I don’t think anyone was particularly surprised to see The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake earn an exceptional Metacritic score ahead of its November 5 release, considering the N64 original’s reputation. With a 96, the Switch 2 exclusive is sitting at the top of 2026’s highest-rated games, giving Nintendo another reason to celebrate during Zelda’s 40th anniversary. However, after looking further down Metacritic’s rankings, I noticed that Ocarina of Time is hardly the only Switch 2 game making an impression this year. In fact, in a November 4 snapshot of the top 20, nine entries belong to Switch 2, compared to seven on PC, three on PS5, and one on Xbox.
That’s an impressive showing for a console that launched only last year, but what interests me most isn’t the number itself. Nintendo has been making critically acclaimed games for decades, and I don’t think anyone needed another Zelda game to convince them of that. What I find surprising is how much of the Switch 2’s success is coming from games Nintendo didn’t make, including releases I once assumed would stay on other platforms. And if this year’s rankings are any indication, Nintendo might finally be moving away from one of the compromises its fans have had to make for years.
For as much as I loved the original Switch, it’s also worth noting how often a major third-party game would come along that I wished I could play on it, only to discover that it wasn’t coming to the platform at all. Of course, the console eventually received some impressive ports, including The Witcher 3 and DOOM, but there was usually a catch. Some arrived years after players on other platforms had finished them, while others required substantial technical compromises. I appreciated having those games available on Switch, but I wouldn’t pretend those versions were always the ones I’d choose if I had another option.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Looking at what’s happening with Switch 2 in 2026, though, that situation seems to be changing. Resident Evil 2: Deluxe Edition has earned a 93 Metascore on the console, while The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered and Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition have also secured places among this year’s best-reviewed releases. None of those games is a new Nintendo exclusive, and two are based on RPGs that were already enormous hits long before Switch 2 came along. But seeing these versions receive such positive reviews makes me wonder whether we’re finally reaching a point where getting a major third-party game on Nintendo hardware won’t necessarily mean settling for an inferior experience.
Capcom’s support makes the situation even more interesting, because Resident Evil 2 isn’t the only major game the publisher has brought to Switch 2. Resident Evil 3 and Resident Evil 4 Gold Edition also arrived in October, and Monster Hunter Wilds is scheduled to join them on December 4. In its September announcement, Capcom specifically described those releases as part of its multiplatform strategy, which suggests the publisher is taking the Switch 2 seriously. I wouldn’t assume that means every major Capcom release is guaranteed to come to Switch 2 from now on, but I certainly like the direction things are heading.
What I find surprising is how much of the Switch 2’s success is coming from games Nintendo didn’t make, including releases I once assumed would stay on other platforms.
Now, there’s a limitation to Metacritic’s rankings that I wouldn’t want to ignore, especially when comparing consoles with very different libraries. Those nine Switch 2 entries aren’t nine new games made exclusively for Nintendo, and an updated version of an older hit isn’t quite the same as a major release arriving on every platform at once. Metascores also tell us how critics received a particular version, not how it compares technically with PC or PS5. Still, I think the fact that so many celebrated third-party games are appearing among Switch 2’s best-reviewed releases is far more encouraging than a list made up entirely of Nintendo exclusives would have been.
Switch 2’s Next Big Test Is One Nintendo Has Faced Before
As encouraging as these rankings are, I’d be much more impressed if this became the norm rather than something worth celebrating in November 2026. I’d love to reach a point where someone buying a Switch 2 for the next Mario or Zelda doesn’t have to wonder whether they’ll need another system to play the next major RPG that catches their attention. That’s been one of the more frustrating realities of being a Nintendo fan, especially when a game arrives elsewhere and Nintendo players are left wondering whether a port will ever happen. Enhanced editions of established hits are welcome, but consistent support for new releases is where Nintendo could really change its position.
I don’t expect Switch 2 to replace a high-end gaming PC, nor do I think Nintendo needs it to. But if the console can continue attracting publishers like Capcom while maintaining the exceptional first-party lineup that has always been its biggest selling point, the reasons to own something else alongside Nintendo hardware might gradually become fewer. With Ocarina of Time sitting at a 96 and nearly half of the Metacritic top 20 belonging to Switch 2 versions, there’s reason to be optimistic about what the next few years could look like. Nintendo has already proven it can make games worth buying a console for, and I’m beginning to wonder whether Switch 2 could be the first time in a while that owning one doesn’t feel like giving up quite so many others.
