We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. The Nintendo Switch is undoubtedly a less powerful games machine than the PS5, Xbox Series S/X, or a top-of-the-line gaming PC. But for Nintendo, power has never really been the point. Games developed for the Switch series never lacked for visual innovation or the artistic flourishes necessary to create inarguably beautiful worlds whose visuals fully justify playing on a really large TV. From 2.5D to watercolors, living animation to sci-fi universes, the Nintendo Switch can easily be a feast for the eyes. Almost three years ago, the Nintendo Switch OLED upped the aesthetics ante for handheld gaming. Now, with the Nintendo Switch 2 (and its backward compatibility) officially confirmed for a 2025 release, you're revisiting the age-old question: What are the best Nintendo Switch games that justify playing on your big screen? Well, we've collected the best games to buy now right here. Nintendo's first-party games are legendary for their quality and often take advantage of their respective consoles better than most third-party titles. The Switch has no shortage of games designed by Nintendo, and most rank amongst the best this system offers.

Over the past decade, indie developers introduced us to the voices (and hamsters) living inside their heads. In 2021, they demonstrated how complete bodies of work can hit new highs in innovation when everything clicks. This year alone, Kena: Bridge Of Spirits traced the growth of a young Balinese heroine, Tarsier Studios delivered the perfect sequel in Little Nightmares II, Valheim blessed Norse mythology with the justice it so desperately needed, and Hazelight's It Takes Two snagged Game of rhe Year--all thanks to a genre-breaking tale of co-op adventure (and that one elephant scene). And to be completely honest, indie games are just getting started. The next year is looking like it will be a definitive showcase of the art styles and narratives that couldn't quite make it out of the cycles of anxiety we sometimes find ourselves in, and their stories will pick up where others left off: providing comfort and inspiration.

Indie developers deserve their flowers. Not only are they responsible for amplifying fiction (and nonfiction) with immeasurable swells of immersion and creativity, but they are also proficient at submerging us in tiny pockets of humor, curiosity, and affection when we find ourselves at our worst. This year was no different. In the age of social distancing, Hades found love in a hopeless place, Among Us sussed out social anxieties via long tasks and emergency meetings, and Fall Guys filled the Mario Party–size void in our hearts by introducing humanoid jellybeans to the concept of "drip" and yeeting them through randomized elements of Takeshi's Castle. And that's just a brief synopsis of what went down in 2020. A multitude of directors, producers, animators, level designers, composers, and the like remodeled the limitations of the medium to introduce us to worlds and protagonists we never dreamed possible.

It's Friday, which means it's once again time for Replay, WIRED's look at the world of gaming. Since nearly everyone involved in the videogame industry spent the week at the Game Developers Conference discussing the future and reflecting on the past, a lot of news came out of that annual gathering. But a lot of news came from elsewhere too. Well, there are awards, a new title to look forward to, and an old conflict finally (almost) coming to an end. Earlier this week at the Game Developers Conference, the Independent Gaming Festival held its yearly awards ceremony, honoring the best and most exciting works in the indie gaming sphere.

The Nintendo Switch's popularity and portability have made it an attractive home for indie games, and there are more than 400 now available.

Alongside major franchises like Candy Crush and Angry Birds, indie games have played a major part in popularizing apps and games on smartphones. Thanks to Apple, they'll soon be getting prime real estate on Apple's storefront. Apple will launch a dedicated section on the App Store Thursday that exclusively showcases games from indie developers, according to Polygon. The permanent update comes after Apple's current sale on indie titles. For the promotion, Apple offered discounts on titles including platformer VVVVVV and puzzler Prune .

The Penny Arcade Expo (Pax) is one of the biggest gaming conventions in the world, bringing together classic consoles, the latest shooters, mobile games, PCs, Macs, tabletops – and the people who love them. For the latest event in Melbourne, Pax Australia, the biggest companies in the world – including Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony – came to show off their wares, but the most interesting stuff was relegated to one corner of the exhibition hall: Pax Rising, where independent developers let you play their latest games. Australia used to have several major international studios producing games but from 2008, several mainstays shut their doors – Sega, THQ and 2K among them – due to the global financial crisis and the rising Australian dollar. What's sprung out of this collapse is a series of small innovative Australian studios, most of them with between three and 30 employees. We've had smash hits such as Fruit Ninja, Crossy Road, Flight Control and Shooty Skies sell millions of copies around the world each year – but there are many more games that fail than succeed.