Hands-On Preview: Nintendo Switch Sports Resort

Published Oct 6, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT Yuliya Geikhman has been writing professionally for over 17 years. She started out in the MMO scene with Pando Media Booster and now dives into everything gaming at Screen Rant. She's a lifelong gamer, a relentless industry sleuth, and a passionate follower of everything happening in the games industry. On October 22, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort plans to get you up and moving as you play. The upcoming title will be following in the footsteps of the 2009 Wii Sports Resort and the 2022 Nintendo Switch Sports. The previous two games brought an entire sports complex to our living rooms, uniting families in front of the TV to physically interact with the activities. And now, the fun returns with an upgraded experience for the Nintendo Switch 2. The game revisits Wuhu Island, which has gone through some changes since we last saw it over 15 years ago. It now houses more extreme sports, including skateboarding, jet skiing, boxing, and... thumb wrestling. I got to try a preview of the upcoming game at the 2026 Nintendo Holiday Showcase, and I had a ton of fun with it. Here's what to expect. Hands-On And Co-Op With Nintendo Switch Sports Resort Switch Sports Resort returns players to Wuhu Island, a location that Wii Sports Resort fans may remember from the running minigames in the original. The island has apparently been quietly expanding and improving, and is now a thriving destination for tourists, adventurers, and everything in between. The game is meant to played together, and though online co-op is available through the Switch 2's robust online capabilities, it works best as an in-person party game. That's what it's made for, after all: to bring friends and families together like its predecessor did. At the Nintendo Holiday Showcase event, I paired up with tech influencer and fellow gamer Karl Conrad, and we went through several of the title's minigames. Switch Sports Resort will have 12 sports games available at launch: Archery Thumb Wrestling Table Tennis Basketball Skateboarding Tennis Power Cruising Bowling Volleyball Boxing Prop Plane Golf In the two or so hours that we had with the game, we got to try out a good chunk of the minigames. Overall, I found them to be fun, intuitive, and full of surprises. Sadly, I can confirm that there's no Swordplay or Frisbee Throwing, at least at release (though there's always the chance that Nintendo will add more sports in later expansions). Exploration In Switch Sports Resort Is A Delight Although many of the sports are co-op, some have you exploring alongside your companion—or, of course, on your own. We dove into skateboarding, Prop Plane flying, and Power Cruising (aka riding a jet ski), which all had an exploration mode. In this mode, I had the freedom to explore on and around Wuhu Island for five minutes by land, air, or water. Exploration was rewarded by collectibles and photo spots, which unlock more variations like the nighttime version. I also found to my delight that there were plenty of secrets to uncover, like an entire water cave lit up by bioluminescent. The skateboard had tricks and kicks, and the prop plane let you shoot down balloons carried by people, boats, and planes. Exploring and finding these treats was rewarding and fun, and I can see myself spending plenty of time just zooming around. As an added fun bonus, after time is up, you get to see the path you took on you adventure. This was made even more fun by the intuitive controls. To skateboard, you use the Joy-Con 2 on a surface to "kick off," lean to the side, and make turns. Power Cruising had me holding two Joy-Cons like a handle and revving the right side to boost. But my favorite by far was the Prop Plane, which you hold like a paper airplane and boost by darting it forward like you're going to throw it. (At this point, our Nintendo-appointed helper reminded us to secure our straps. Don't actually throw the Joy-Con flying at the TV!) Sports Minigames Are Fun And Intuitive Of course, the real meat of the game is found in the sports minigames. We had time to try four sports: archery, boxing, bowling, thumb wrestling, and table tennis (aka ping-pong). Some minigames, like archery and bowling, are completed either at the same time or by taking turns. Some, like thumb wrestling and table tennis, are competitive co-op experiences. The one-on-one matches got pretty intense, with Karl and I playing a particularly exciting table tennis game that kept stretching into tie-breakers. And although it was my least favorite out of everything we tried, thumb wrestling was also a surprisingly tense match. The games are made even more fun by, once again, the incredibly intuitive and responsive controls. For instance, in archery, you really pull back the Joy-Con like you're holding a bow and arrow; in Table Tennis, you hold the controller sideways and swing like you're holding a ping-pong paddle. It felt natural to reach for the right spot to volley the incoming ball, and after some practice, I could even direct the ball exactly where I wanted it to go. It's extremely natural, but also extremely forgiving. These games are clearly meant to be played quickly and not be too difficult. Like Wii Sports Resort before it, I can see kids and grandparents joining in on the casual fun. But there's a challenge to be found here, too. For boxing, we tried out the career mode, which it seems that every sport has. This mode pit us each against a computer opponent, with the option to progress up the ranks to more difficult challengers. Though we didn't explore too far into this mode, I imagine this is where the less casual players can hone their skills against a higher difficulty. There's plenty of other things to discover in Nintendo Switch Sports Resort. You can unlock and customize your Sportsmate, which is like the game's version of a Mii. In addition to the exploration modes, the sports minigames also seem to have secrets to uncover. And I'm sure there are more surprises awaiting players on Wuhu island. All in all, whether you play with a friend, a family member, or just by yourself, Sports Resort seems to be a worthy followup to the classic Wii Sport Resort. Nintendo Switch Sports Resort releases on October 22, 2026 exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2. Released October 22, 2026 Developer(s) Nintendo Publisher(s) Nintendo Multiplayer Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer Prequel(s) Wii Sports Resort Number of Players 1-4 players Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date October 22, 2026 Genre(s) Sports, Party Game