As I’ve said in the past, I’ve made a point to make the Switch 2 my sports gaming and indie gaming console. Having Madden NFL 26 come to the system was a significant development.
I spend way too many hours on Franchise mode. I’ve played the NBA 2K series on the OG Switch, and while it’s been a solid time, I was looking forward to seeing what it might look like on the new console.
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After some time with both games, here’s where I stand with them.
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NBA 2K26
I reviewed NBA 2K26 on the PS5 a little over a week ago and my feelings on the game itself haven’t changed all that much going to the handheld. Still a solid game of basketball when the focus is on the sport itself.
One of my issues with the versions of the game on the OG Switch is that when you’re in handheld mode, it looks like the game has a weird film over it. It makes the screen look dusty in a way, even on the highest brightness.
That hasn’t changed much on the Switch 2. It does look better than it used to, particularly in terms of player models and animations. This version has complete feature parity with the PS5/Xbox versions, which is nice.
If you only want to play on Switch 2, it’ll get the job done… unless you want to play online. The City is barren on the system. Maybe that’ll change over time. But if that’s important to you and you have the option between them, go with the PS5/Xbox versions.
Verdict: Recommended
Editor’s Note: The publisher provided a code for review
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MADDEN NFL 26
So, I’ve seen a lot of reactions about this version of Madden NFL 26 all over the place. They range from “this is an unplayable mess” to “this is great”. The truth lies firmly in the middle. It’s a solid time. It’ll more than get the job done.
I’ve been playing the PS5 version as a point of comparison, and visually, it’s obviously going to be off. And the Switch 2 version absolutely does not run at 60 FPS. It seems to run at a reasonably solid 30, except for the in-game and in-between play cutscenes. Those drop pretty noticeably.
But what about the on-field action? It works and works well. If you’re like me and not a frames hound, then you won’t have any issues playing this game. I’m going back and forth regularly between both versions.
My biggest gripe with the game has nothing to do with Madden itself. Why have we not just agreed on standardized button labels on controllers? Nintendo’s stubborn insistence on putting the B button on the bottom and the A button to the right was a killer early on.
My Madden muscle memory forced so many picks. When those icons popped up on a passing play, my eyes went damn near cross trying to remember that I wasn’t on PS5. But at the end of the day, this is a solid handheld football game that actually looks pretty good when docked as well.
However, if you’re able to, consider getting a Pro controller for your docked play sessions. They’re also on sale right now, so if you’re on the fence, it’s a good time to grab one.
Verdict: Recommended