The Nintendo Switch has a stacked roster of exclusive games coming in 2021 & 2022, headlined by major franchises, such as Metroid, Pokémon, and The Legend of Zelda. There are some incredible games that are slated for the Nintendo Switch in the future, like Bayonetta 3 and Metroid Prime 4, but they won't be included below, as they still lack release windows or any actual footage outside of trailers.
The Switch might not be a technical powerhouse compared to the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, or even the upcoming Steam Deck, but what it does have is games that can't be purchased on other platforms. Nintendo's first-party lineup of games is filled with killer titles. The Switch has access to titles like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Pokémon Sword & Shield, to name a few.
The pandemic has thrown a lot of video game productions into disarray, which has led to game delays across the industry, but Nintendo tends to be comparatively conservative about announcing release dates, which is why it's rare for its games to receive significant delays. Here are the Nintendo Switch exclusives that are coming in 2021 & 2022, from both Nintendo and from third-party developers.
Nintendo Switch Games Coming In 2021 & 2022
These are the Nintendo Switch exclusives that are due to be released in 2021 & 2022. The rest of the games coming in 2021 have set release dates, so it's unlikely that any of them will be pushed back at this point in the year, but anything is possible, especially given everything that's happened since the start of 2020.
- No More Heroes 3 (August 27)
- WarioWare: Get it Together (September 10)
- Metroid Dread (October 8)
- Mario Party Superstars (October 29)
- Shin Megami Tensei V (November 12)
- Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl (November 19)
- Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp (December 3)
- Pokémon Legends: Arecus (January 28, 2022)
- The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2022)
- Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (2022)
- Project Triangle Strategy (2022)
- Rune Factory 5 (2022)
- Splatoon 3 (2022)
The rest of 2021 has a great mixture of titles. The Metroid franchise will finally begin its comeback, with the long-awaited Metroid Dread, while Shin Megami Tensei V will let fans explore a demon-infested version of Tokyo. The Pokémon franchise also has some huge games coming within the next six months. The fact that Nintendo has a tendency to announce games a few months in advance means that there's also a chance that this list could be bolstered before the end of the year. The time might finally have come - though it remains a mere hope - for the rumored Metroid Prime Trilogy on Nintendo Switch to launch, in the run-up to Samus' coming adventures.