The Nintendo Switch eventually became a great home for open-world games, even though it wasn’t the preferred platform for open-world fans compared to the PS4, Xbox One, and eventually their successor consoles. Some examples of open-world games on the Switch include Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is now a few months old, and fans may be curious how its open-world offerings are so far. Between exclusive games and enhanced ports, there are actually some great games to play on the console already, with more on the way, like Borderlands 4 and Pokemon Legends: Z-A. For now, open-world fans will enjoy these excellent games on the Nintendo Switch 2.
Mario Kart World
Let’s-A-Go!
It’s not often that a console launches with an open-world game, let alone a racing game. Mario Kart World was the first entry in the series to offer an open world for players to roam in between races, and in true Nintendo fashion, it does so to great success.
There are side quests, trials, NPCs, secrets, and tons of costumes to unlock. Compared to other open-world games, Mario Kart World is a bit barren, even with the activities listed. Still, as an overall package, it was a fun racing game to kick off the Switch 2’s lifecycle.
Donkey Kong Bananza
Oh, Banana!
Donkey Kong Bananza was the next big exclusive to hit the console after Mario Kart World, and it does not disappoint in terms of bringing Donkey Kong back into the spotlight. Stronger than ever before, DK can bash through nearly every surface across a wide range of biomes, all connected vertically.
While it’s not a seamless open-world, the environments players can explore are vast and chock-full of secrets to uncover, like hidden levels and various resources that can be used to gear up DK. Plus, he’s joined by Pauline, who adds some extra flavor to a game that is already brimming with energy.
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
A Switch Launch Game That Still Rules
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was the launch game for the Switch, and it’s now enhanced on the Switch 2 to an incredible degree. It loads faster, the frame rate is smoother, and it’s just an overall looker, even by modern standards. It helped redefine what a Zelda game could be, and Nintendo hit it out of the park between the Shrine puzzles, NPCs, physics systems, and the vastness of the world.
Even Soulslike fans jumped on board with the original Switch version because it was one of the most challenging Zelda games Nintendo had ever created. The enhanced version on the Switch 2 loses none of that challenge, but simply improves the experience from a technical and visual standpoint.
The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
One Open-World Becomes Three
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom takes place in the same Hyrule as Breath of the Wild, with the surface world being more or less the same as what’s seen in its predecessor. The reason why it still works as a new game is that fans can now explore the sky and the underground.
It made an already big game bigger, which not every fan enjoyed, as more is not always better. That said, the more unique thing about this sequel was Link’s ability to fuse weapons out of objects found throughout the world, and to craft things like fully-powered vehicles, which helped create a helpful community of inventors online and took the game’s creative freedom to unprecedented heights.
Cyberpunk 2077
Surprisingly, It Runs Great
Cyberpunk 2077 didn’t have a great launch in 2020, but in 2025, it’s now a fantastic game on consoles, including the Switch 2, which is astounding. It may not look as good as the PS5 version, for example, but the port is still astoundingly solid, as it’s not a simple game. There are a lot of moving parts, not to mention the impressive visuals and the fast-paced combat.
Players can explore Night City and commit cyber crimes, or explore the deserts surrounding this futuristic haven to take on bandits. Any way that players want to live out their cyberpunk life, the game has an answer, with a deep customization system of abilities and a thrilling story that Keanu Reeves fans will not want to miss.
No Man’s Sky
For Star Fox Fans
No Man’s Sky also had a rough launch, but after almost a decade’s worth of updates, the game is exactly what Hello Games promised originally in advertisements, and has arguably gone beyond anything players imagined the game could be. It’s more like an open-galaxy game, as players can fly to a literal infinite number of planets either alone or with friends, easily making it the biggest game on the Switch 2.
Players can soar to a planet, harvest resources, examine wildlife, and perhaps even engage in a little bit of combat, which is not the focus, even though the various fighting systems have improved over the years. It’s one of the most chill games ever created, and it’s the perfect game for anyone craving a seemingly never-ending experience.
Hogwarts Legacy
A Student Of Magic
Hogwarts Legacy did release a Switch version, and it was infamously flawed compared to what the game offered on the other consoles. Finally, Nintendo fans can live out their Harry Potter dreams without much resistance as the game runs and looks leagues better with the Switch 2 version.
Go to class alongside other students, learn spells, fight evil, and so on. Players can explore Hogwarts at their leisure, which is a sizable map on its own, but the surrounding grounds and countryside are even more impressive. Players can explore on foot, on a broomstick, or even on an animal mount once they’re unlocked later in the game.
