September's raft of third-party ports, including The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered and Diablo 4: Age of Hatred Collection, demonstrates that the Nintendo Switch 2 has become a primary destination for major publishers, offering near-comparable experiences to PS5 and Xbox Series X despite hardware differences.
Eighteen months after its launch amidst tariff trouble in the USA, the Switch 2 is now a third-party powerhouse, with recent releases making it easy for the hybrid console to be a player's primary system. While Nintendo's console may not match the technical level of its competitors, the following games offer Switch 2 owners a near comparable way to play.
September's standout ports
Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed arrived in top form, with better graphics and a far steadier remake than THQ Nordic's earlier effort with the first game's remake. Offering a silky-smooth framerate and clean 1080p in handheld mode, the 60s-set adventure is recommended over the first remake.
Runescape: Dragonwilds made its 1.0 release on Switch 2 last month, proving the Runescape IP suits a survival-crafting game. It offers a nice alternative to Minecraft, with creative tools and a story about dragons returning to the land, and holds up well on the console.
Remasters and sequels shine
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered bundles both DLC campaigns, gameplay improvements across combat and load times, and a reliable 40fps framerate in Handheld Mode. This contrasts sharply with the original Switch version, which was an extremely compromised, overly blurry port.
Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition arrived in impressive shape, offering 30fps in Handheld Mode and smooth 60fps in Docked. There's no upgrade option for existing owners, but newcomers can expect a 150-hour adventure.
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight was delayed by a few months compared to other versions, but the final product offers a fully roamable, brick-based Gotham City, locked to 30fps but a treat in Handheld Mode.
Online and open-world epics
Minecraft Dungeons 2 supports full cross progression, allowing players to start on Xbox or PC and continue on Switch 2. It's a dungeon crawler that feels right at home on the hybrid console.
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War hold up nicely, complete with the Nemesis system that lets Orc enemies remember the player. While Mordor doesn't hit 60fps, the open-world epics remain great on a handheld.
Diablo 4: Age of Hatred Collection surprised with its release, despite the mandatory always-online requirement. The final version takes a hit visually and still requires an internet connection, but exploring Sanctuary with all classes released thus far is a marvel on the go.
