The Nintendo Switch may be entering its twilight years but, even as it approaches its sixth birthday, it may still have plenty of life yet.
So far, Nintendo hasn’t even teased a successor and, while it has nowhere near the raw power of a PlayStation 5 (or even a PlayStation 4, come to that), the unique games it attracts simply can’t be found anywhere else.
So what’s coming to a Nintendo Switch near you in the next year? Here are the best upcoming Switch games, divided into first-party Nintendo exclusives, multi-platform ports, and remakes.
Best upcoming Switch games: Nintendo exclusives
Mario Kart Deluxe DLC
Okay, it’s not technically an upcoming Switch game — it’s downloadable content for a near-launch title from 2017. And even then it was a remake of a Wii U game from 2014.
Still, with a total of 48 new courses coming by the end of 2023, it’s almost like a whole new game. For reference, the base game only came with 48 to begin with, doubling the track total. True, they’re lifted from the mobile game Mario World Tour, so the art is a little off, but double the Mario Kart for £18? It’s the bargain of the year.
Release date: End of 2023 (3/6 batches available now)
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
What better way to enjoy the Switch’s swansong than with a sequel to its best launch title? Breathing new life into the Zelda franchise, Breath of the Wild gave up a whole open world to enjoy, combined with the same magical gameplay we know and love.
That open world looks even more open in the sequel, with both the skies and lands below Hyrule open to exploration. We can’t wait to get exploring when Tears of the Kingdom arrives in the spring.
Release date: May 12, 2023.
Pikmin 4
Pikmin is one of Nintendo’s most charming franchises, and it was seemingly forgotten after two GameCube outings, one Wii U game, and a 3DS spin-off. But we’re finally getting a true sequel in 2023.
It’s a quirky strategy game where you grow, harvest, and boss around tiny plant-like beings to do your bidding in a world that looks suspiciously like a suburban back garden. If you want a little early taste, Pikmin 3 has already been remade for Switch to fill in the months while you wait.
Release date: 2023.
Metroid Prime 4
Metroid Prime 4 has been missing in action since it first appeared in an E3 showcase in 2017 — back in the days when Nintendo still attended the event.
Five years later, there’s still no release date in sight. But, given the original trilogy is widely regarded as offering some of the best gameplay of the GameCube and Wii era, we have high hopes that Nintendo will pull something special out of the bag when Metroid Prime 4 is finally ready for showtime.
Release date: TBA.
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon
Pretty much nobody was expecting another Bayonetta game so soon after the third in the series arrived on Switch in October, and yet we already have a spin-off on the way.
The art style is dramatically different, as you can see above, and the game will tell the story of a young Bayonetta - then a witch called Cereza - and her possessed stuffed toy, Cheshire.
Release date: March.
Best upcoming Switch games: Multi-platform ports
A word of warning for this section: the Switch was decently powered at launch, but it’s showing its age now. Some multi-platform ports have already pushed it to the limits, and others have simply not provided a good experience.
Time will tell whether these will be anywhere near the same standard as other versions but, if you’re a multi-console house, you may want to consider the PlayStation, Xbox, or PC versions instead.
Moving Out 2
If you loved Overcooked, then you’ll get an equally giddy thrill from the co-op madness of Moving Out 2. Instead of a kitchen, you and up to three friends work in removals, emptying houses as quickly as possible in a slapstick manner.
This time around, we’re getting cross-platform online multiplayer, meaning you can make a hash of things with players around the globe, no matter what version they’re playing.
Release date: 2023.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns
If you’ve been thoroughly addicted to X-Com 2 on Switch (or its less-serious genre mate, Mario + Rabbids), you’ll want to keep an eye on Marvel’s Midnight Suns, which has already been released to great acclaim on Xbox Series and PlayStation 5 consoles, but is taking a bit longer for Switch.
It’s from X-Com developer Firaxis and aims to bring the same kind of turn-based combat to the world of Marvel superheroes. While you’ll make your own superhero — The Hunter, who can be equipped with more than 40 superpowers — your squad can be topped up with familiar faces from the Marvel Universe, including Wolverine, Iron Man, Captain America, and Spider-Man.
Release date: 2023.
Hogwart’s Legacy
Nintendo Switch-owning Harry Potter fans aren’t being left out by Warner Bros. The upcoming open-world RPG Hogwart’s Legacy is scheduled to come to the console in July 2023 - a few months after it hits other platforms.
You won’t be bumping into Harry and his friends in-game, of course — it’s set around 100 years before they enrol in the school, and looks to tell stories that pre-date (and perhaps explain) some of the more familiar goings-on at Hogwarts.
Release date: July 25, 2023.
Lord of the Rings: Gollum
While most Lord of the Rings tie-ins — such as the brilliant Shadow of Mordor — have had you playing as brutal killers, this latest adventure gives a very different perspective: Gollum’s. It’s an intriguing concept, as Gollum will have to rely on stealth and parkour skills to avoid detection and avoid fights he’d surely lose.
While the game was originally scheduled for 2021 and then September 2022, it has been pushed yet again to “deliver the best possible experience”. When it will arrive on the Switch is anyone’s guess.
Release date: TBA.
Outer Wilds
Outer Wilds - as distinct from The Outer Worlds - scooped multiple game-of-the-year awards when it arrived in 2019. That’s thanks to its clever time-loop design, where you explore the local solar system 22 minutes at a time before the star explodes in a supernova and the game resets. Gradually, with multiple playthroughs, you gather clues to figure out what’s happening, progressing bit by bit.
The Nintendo site still lists the release date for Outer Wilds as Summer 2021, but we haven’t given up hope. Though the delays do leave us wondering exactly what state this port will be in if and when it finally arrives.
Release date: TBA
Best upcoming Switch games: Remakes and remasters
Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe
2022 marks the 30th year of Kirby — the little pink ball that can absorb enemies to take on their skills.
To celebrate, Nintendo will be remaking the Wii title Return to Dreamland for the Switch in 2023. The original scored reasonably well, with an average of 77 per cent on Metacritic, and the remake promises a whole lot more, including a host of new minigames for four players.
Release date: February 24, 2023.
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp
The Game Boy Advance classic is getting remade for Nintendo Switch with two games in one.
If you’ve never played an Advance Wars game before, you’re in for a treat, with extremely moreish turn-based strategy missions that test your tactical nous to the max. Being able to play this in handheld mode is going to cause a lot of missed Tube stops. But it has been delayed a couple of times now, so it’s not clear when we’ll get that pleasure.
Release date: TBA.
