We got an early look at three of the biggest games coming to Switch 2. This is our verdict

Nintendo's fast start to 2026 just got a lot more promising. 

We played three of the biggest games coming to Switch 2 (and some Virtual Boy) at a six hour mega preview at the company's Australian HQ.

Here's what you need to know about Mario Tennis Fever, Pragmata and Resident Evil Requiem.

MARIO TENNIS FEVER 

February 12, 2026 | $109.95 AUD

Mario Tennis Fever takes two big swings and aces them both: chaos and variety. 

The game's fever rackets are no gimmick. From shots which shoot fire balls at your opponent to a special that summons tornadoes to automatically return shots, they force you to change strategies on the fly (effects can last for multiple points) and are unashamedly fun.

There are 30 unique rackets to partner with 38 playable characters. That's an insane number of combos.

We barely scratched the surface of what's possible but Baby Waluigi with the Bullet Bill racket is brutally overpowered; turning shots into missiles that are near impossible to return.

There are eight new characters in Mario Tennis Fever and a ridiculous number of modes to play in.

Adventure mode, Tournament, Trial Tower, Free Play, Mix It Up and Swing mode dominate an overwhelming menu screen alongside options to play in a Ranked Match, Online Room, Local Play, use Game Share or check in on your Achievements.

It's an overwhelming number of options compared to its bare bones predecessor, Mario Tennis Aces.

After sampling a little of everything, Mix It Up became my favourite way to play against a friend. It dials the chaos up to 11, allowing you to play on courts that change shape, trigger Wonder effects or have you bouncing between bumpers on a court inspired by Waluigi Pinball.

I also spent a solid 40 minutes with the game's Adventure Mode.

Fans have been crying for a deeper story experience for a long time and Nintendo has (at first blush) delivered; starting with an exceptionally well animated cutscene.

No spoilers - you get turned into babies who aren't particularly good at tennis.

In a bid to return to normal, Mario and Luigi enroll in a tennis academy to beef up and take on the being who transformed them. It's nonsensical but it works.

What follows is a blend of Mario Party minigames disguised as "training" to level up your character. What I played was very basic but I was starting from scratch. Colour me intrigued, but I'm really hoping the game ramps up the difficulty as you progress.

I'd want to play a lot more before declaring Mario Tennis Fever a smash, but the hour and a half I spent with the game was a surprisingly delightful first serve.

RESIDENT EVIL REQUIEM    

February 27, 2026 | $107.95 AUD

Okay, Resident Evil Requiem is hands down the best looking game I've played on Switch 2.

If I could write "no notes - play this game" and be done with this preview, I would.

The opening cutscene of the demo is stunning.

The acting, the lighting and the sweat dripping from Grace's brow as she wakes, hanging upside down, strapped to a hospital bed is so realistic.

Would it look more realistic on a PS5 Pro? Sure. But it looked great on Nintendo's AI-empowered tablet.

Requiem's demo was buttery smooth and terrifying.

I committed to first person mode but watched others run through the demo in third person view.

And while I'm excited to see how far Capcom pushes into the 'action' when we get to play as Leon, what I tried as Grace was classic Resident Evil. The tight corridors, the flickering lights, the jump scares and the big ugly monstrosity stalking you as you desperately try to find something to stand on to grab a screwdriver from a high shelf is thrilling.

Resident Evil is at its best when it plays like a puzzle between more action heavy sequences - and boy was this one scary puzzle. After cloud versions of Resident Evil 7 and 8 arrived late for Nintendo Switch, seeing Requiem run natively is incredibly encouraging for the future of handheld gaming.

I'd like to apologise to my wife in advance for screaming while she's trying to sleep when Resident Evil Requiem hits the Nintendo Switch 2 on February 27.

PRAGMATA   

April 24, 2026 | $92.95 AUD

Pragmata was not on my radar before playing this demo.

Capcom's new AAA franchise arrives for Switch 2 on the same day as PS5, PC and Xbox.

That's worth a round of applause for Nintendo's handheld but the real question is how does it compare?

If you've tried Split Fiction on Switch 2, you'll be familiar with some of the sacrifices.

The game looks great in handheld and fine on the TV, but its resolution and frame rate take a hit.

It doesn't help that your character (Hugh) is piggybacking a little android girl with long blonde hair (Diana) the entire time. Her stiff hair is kind of hard to ignore, especially if you've seen how good the game can look in 4K on PC, and the compromises are much more noticeable if you're playing on a big screen.

Pragmata controlled wonderfully, especially with gyro controls, and I loved the hacking mechanic.

Exposing an enemy's weak points by completing real-time puzzles sounds clunkier than it is in practice. I've never played a shooter quite like it and, in many ways, it did remind me of the excellent Dead Space.

Limited ammunition keeps you on your toes, the shotgun has incredible weight behind every shot and firing a stasis net to trap an enemy in place is very handy in tight corridors.

Virtual Boy - Nintendo Classics

February 17, 2026 | Included with Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Membership

You have two options if you'd like to play Virtual Boy on Switch 2 in 3D: buy a $139.95 plastic replica or a $29.95 cardboard option.

After 30 minutes playing with a few of the Virtual Boy's launch games, I can confidently say the cheaper option is the more comfortable way to play.

Craning your neck into the device (while it stands on a table) wasn't ideal for getting your eyes into the perfect spot with little room for error, it's much easier holding the cardboard alternative up to your face with your elbows on a table is much better but it doesn't do as great a job of blocking out the light around you.

I played a little Galactic Pinball, some Teleroboxer and the first level of Wario Land in my half an hour with the system and while the 3D effect was impressive, 30 minutes was plenty.

I had fun with what I played, but keeping your face perfectly aligned with the device can be a chore.

Will I buy the cardboard casing? Yes. And I'm excited to try Zero Racer (an F-Zero spin off that never made it to store shelves) whenever that releases later this year.

Unfortunately, the Virtual Boy wasn't a great way to play games in 1995 and the same is true in 2026.