Football Manager 26 Touch will be releasing for the Nintendo Switch with the biggest refresh the series has ever had on the platform. Built on the new Unity engine, FM26 Touch aims to narrow the gap between handheld and PC while still retaining the streamlined approach fans expect from the Touch editions.
Match Day Gets A Major Overhaul, UI Is “Optimized”
While FM26 has polarized audiences with its new UI, most players have seemed to enjoy — or at least appreciate — the revamped Unity Engine-powered Match Day experience. While not on par with modern sports games, the updated graphics have certainly made watching matches a bit more enjoyable due to volumetric animations, new motion-capture data, improved dribbling AI, and smoother animation blending. Visuals have received a similar facelift, with enhanced lighting, new sky effects, sharper pitch surfaces, and upgraded stadium models.
Presentation has been refreshed as well, with improved camera angles, revamped replays, and a new Dynamic highlight setting that adjusts the number of highlights depending on match context. FM26 Touch also becomes the first entry in the series to feature the fully licensed Premier League on Switch — complete with official club logos, kits, player photos, and broadcast-style branding. Three additional men’s competitions and 14 women’s leagues make their debut, too.
The general idea of the FM26 Touch UI won’t be radically different than what it is on the base PC version of the game. So, if you’re expecting any changes there, it’s best not to get your hopes up. That said, SI has promised a more “optimized” version of the FM26 UI for the Touch version on the Switch.
All in all, the same features that are present in the PC version — the Portal, FMPedia, Bookmarks, and new Search function — are all on tap to be added to the Switch version.
Overall, Football Manager 26 has arguably been the most controversial entry in the series yet. While tactical freedom and better visuals have carried the load, the game’s user interface has felt clunky, difficult, and overwhelming. That said, Content Update 1 is currently on tap for next week, so it’s very possible that SI can fix these issues in the near future.
