2026’s Nintendo Switch 2 Exclusives Are Reason Enough to Buy the Console

These days, it’s unusual for games to be released on a single console, but it wasn’t always like that. For most of home video gaming history, console exclusivity was one of the most compelling reasons to buy one gaming system over another, but those days are largely behind us. An easy example is Halo, which was limited to the Xbox, is coming to PlayStation. It’s far more common for game publishers to distribute their titles on anything that can support them, but there are still a few exclusive games out there. Nintendo has always led the way with console exclusives, mainly because it tightly controls its IP. 

That’s worked well for the Switch, and now the Switch 2 offers a new hardware generation that’s become a place for Nintendo’s console exclusivity to continue. Since its release in June 2025, Nintendo has already published several console exclusives that aren’t upgrades of pre-existing Switch titles. These include Mario Kart World, Kirby Air Riders, Donkey Kong Bananza, Fast Fusion, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, and several others. While these kept gamers happily busy in 2025, the slate of releases for 2026 is reason enough to buy the console for anyone who’s been on the fence.

Nintendo’s 2026 Releases Are Exciting

While there’s already a plethora of amazing games available on the Nintendo Switch 2, the releases slated for 2026 are exciting to many gamers. Like the Switch, plenty of non-exclusive titles will arrive on the console in 2026, so expect to have more than enough games to keep you busy. Some of these ports include Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition, Borderlands 4, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, Resident Evil Requiem, and many more. Given the Switch’s capabilities in playing ports of popular games, and the Switch 2’s significant hardware upgrades, these games are not going to disappoint.

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While all of these titles are enough to get excited about if you’ve been thinking about upgrading to a Switch 2, it’s the console’s first-party line-up that’s likely to sway more people to pick up the new console. Five known titles are coming to the Switch 2 in 2026, and while release dates remain elusive for most, there is a solid drop date for one. Pokémon Pokopia will arrive on March 5, 2026. The game is different from other Pokémon titles, as it’s a life simulation game and a spin-off, so it’s not a mainline title. In it, the player controls a human-imitating Metamon named Ditto.

It’s kind of a mashup of Pokémon and Minecraft, incorporating crafting and building mechanics into the franchise’s world, which is rich with a variety of biomes to explore. In the second quarter of 2026, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book will hit the Switch 2. It’s the seventh game in the Yoshi series, and is a side-scrolling platformer. After this, The Duskbloods will arrive, though it’s unclear when. The action RPG is developed by FromSoftware and looks to be a massive multiplayer game set in an entirely new IP. It will be followed by the next game in the Splatoon franchise, Splatoon Raiders, and Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, the 18th mainline release in the franchise that looks to be a significant expansion.

The Switch 2 Will Deliver Several Franchise Expansions

Nintendo’s 2026 release schedule is hardly surprising, where its console exclusives are concerned. The company has a long history of adding strong sequels to its existing franchises, and that trend continues into next year. That’s likely why some of the biggest releases of the year include new entries in the Splatoon, Pokémon, and Yoshi franchises. Still, the release of The Duskbloods shows that Nintendo isn’t afraid to experiment and release something entirely new. That title will allow for up to eight players to play within a PvPvE world, utilizing new mechanics coupled with online gameplay, so it’s something to look forward to. Whatever your gaming preference, if you’re a Switch owner and have been thinking about an upgrade, there’s no time like the present, thanks to a strong gaming library that’s only going to get better next year.

Which Nintendo Switch 2 console exclusive are you the most excited about for 2026? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!