Nintendo Switch Sports Resort review: multiplayer mayhem in motion

Date:
Tue, 20 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Description:
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is a considerable improvement over its predecessor with fun new modes and sports but its not quite perfect.

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Switch Sports Resort is here, and this new first-party Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive has big shoes to fill.

You see, when Wii Sports entered the scene 20 years ago, it was a total phenomenon. It was a smash hit thanks to its simplistic yet addictive gameplay, enticing players of all ageseven your grandparents could get involved. Review info Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2 Available on: Nintendo Switch 2 only Release date: October 22, 2026 Nintendo Switch Sports Resort (Switch) at Amazon for 41.99 Its successor, Wii Sports Resort , expanded on the formula, adding more sports, more depth, and more precise controls. And Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is attempting to do the very same for a new generation to refine the relatively basic Nintendo Switch Sports and create a more fleshed-out experience, all while retaining that sense of widespread appeal for players of all ages. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

But can Nintendo Switch Sports Resort pull off this seemingly daunting task? Ive spent about 15 hours playing the game solo, with friends, and with fellow gaming journalists online, and this is my verdict. Getting sporty on Switch 2 (Image credit: Nintendo) The original Nintendo Switch Sports was a decent overall experience. It was a bit thin at launch and lacked single-player replayability, but the version we know today has a solid lineup of events, with fairly responsive controls, and is a good party game to enjoy with friends. And luckily, it feels like Nintendo Switch Sports Resort has fixed a lot of the issues I had with its predecessor.

Lets start off by talking about the sporting variety on offer. There are 12 core sports available here. Youve got some classic options like Basketball, Bowling, Boxing, and Tennis, as well as some Leisure Sports, such as Power Cruising and Prop Plane. Whats more, there are two sports that have never
been seen in previous entries namely Skateboarding and Thumb Wrestling.

I found that all 12 of the included sports were great fun to play. Lets start with the returning events. Sports such as Basketball and Tennis are much unchanged, but feel incredibly tight and enjoyable, with accurate motion controls and multiple modes, such as Three-Point Contest for the former and a slower-paced Laid-Back Match for the latter. Bowling, Golf, and Volleyball
are similarly unchanged, and continue to be a favorite for my pals and me, with plenty of laughs and tense moments. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Some of the returning sports feel far more refined, though. The biggest example of this is Boxing. Gone are the days of randomly flailing your disconnected gloves to down your opponent. Now, Boxing feels far more tactical. You have a stamina bar; it's far easier to land uppercuts and
hooks, and picking the right moment to land your knockout punch is crucial. Best bit (Image credit: Nintendo) My highlight was definitely conquering the island champion in Table Tennis. This was my favorite sport by quite a
margin, and landing a crushing power shot to snag the number one ranking felt incredible. Take that, Yunsu. Im the champion now. Its a similar story with Table Tennis, which, in my view, is the most fun sport in the game. At higher levels, youll need to be incredibly strategic with your slice shots to
recover back to the centre and perfect your timing to hit shots right onto
the table edge. The Return Challenge mode is also a whole lot of fun, and honing your accuracy to beat your high score feels super rewarding.

Archery is another highlight, with the Joy-Con 2 controllers providing pinpoint precision when aiming for the target. There are also some hidden targets to discover, adding plenty of replay value to the sport. Other
sports, like Power Cruising and Prop Plane, translate nicely onto Switch 2 as well, and although the latter asks you to hold the Joy-Con 2 in a slightly bizarre way, its fairly comfortable and effective after you get used to it. Out with the old, in with the new (Image credit: Nintendo) Well get onto the new events in just a moment, but before we do that, lets talk about something that irked me a little. Some of the events from the original Nintendo Switch Sports have been cut.

Yes, its out with the old and in with the new, as three events Badminton, Chambara, and Football (or soccer) are no more. This is a shame, as these were all among my favorite sports last time out. Football in particular is a big miss it provided a chaotic, all-action multi-player experience with
tense last-minute theatrics. Will these sports return in some kind of update or DLC? Quite possibly. But I wouldve loved to have seen them here at launch.

Anyway, no point in crying over spilt milk, eh? After all, the newly added sports are a blast. Thumb wrestling is a truly bizarre addition, and I cant believe that Nintendo managed to make this feel fun. You have to hold your thumb against your opponent's hand to enlarge it, and then pin them down to attain victory. I feel like they missed a trick by leaving out one, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war as the countdown, but otherwise, no complaints here.

Nintendo Switch Sports Resort has made one other key addition that helps it
to totally surpass its predecessor, that being Island Crown. I can see skateboarding dividing opinion, but I had good fun with it. This mode makes use of the Switch 2s mouse mode capabilities, and this works surprisingly well. Whether I was lifting the Joy-Con 2 to jump or trick, tilting to steer, or pushing back to accelerate, movement always seemed to be accurate. The Skate Sprint mode is definitely the highlight here; tricking to gain speed, sneaking up behind your opponents, and grinding on railings is a whole lot of fun.

What I would say, however, is that the Free Play mode couldve been better.
The world that you skate around isnt empty or anything, but I wish there was more to do and explore. The Sightseeing Tour is also a little lacking; youre tasked with collecting photos, which isnt the most thrilling experience I wouldve preferred the option to collect customization parts for my board or character instead. This also applies to the Prop Plane and Power Cruising modes, which have Free Play options as well.

Oh, and a quick note on online play, which was very enjoyable in my experience. Here, you can expect highly responsive, smooth controls. Even though my home Wi-Fi is far from great, I ran into no performance issues whatsoever when linking up with a couple of other gaming journalists online vital when playing reaction-based sports like Table Tennis and Volleyball. A more replayable sporting experience (Image credit: Nintendo) Nintendo Switch Sports Resort has made one other key addition that helps it to totally
surpass its predecessor, that being Island Crown.

Island Crown is a primarily single-player experience, where you have to rise up the ranks in a particular sport and challenge the island champion. Initially, your foes will seem laughably weak, but as you climb up the table, some highly skilled challengers will stand before you. If you manage to beat the island champion, youll have the opportunity to face a legendary Mii from the Wii eraI wont spoil the identity of these, though; Ill let you discover them for yourself.

This mode has kept me coming back to Nintendo Switch Sports Resort time after time. You get new customization options as you improve your rank; the challenge of beating tough opponents is highly compelling, and the mode
serves as an excellent way to develop your sporting prowess. This is the sort of single-player replayability that the original Switch Sports was crying out for, and I absolutely loved it.

Ive mentioned customization options a few times in this review, so lets talk about them. By playing sports, youll earn points which you can spend at the item center to get a random title, hairstyle, costume, or such things. Previously, you could only earn points online to customize your character meaning youd need a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, but no longer. Now, you can earn points offline too, and I loved a lot of the straight-up weird customization options available. I mean, come on, just look at my character.

Just like Wii Sports Resort, this entry succeeds in building on its predecessor with additional depth and versatility. You can either customize your standard character or a Mii thats saved on your Switch 2 console. But I never deviated from the standard option. Im afraid that the Miis just look so out of place in this game, with this visual style...and I feel like its time to let them go. Maybe they should simply remain as a relic of a bygone era.

More generally, I would say that the visual style of Nintendo Switch Sports
is a bit lackluster. It misses the personality and sauce of the Wii era titles, and goes for a more streamlined, modern look which ends up feeling a tad soulless. Even the menus are a touch dull, and given that this is a Nintendo game, I expected more flair, and perhaps a few nods to the companys most beloved IPs to add even more charm.

The quality of the visuals is generally strong, though, and frame rates are consistent in docked or tabletop mode. I did notice a few texture loading issues in tabletop when playing Prop Plane, but this was fairly minor.

Otherwise, though, Im coming away from my experience with Nintendo Switch Sports Resort feeling largely positive. The bolstered single-player replayability, enjoyable new sports, refined classics, and brilliantly responsive controls ensure it's a hit thats especially great for multiplayer mayhem.

Its a shame that some sports were cut, and Im still not sold on this series visual direction, but just like Wii Sports Resort , this entry succeeds in building on its predecessor with additional depth and versatility. So, if youre looking for a fun sporting experience to add to your Switch 2 library, this is well worth picking up. Should you play Nintendo Switch Sports Resort? (Image credit: Nintendo) Play it if

You want to enjoy more multiplayer mayhem on Switch 2 The Nintendo Switch 2 already has an excellent lineup of multiplayer experiences, and Nintendo Switch Sports only adds more variety into the mix. I enjoyed playing all 12
of the sports here with friends and family, and had no end of chaotic showdowns. This ones definitely going to remain in my party game rotation alongside Mario Party Jamboree and Mario Kart World .

Youre looking for more single-player goodness The inclusion of Island Crown means that theres so much single player replayability on offer in Nintendo Switch Sports Resort . Fighting to rise up the ranks and defeat the island champion is an absolute blast, and keeps the experience feeling fresh, even without friends or online rivals. Don't play it if...

Youre not a big fan of motion controls If you dont enjoy motion controls, this is one to be avoided. All of the sports here highly rely on motion, with no other control schemes available, other than the mouse mode-enabled Skateboarding.

You didnt vibe with the previous games visuals The visual style from the original Nintendo Switch Sports has been retained here, and again, it doesnt feel very inspired or charismatic. If that ended up being a major turn off
for you last time, dont expect much in the way of change here. Accessibility features You can change the dominant hand for each individual sport, alter camera controls for Prop Plane and Skateboarding, and turn on Shot Assist for Golf, which makes it easier to hit the ball accurately. Otherwise, there
arent many ways to customize your experience in Nintendo Switch Sports Resort , with no colorblind modes or alternate control schemes available. How I reviewed Nintendo Switch Sports Resort (Image credit: Nintendo) I spent 15 hours playing Nintendo Switch Sports Resort , trying out Island Crown mode in single-player, as well as a number of core and Leisure Sports via local and online multiplayer.

For the most part, I played in docked mode, with my console connected to the Sky Glass Gen 2 TV and the Marshall Heston 120 soundbar. However, I did
dabble in some tabletop mode gameplay, and used the JBL Live Beam 4 to enjoy in-game audio.

More generally, Ive spent years reviewing gaming software and hardware here
at TechRadar. Ive reviewed a number of Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives,
including Fire Emblem: Fortunes Weave , Yoshi and the Mysterious Book , and Kirby Air Riders . I've also logged more than 50 hours on the original Nintendo Switch Sports , which I directly compared against its newly released successor.

First reviewed October 2026 Nintendo Switch Sports Resort: Price Comparison 49.99 37.99 View 41.99 Preorder voucher gift 44.99 View voucher gift 49.99 View voucher gift 49.99 View Show more We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by



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