slower, exploration-led first-person adventure. Not so great for: younger children, for whom the tone is too sombre. Because a Switch 1 version also exists, this is the clearest case on the list for checking you are buying the Switch 2 Edition, not the older release, before you pay.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book: the best pick for younger players
For families with younger children, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is both the cheapest and the friendliest game here at £49.99 on the eShop. It is a single-player storybook adventure that runs in 4K on a TV, built around flipping between the front and back of its pages to change each scene. It does not demand fast reflexes, which makes it ideal for a six-year-old, and our full Yoshi and the Mysterious Book UK buying breakdown explains the digital-versus-disc choice in detail.
Great for: children, casual players and anyone who wants a relaxing platformer. Not so great for: players chasing a challenge, as it is gentle by design. At £49.99 it is the lowest-priced first-party game on this list, which makes it the easy first purchase for a child’s new console.
Digital or physical, and where to buy in the UK
On Switch 2, Nintendo has started setting a lower recommended price for digital downloads than for cartridges of the same first-party game, so the eShop is usually the cheapest route for new releases. The trade-off is ownership: a download cannot be lent, sold or traded in, while a cartridge holds resale value, which for Nintendo games tends to stay high. Here is how we would buy each:
- Mario Kart World (£66.99 eShop): buy digital if it is staying in the family; it is the game you will keep, so resale matters less.
- Donkey Kong Bananza (£58.99 eShop): digital is fine for a long solo game you will not trade in.
- Kirby Air Riders (£58.99 eShop): consider the cartridge so you can pass a party game around or sell it later.
- Metroid Prime 4 Beyond (around £58.99 digital): check Amazon UK, Argos and Game for the discounted Switch 2 cartridge, which often undercuts the download.
- Yoshi and the Mysterious Book (£49.99 eShop): eShop for convenience, or the £49.99 Amazon UK cartridge if a child might pass it on.
Across all five, check My Nintendo Store, Amazon UK, Argos, Currys and Game on the day, and factor in any Nintendo Switch Online discounts or eShop credit you already hold.
Our verdict
If you buy one game, buy Mario Kart World at £66.99: it is the most replayable, the most sociable and the best showcase of what the Switch 2 adds, and it is our overall winner. We would pair it with Donkey Kong Bananza at £58.99 for solo play, add Yoshi and the Mysterious Book at £49.99 if there are young children in the house, and save Kirby Air Riders and Metroid Prime 4 Beyond for a sale unless you specifically want a party game or a Metroid fix now. The one thing that would change our order is price: if a retailer cuts the Metroid Switch 2 cartridge hard, it jumps up the list as the best-value pick on the system. For most UK buyers, though, Mario Kart World first is the call we are most confident in.
Best Nintendo Switch 2 games UK: frequently asked questions
What is the single best Switch 2 game to buy first?
Mario Kart World at £66.99 on the eShop. It is the most replayable game on the system, works for solo play and parties, and its open world and 24-racer grids are the clearest demonstration of what the Switch 2 hardware adds over the original console.
Is digital always cheaper than physical on Switch 2?
For new first-party games, usually yes, because Nintendo sets a lower digital recommended price. But retailers discount older cartridges heavily, so for a title like Metroid Prime 4 Beyond the physical disc can end up cheaper than the digital download. Always check both before buying.
Which Switch 2 game is best for young children?
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book at £49.99. It is a gentle single-player platformer that does not need fast reflexes, runs in 4K on a TV and is the lowest-priced first-party game here, which makes it the natural first game for a child’s Switch 2.
Do these games work on the original Switch?
Mostly no. Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, Kirby Air Riders and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book are Switch 2 titles. Metroid Prime 4 Beyond is the exception, with both a Switch and a Switch 2 Edition, so check you are buying the Switch 2 version for the better performance.
Are there cheaper ways to buy Switch 2 games in the UK?
Watch for retailer sales at Amazon UK, Argos and Game, use any eShop credit or Switch Online member discounts, and consider cartridges for games you might resell. Bundles that pair a console with a game can also undercut buying the two separately, so price those before committing.
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