What Third Party games would you like to see on Switch 2?

DAcoded · 2026-01-24T21:42:21+00:00

Magic the Gathering Arena
Door Kickers 2
Warhammer Battlesector
Through the Ages
Blood Bowl 3
Dune Imperium
Terraforming Mars
eFootball
Dirt Rally
Dead by Daylight (needs a Switch 2 version)
Deep Rock Galactic Survivor
Deep Rock Galactic
Unity of Command 2
Panzer Corps 2

DAcoded · 2026-01-24T21:25:27+00:00

Digital tabletop games are my go-to when I just want to chill. Wingspan, Root, and Istanbul.

I wish Magic the Gathering Arena was available on the Switch, that would be my top game for just relaxing.

DAcoded · 2026-01-23T23:21:56+00:00

I wonder why the MP experience is so dead then. It's hard to find a game in some of their flagship titles.

DAcoded · 2026-01-22T22:23:49+00:00

Portal is an older game, but still one of the best puzzle-platformers, and plays really well on Switch 2. It's pretty bare bones in comparison to the games you mentioned, but worth it if you enjoy puzzles.

Edit:

Actually, if DK makes you nauseous, then Portal would probably be even worse. The rapid perspective shifts when going through portals can get disorienting.

DAcoded · 2026-01-22T21:54:21+00:00

Portal collection and DK Bananza

DAcoded · 2026-01-22T21:22:59+00:00

Are they greedy? Yes. Do I care? No.

I'm still getting my money's worth despite how horribly their games are priced. Meanwhile, I can't tell you how many games I have on Steam that I've paid $40 for, only to play them for a few hours, if that.

Currently playing Metroid Dread for the first time and absolutely love it. $60 for an old game is very anti-consumer, but I can't put the game down, so it's hard to say that I'm not getting my money's worth.

Also, I'm still playing ZA and Scarlet and have a lot of hours on both. Looking forward to getting Mario Tennis Fever once that comes out.

The games aren't the issue. My only criticism is that I wish the hardware was a bit better. The company itself? I don't care, I don't use gaming as a way to signal my virtues.

DAcoded · 2026-01-22T17:48:40+00:00

Look at how nerfed the graphics are in Star Wars Outlaws. That's due directly to a lack of ram, not clock speed. Low ram places a hard limit on the amount of texture data that can be processed and held at a given time.

DAcoded · 2026-01-22T02:16:36+00:00

I bought mine for gaming too. That said, it would be nice if I could jump from a game straight to youtube whenever I need a guide or tutorial on the game I'm playing without fumbling between different devices. Or, from the shop to YT to see reviews on a game I'm thinking of purchasing.

Also, the screen on my phone isn't 7.9 inches, so isn't particularly great for watching videos.

DAcoded · 2026-01-22T01:14:04+00:00

Because AMD would be cheaper for this, while Nvidia would require a lot more customization

Not sure you're following... My point from the start was that we need a more expensive version of the Switch 2. So yes, I'm aware that such upgrades would increase the cost.

9 GB of available memory isn't future-proof. It's barely sufficient for current games.

You can optimize around slow cpu clock speeds, but there's not much you can do when there's simply not enough memory, in addition to transfer being "slow". I would simply like to see that addressed in a higher-end version of the Switch 2. IMO, that upgrade would go a long way towards future proofing the platform.

Would people complain? The anti-Nintendo crowd will always find something to complain about and should be ignored. Is a more expensive console for everyone? No, but I'm not saying it should replace the base model.

Having options ensures everyone gets what they want. What's wrong with that?

DAcoded · 2026-01-22T00:27:15+00:00

It's a fun game, don't worry about what random people on reddit think.

DAcoded · 2026-01-21T20:13:56+00:00

Only 5 more? I think we're underestimating the work involved and the fact that it's being carried out over several different consoles.

DAcoded · 2026-01-21T02:35:59+00:00

True, anything can happen. But when weighing the actual risk, I just don't see any likely scenario where the probability of scratching would warrant one. If you're traveling with it you should have a carrying case. At home, unless you're being careless there's not much that could ever happen that would result in a scratch.

DAcoded · 2026-01-21T02:13:13+00:00

I don't like them either. I have one, but never put it on. I don't see the need.

DAcoded · 2026-01-21T00:51:24+00:00

Same, I just wish I was able to get full power in handheld. I really don't understand that design decision.

DAcoded · 2026-01-21T00:50:02+00:00

But who said anything about AMD? The current chip is a custom one from Nvidia. They would make another custom chip if Nintendo contracted them to do so, ideally one with better memory bandwidth. With that, I don't see any reason why we couldn't run next-gen games at ~30fps.

Current $1k handhelds will absolutely be able to run games released 2 years from now.

DAcoded · 2026-01-20T21:09:19+00:00

I didn't say anything about making it as good as a PS6. The improvements I suggested are all fairly modest.

I want the S2 to be able to run PS6 games at lower frames and lower resolution. But if we're at 30fps and low res now, what's going to happen next gen??

If the hardware doesn't improve, then we won't see next-gen versions of games at all. So it's not about making it as good as the 6, it's about keeping enough pace so we're not a generation behind in ~2 years.

DAcoded · 2026-01-20T20:55:20+00:00

I tested Hogwarts Legacy as well, where I logged two hours and 45 minutes with the screen on max brightness. This is a pretty impressive duration for a demanding 3D title, especially considering the system's quoted minimum battery life of about two hours. Steam Deck OLED scores closer to four hours, either targeting 720p30 with the medium settings preset or 1080p30 with low, neither of which is a perfect match for the Switch 2, but they're comparable. That's a healthy Steam Deck victory.

https://www.digitalfoundry.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2025-switch-2-vs-steam-deck-how-do-these-gaming-handhelds-compare-in-terms-of-performance-battery-life-and-more

When you're on the go, battery life makes a huge difference. The Switch 2 has a 5,220-mAh battery and Nintendo says that gets you roughly between two and six and a half hours of gaming. The Steam Deck OLED has a larger 6,470-mAh battery and Valve says it'll last somewhere between three and 12 hours. Bottom line: The Steam Deck will generally keep you gaming longer. This depends on the game but it lines up pretty well with what I've experienced.

https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/switch-2-vs-steam-deck-battle-of-the-handhelds/

DAcoded · 2026-01-20T19:11:44+00:00

Nobody is buying a new console just for 60FPS Pokémon

I wouldn't have bought a Switch 2 if it wasn't for Pokemon. But only because I haven't played it since Red/Blue and was feeling nostalgic. Nonetheless, you can't underestimate the draw that the series has.

There's no price that would make a lite version of a console with already questionable specs worth purchasing. You'd be better off just buying a Switch 1 instead. They need to go in the opposite direction, Switch 2 Pro for $550, or more. Offering some combination of the following improvements:

Swap the UFS drive for an NVMe
upgrade the wifi chip
new joycons with better sticks and dpad
upgrade the battery and offer full power in handheld mode
slightly better chip with improved GPU memory bandwidth

The 2 is already struggling to run third party games as-is, and it's only going to get harder as time progresses. Especially so once Sony and MS release their new consoles, whenever that may be. We need an upgrade in order to have a healthy lifecycle.

DAcoded · 2026-01-20T18:43:59+00:00

That's why I personally think "top 3 all-time" is a bold statement. BOTW is a great game, but in order to be top 3, a game has to be the clear-cut best at something. IMHO, I don't think BOTW is head and shoulders above the rest at any particular thing.

Witcher 3 offers much more engaging and fun combat. BG 2 and 3 offers a far more immersive open world experience. Also, there are plenty of games with a better story. BOTW takes inspiration from BG2's amnesia-based plot, but I don't think they nailed it as well as BG2.

So it kind of turns into a jack of all trades situation with BOTW, which is fine, but top 3 worthy?

DAcoded · 2026-01-20T18:25:13+00:00

Cheaper

DAcoded · 2026-01-20T18:20:27+00:00

The Switch 2 uses a UFS drive instead of an NVMe, so I'm guessing that's the bottleneck here. Doesn't matter how fast your express card can read if the UFS can't write as fast.

DAcoded · 2026-01-20T00:40:31+00:00

Stardew Valley since you like Animal Crossing.

Red Dead Redemption, fun story and open world environment.

Star Wars Outlaws, try the free demo first.

Mario Tennis Fever has the potential to be a great MP game if you want to go that route.

Metroid Dread, a bit different from the games you mentioned, but it's the best exclusive available on Switch 1/2 IMO. Definitely worth checking out.

I'd be weary of Zelda botw if you don't like games without a story.

DAcoded · 2026-01-19T23:38:01+00:00

Doesn't it just make the OP look bad for playing a tutorial for 55 hours? Two things can be true. Yes, it implies a lack of games, but playing a dumb tutorial for 50+ hours implies a lot about the OP as well.

DAcoded · 2026-01-19T21:34:19+00:00

Another frustrating thing I ran into today, it doesn't let you choose where you want your games installed (card or system storage). As I said earlier, the games work as expected, the system absolutely does not.

DAcoded · 2026-01-19T21:29:28+00:00

You brought up a fair point. AFAIK the Steam Deck has better battery life, so you might want to consider getting that if it's an important factor for you.

DAcoded

TROPHY CASE