You see that mountain on the horizon? You can go there! That old gaming chestnut has been around for a very long time now, but for old-school gamers who remember the compartmentalised kingdoms of yore, there’s a special magic still to be derived from being able to trek your way to a distant summit in modern open worlds. Video games, eh? Marvellous.
Despite the consoles’ diminutive size, Nintendo Switch and its successor have accrued a selection of vast kingdoms and open worlds to explore and enjoy, and below we’ve collected our picks of the very best open-world games on Switch 1 and 2.
So, let’s take a look at a selection — in alphabetical order — of the best open worlds on Switch 1 and 2.
Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection Switch
Publisher: Ubisoft / Developer: Ubisoft
Release Date: 6th Dec 2019 (USA) / 6th Dec 2019 (UK/EU)
Switch owners have several options when it comes to Assassin’s Creed games, but there’s a clear correct answer if someone asks you which they should play on Switch 1: Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection contains both Black Flag (number four in the mainline franchise), plus the series spin-off/interquel Assassin’s Creed: Rogue.
A feast for the eyes and ears, sailing around the high seas as Edward Kenway feels not dissimilar to the voyages of a young cel-shaded sailor we enjoyed first back on GameCube, and the beauty of the Caribbean waves and pirate settlements is displayed in fine portable form in this excellent port of one of the series’ high points. And Rogue’s not bad, either.
On Switch 2, you’ve also got the option of the excellent Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
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Burnout Paradise Remastered Switch
Publisher: Electronic Arts / Developer: Criterion Games
Release Date: 19th Jun 2020 (USA) / 19th Jun 2020 (UK/EU)
We’re dipping into our 7/10s for this (a single exception on this list revamped list), but the open-world approach of Burnout Paradise had a profound influence on the driving genre, and Nintendo platforms haven’t been blessed with an abundance of open-world racers.
Criterion’s excellent Need for Speed: Most Wanted came to Wii U, but didn’t make the splash it should have thanks to that console’s disappointing sales. Having this precursor on Switch — and any entry in the beloved Burnout franchise — is a treat sullied only by the substantial price tag it carried at launch.
However, it runs at a lovely 60fps and despite various elements showing their age a little, it’s still a super slick ride that performs well on Switch. We’d recommend keeping an eye out for a sale with this one.
Don’t Starve: Nintendo Switch Edition Switch eShop
Publisher: Klei Entertainment / Developer: Klei Entertainment
Release Date: 12th Apr 2018 (USA) / 12th Apr 2018 (UK/EU)
The procedurally generated open worlds of Don’t Starve give it the feeling of an unforgiving Minecraft, with pleasure coming from confronting and conquering the hardships and challenges of surviving in the wilderness.
It might not be for everyone, and it can get a little repetitive, but the Switch version is a great way to experience the game, and once Don’t Starve sinks its teeth in, you’ll find it very difficult to shake.
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen Switch
Publisher: Capcom / Developer: Capcom
Release Date: 23rd Apr 2019 (USA) / 23rd Apr 2019 (UK/EU)
What it lacks in epic narrative and lore it makes up for with tight, satisfying combat and the scope of its open world. Dragon’s Dogma might not be perfect, but Capcom’s action RPG still manages to shine on Switch.
This port of the Dark Arisen update won’t convert you if you didn’t get on with the 2012 original, but it still gets a strong recommendation from us.
Dying Light Platinum Edition Switch
Publisher: Techland / Developer: Techland
Release Date: 19th Oct 2021 (USA)
Dying Light on Switch is quite a remarkable achievement. Its ambitious open world full of zombies is unlike anything else in the Switch’s library and, between the core campaign and years of constant DLC updates, there are potentially hundreds of hours of enjoyment to be had here.
Granted, all of this comes at the cost of performance that can be middling compared to other platforms, but this is neatly balanced out by the convenience of playing in handheld mode, and developer Techland has done a mighty fine job getting this open world running well on portable hardware. Switch owners who rarely play in portable mode may want to pause and consider buying it elsewhere, but we’d strongly encourage handheld gamers to consider this excellent Switch port.
At least if you’ve got a US Nintendo Account – this unfortunately never saw the light of day in Europe.
Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition Switch 2
Publisher: Bandai Namco / Developer: FromSoftware
Release Date: 28th Aug 2026 (USA) / 28th Aug 2026 (UK/EU)
Bringing Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition and The Lands Between to Switch 2 in such fine form is a tremendous achievement – it’s simply one of the finest games to play on the system.
Offering up an enormous and densely packed open world, tons of tough boss encounters to overcome, a huge DLC endgame expansion, and presenting it all with great performance, there are few (if any) games in the console’s library that can match it in spectacle, difficulty, and raw quality.
If you’ve ever been a Soulslike fan or are simply looking for a deep and challenging game that takes full advantage of the Switch 2’s power, you owe it to yourself to pick this up whenever you can. Elden Ring deserves the praise it’s received as one of the games that defined a generation, and it feels right at home on Nintendo’s handheld.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Switch 2
Publisher: Square Enix / Developer: Square Enix
Release Date: 3rd Jun 2026 (USA) / 3rd Jun 2026 (UK/EU)
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a tremendous addition to the Switch 2 catalogue, delivering an ambitious and content-rich RPG experience that sets a new bar for what players can expect from the best entries in the JRPG genre. The heartfelt story, innovative action combat, and huge amount of open-world content combine in an experience that’s hard to put down for the several dozen hours it lasts.
Though there are some noticeable performance and visual concessions, these ultimately don’t detract enough from the game’s quality to derail the experience. If you’ve got a Switch 2, exploring The Planet should be a priority.
Minecraft Switch
Publisher: Mojang / Developer: Mojang
Release Date: 21st Jun 2018 (USA) / 21st Jun 2018 (UK/EU)
You know Minecraft, right? The open-world sandbox game where you mine and, indeed, craft materials to survive and shape the world to your liking. Not much else to say really. The Switch version is very solid, and portable to boot. All in all, rather good.
There’s a Switch 2 port incoming, so you may want to hold off if you’ve somehow managed to not play this since 2009.
NieR:Automata The End of YoRHa Edition Switch
Publisher: Square Enix / Developer: PlatinumGames
Release Date: 6th Oct 2022 (USA) / 6th Oct 2022 (UK/EU)
NieR:Automata is a modern classic. Most importantly for Switch owners, this is a top-notch port that has clearly been produced with respect and focus, often surpassing our expectations in both visuals and performance.
Finding a comfortable seat and a pair of headphones makes the Switch version a wonderful way to experience the game, and it is an unforgettable journey. Nothing is as it seems, either in the story or gameplay, and it’s one of the finest gaming achievements of the last decade.
Something to note: For quite some time this didn’t play nicely via Switch 2 backwards compatibility, but an update solved this issue.
No Man’s Sky – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Switch 2
Publisher: Hello Games / Developer: Hello Games
Release Date: 5th Jun 2025 (USA) / 5th Jun 2025 (UK/EU)
Given the usual caveats, No Man’s Sky on Switch was a fantastic port of a game we genuinely didn’t believe could make the transition to Nintendo’s console without some serious technical issues. Hello Games made the necessary cutbacks and downgrades to get this intergalactic survival sandbox playing at a super solid frame rate and the colourful, chunky graphical style ensured that it all looked pretty fantastic to boot.
With all of the game’s previous updates and content included, barring multiplayer, it was an easy recommendation for survival fans. But on Switch 2 via the free upgrade pack, it’s even better, with multiplayer now included along with the expected resolution and performance bumps.
With less than 1% of its planets explored 10 years after release, there’s a whole galaxy awaiting you here.
Red Dead Redemption: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Switch 2
Publisher: Rockstar Games / Developer: Rockstar San Diego
Release Date: 2nd Dec 2025 (USA) / 2nd Dec 2025 (UK/EU)
Red Dead Redemption on Switch was a straightforward port of 2010’s masterpiece with no added bells or whistles for a rather high price tag, but still worthwhile if you had never experienced it.
Rockstar’s Western epic holds up surprisingly well – and even better on Switch 2, with optional mouse controls and 60fps. Its story is as powerful as ever, its knockabout action still feels great, and it looks and plays perfectly well.
Multiplayer is still missing, but this remains a proper all-timer ported successfully. Play it on the most powerful Switch you can.
Saints Row IV: Re-Elected Switch
Publisher: Koch Media / Developer: Volition
Release Date: 27th Mar 2020 (USA) / 27th Mar 2020 (UK/EU)
In the continued absence of any 3D Grand Theft Auto post-San Andreas on Nintendo consoles, Saints Row IV: Re-Elected stepped into the frame and delivers a knowingly silly, thoroughly entertaining take on the urban open-world game.
It runs far better than its predecessor on Switch, and while its sense of humour won’t gel with everyone, it’s definitely worth investigation if you like open-world games that don’t take themselves too seriously.
Alternatively, there is the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy if you’re desperate for GTA on a Nintendo platform. However, they launched in an abysmal state and remain disappointing even after significant updates. Simply put, those games deserved the best and while they warrant a mention, we still can’t recommend them.
Starlink: Battle for Atlas Switch
Publisher: Ubisoft / Developer: Ubisoft
Release Date: 16th Oct 2018 (USA) / 16th Oct 2018 (UK/EU)
Thanks to the inclusion of exclusive Star Fox content, Ubisoft’s multiplatform Starlink: Battle for Atlas is best experienced on Switch and is the closest thing to an open-world Star Fox game out there.
Comparisons to No Man’s Sky are valid, and while the game didn’t set the charts alight when it released — arguably thanks to its reliance on bulky toys-to-like accessories at a time when most of us were up to our eyeballs in plastic peripherals already — it’s one of the most enjoyable dogfighting/space exploration games money can buy.
You can find it for a pittance these days, and we strongly advise you pick it up next time you see it discounted.
Subnautica + Subnautica Below Zero Double Pack Switch
Publisher: Bandai Namco / Developer: Unknown Worlds Entertainment
Release Date: 14th May 2021 (USA) / 14th May 2021 (UK/EU)
When Unknown Worlds announced they were bringing Subnautica to Switch we were hugely excited, but it was excitement tempered with a degree of scepticism as to how on earth they’d manage to cram the entire experience onto Switch in a properly playable manner.
As it turns out, we needn’t have worried, as this is a super solid port of Subnautica and its sequel that — besides a few loading stutters here and there and some scenery pop-in that’s present in every other version of the game — successfully delivers one of the very best open-world experiences on any platform to Nintendo’s hybrid console. And they’ve both now got Switch 2 Editions with the usual visual and performance boosts, plus Mouse Mode support.
If you’re purchasing one or the other separately, we’d still plump for the original game, as Below Zero’s fleshed-out narrative and on-foot sections dilute the overall experience ever so slightly, but, regardless of which you choose, you’re in for a mighty good time here with two of the best survival games available anywhere.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Switch 2
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks / Developer: Bethesda Softworks
Release Date: 11th Aug 2026 (USA) / 11th Aug 2026 (UK/EU)
Performance-wise, Oblivion Remastered may not sing as you’d hope on Nintendo’s hardware, although the added control options are very welcome and everything in Cyrodiil looks and sounds the part, even when the frame rate dips below the target 30fps.
However, this is without a doubt one of the best RPGs of all time and the remaster gives the same old game a brand-new look. With the main quest and all additional content, it’s huge value for money and well worth experiencing for the first time or revisiting if you’ve walked through this flaming gate before.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Switch
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks / Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Release Date: 17th Nov 2017 (USA) / 17th Nov 2017 (UK/EU)
Sticking with the Scrolls, we come to the game that set the standard for the modern open-world experience with its scope and ambition. The appearance of Skyrim on Switch was a welcome surprise when it popped up in the reveal clip for the console back in October 2016.
If you’re after seamless, polished perfection, you’ll find Zelda further down this list; if you’re after an epic adventure filled with guts, glory, and not a small amount of jank, this remains one of the very best examples out there. Re-release fatigue is a factor here, and the Switch 2 Anniversary version launched in a depressing state, but updates eventually improved things. If you’re buying new, that’s probably the one to go for now.
And if you can’t get enough of your Bethesda RPGs, there’s a fair port of Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition on Switch 2, as well. A promised DLSS update arrived post-launch which also addressed some trademark Bethesda bugs, so — with those caveats — you may enjoy a trip to the Commonwealth.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Switch
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo SPD
Release Date: 3rd Mar 2017 (USA) / 3rd Mar 2017 (UK/EU)
Battling Skyrim for the title of ‘Most Painfully Obvious Inclusion’, if you own a Switch and it’s not simply an Animal Crossing portal, you owe it to yourself to get Breath of the Wild.
This version of Hyrule is one of the most cohesive, polished, and watertight open worlds on any platform and we’ve lost literal real-life days exploring its hills and dales, peaks and valleys, nooks and crannies. It’s one of the best games Nintendo has ever made; of course it’s here.
And once you’ve finished with this one, you can always return to the same world to explore the sky and underground, too. Or play it at 60fps via the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition:
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Switch
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: 12th May 2023 (USA) / 12th May 2023 (UK/EU)
It’s impossible to talk about everything that makes The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom so incredible, and making many of those discoveries yourselves is part of the magic. It’s also impossible to overstate just how much there is to do in Hyrule this time around.
Much like its predecessor, this is your playground for the next however many years to come, with a little sprinkling of that older Zelda fairy dust mixed into Breath of the Wild’s formula. It’s a glorious, triumphant sequel to one of the best video games of all time; absolute unfiltered bliss to lose yourself in for hundreds of hours.
Also available in Nintendo Switch 2 Edition form at a silky 60fps with some extra bells and whistles:
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition Switch
Publisher: CD Projekt Red / Developer: CD Projekt Red
Release Date: 15th Oct 2019 (USA) / 15th Oct 2019 (UK/EU)
We come to one of the most impressive ports on Switch. The fact that CD Projekt Red’s action RPG runs on Nintendo’s console at all was a minor miracle, but the experience the studio served up in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt holds up incredibly well thanks to the efforts of Saber Interactive.
Geralt of Rivia’s epic adventure through an enormous open world is a pleasure to play on a handheld, and cross-saves with the PC version of the game is the icing on a tasty little cake.
And the best news? There’s a free-to-upgrade Switch 2 remaster coming soon, and it’s looking excellent.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Switch
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Monolith Soft
Release Date: 29th Jul 2022 (USA) / 29th Jul 2022 (UK/EU)
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a genuine masterpiece and a highlight of Monolith Soft’s superb series thus far.
There’s an emotionally charged and surprisingly edgy epic to get stuck into here, a sprawling and hugely engaging narrative populated by a cast of unforgettable characters that’s backed up by some of the very best combat we’ve had the pleasure of getting to grips with in this genre.
Over 100 hours into this one, we were as captivated as we were when we first booted it up and it more than delivered every bit of the adventure, emotion, and action that its excellent key art promises. Aionios awaits, it’s time to seize the future – if not immediately, then when the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition arrives with resolution and performance bumps, plus a light sprinkling of new content.
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Switch
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Monolith Soft
Release Date: 20th Mar 2025 (USA) / 20th Mar 2025 (UK/EU)
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is an expertly crafted revamp that gives us all the bells and whistles we could wish for in terms of graphical upgrades. However, it’s actually Monolith Soft’s attention to clever gameplay revisions that impresses most here.
This is X streamlined and modernised, carefully recast and reset in order to play better than ever. Additional characters, a new ending, and all that snazzy stuff is all well and good, and fans will be excited by the fresh revelations that occur, but it’s in how everything flows so much better now that we reckon the hardcore will find themselves most impressed.
And for newcomers a recommendation is even easier; this is up there with the all-time great sci-fi RPGs and an absolute must-play. And now there’s a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition as well, with increased resolution and frame rates on the newer hardware. Get in.
Feeling worldly after all that? Nice work trekking through those.
Open-World Switch Games FAQ
Before we take the weight off, let’s answer a common question or two.
How do you define an ‘open-world’ game?
Well, exploration of a large overworld is fundamental, preferably with as little gating as possible. The non-linear ability to go anywhere, anytime, is a key part of the titles above — whether you’ve got the chops to survive or not.
Some games blur the lines with open-world-like areas, but typically the games above present a map with the only barriers to exploration being your skill and patience. Something like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s expansive zones give an impressive open-world feeling, but they’re still essentially walled gardens and don’t quite belong with the contiguous spaces of the games above.
If you’re after 2D platformers that gradually reveal a large open map to explore, you should check out our guide to the best Switch Metroidvanias.
Hold on, where’s [insert open-world game here]?
There are three possibilities:
- The Switch port felt below par (see: the aforementioned Grand Theft Auto Trilogy, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Kingdom of Amalur);
- It doesn’t quite fall in the ‘open-world’ category in our opinion (see: Monster Hunter Rise, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Ni no Kuni, various other huge RPGs); or
- We did forget it and the customary, “Can’t believe you forgot X, Y, Z!!!11” is accurate
Think we’ve missed a brilliant open world on Switch? Don’t agree with the selection above? Let us know below and we may massage the list to include other open-world games!
Up Next: Paper Mario-likes
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See Also
Gavin first wrote for Nintendo Life in 2018 before joining the site full-time the following year, rising through the ranks to become Editor. He can currently be found squashed beneath a Switch backlog the size of Normandy.