Despite growing up with wrestling games and playing the odd NHL and FIFA game on the original PlayStation, I didn’t really play many sports games until the WWE games back on PlayStation 3. This led me to discover more of the 2K sports games and finally trying out an NBA 2K release on PlayStation 4. I’ve since made it a point to try and play every new generation sports game released to see how developers take advantage of new platforms and also to see how those franchises evolve over time.
With the original Nintendo Switch, I didn’t play much of the FIFA or EA FC games, but I played almost every single NBA 2K release and Football Manager game. I enjoyed having portable versions of NBA 2K, but eventually moved to the Steam Deck to get my portable fix.
Fast forward to the Nintendo Switch 2 launch with many sports games announced for its first year, I wanted to play all of them and see how each developer approached bringing current-generation games to Nintendo’s new hybrid console and also what players should expect when it comes to features and online play compared to other platforms.
The Switch 2 is the first time a Switch console has gotten a full Madden game from EA, and also the first WWE 2K game since the abysmal one released on the original Switch. This made me want to write about the state of sports games on Switch 2 and what I hope to see changed in 2026. Note that the screenshots below are all taken handheld.
For this article, I revisited or retested WWE 2K25, EA Sports FC Madden NFL 26, EA Sports FC 26, NBA 2K26, and Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3+4. I focused on these since they are all native Switch 2 games and basically pure sports games. I didn’t cover any genre-blending releases. I wanted to cover the state of each big yearly sports game, missing features if any, highlights that elevate them above entries for the original Switch, if applicable, and also what I hope to see in next year’s releases for the same franchises.
EA Sports Madden NFL 26 on Switch 2
I’m discussing EA Sports Madden NFL 26 first because it inspired me to work on this article in the first place. This is because EA Sports Madden is not playable on Steam Deck at all, and since it was never on the original Switch, the Switch 2 version was the first time I would get a taste of portable Madden, and the end result is mostly great. I say mostly great because there are two major issues right now.
The first is not having a 60 frames per second mode, which I got used to since it doesn’t really feel bad to play handheld, but no cross-play and cross-progression like other platforms makes this only worth your time if you exclusively care about handheld play. In its current state, I’d say EA Sports Madden NFL 26 is worth buying on a discount for handheld play.
EA Sports FC 26 on Switch 2
EA Sports FC 26 on Switch 2 feels like it had more work put into it with bespoke Switch 2-specific features like Game Share, touchscreen support for menus, single Joy-Con 2 controller play, and more. Beyond that, it is unfortunately also capped at 30 frames per second with no cross-platform play. This makes the Switch 2 version worth your time for single-player content, but I don’t recommend it for online multiplayer in its current state.
As for visuals, EA Sports FC 26 feels like a hybrid between last gen and current gen, with image quality closer to last gen, but other aspects closer to current generation. The lack of 60 frames per second is a killer, though, considering most versions have that. I wish the team had prioritized that for core gameplay. Hopefully, next year’s entry adds 60 frames per second and cross-platform play. It is good to see a full feature parity release of EA Sports FC on Switch 2 in the console’s first year, though.
NBA 2K26 on Switch 2
When NBA 2K26 was revealed for Switch 2 and confirmed to be using the next-gen version of the game, I was very excited, but the day one experience was middling with regular performance issues despite the lower frame rate target than other platforms. While NBA 2K26 does have the feature set of the PS5 version, it was lacking when it came to visuals and performance.
After a few months of patches, it is in a much better place, and a very good handheld experience, but the only real issues left are the lack of cross-play online with PS5 and Xbox Series X. Hopefully, this is addressed in next year’s game despite the frame rate difference. Speaking of the frame rate target, I also hope to see a 60 frames per second mode next year for parity with other systems. Despite those issues, NBA 2K26 on Switch 2 is a massive step up over the NBA 2K ports on the original Switch through the years.
WWE 2K25 on Switch 2
WWE 2K25 is by far the best of the big sports game releases of 2025 for Switch 2 with 60 frames per second gameplay and feature parity. It only suffers in image quality when played docked, and some cut visual features that are most noticeable in entrances. As for handheld play, it is fantastic and only really lacking because custom creations aren’t shared with the PS5 and Xbox versions.
This port was handled by Nintendo’s own Shiver in parts, and I hope to see the developer help out other studios with sports games for 2026 releases. WWE 2K25 is worth getting for handheld play right now, but I don’t recommend it for docked play.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 on Switch 2
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 was the first major sports release of note for the Switch 2, and while it delivered 60 frames per second gameplay and plays great on the console, both handheld and docked, it is lacking image quality-wise. This is one where I vastly preferred how it looked on my Steam Deck compared to Switch 2.
I expected more from the port and also hope we see a Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 with better image quality in the future. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 isn’t bad on Switch 2, but it is far too conservative, especially with how blurry it looks docked.
Beyond these notable sports games and how I’d like to see them improve for their next yearly release, I hope to see EA Sports College Football, MLB The Show, and Football Manager get native Switch 2 versions in 2026. Right now, Football Manager is only available through the original Switch version in its Touch variant. I’m hopeful that Football Manager Console makes it to Switch 2 next year.
Since EA supported the system with feature-parity ports of EA Sports FC 26 and Madden 26, beyond cross-platform play, I hope we see College Football brought over, given how important it is for the North American market. The final yearly sports game of note I want to cover is MLB The Show from Sony. The ports so far have been playable, and I’d like to see full cross-play and feature parity for the next one. Having fully featured versions of MLB The Show and College Football, specifically, should be something Nintendo prioritizes on securing for its successor console when it comes to sports games for 2026.
Looking forward, 2026 begins with both GRID Legends: Deluxe Edition from Feral Interactive and PGA Tour 2K25 from 2K launching for Switch 2 in the coming weeks. While I’m not sure what to expect from the latter, Feral Interactive’s ports are always superb, so this is a good start to the year. Sports games for the original Switch ranged from playable to being ported over with many technical issues simply to capitalize on a large install base. On Switch 2, the first six months paint a much better picture for the genre on Nintendo’s new hybrid console.