NBA 2K26 for Nintendo Switch 2 impressions

Road games are taking on a new meaning. The NBA 2K franchise is no stranger to the Nintendo Switch, but it hasn't always been the strongest port. We all remember the cringe commercial for the original Switch with people playing NBA 2K next to a literal outdoor basketball court. With the Switch 2 arriving on the scene, it’s time to see if power pushes it further. After some time playing NBA 2K26 I’m impressed with the breadth of features available, even if the game isn’t as pretty as its console counterparts.

Opening NBA 2K26 takes you into a quick interview with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (the cover star), and ends with you challenging him to a battle between your two all-star team choices. I was mouth agape at the quality of this scene – it’s no muddy CGI downgrade. While it’s a simple quarter of play, it shows you the potential this Switch 2 port has right away, something I appreciate seeing.

Something shocking: the amount of content stuffed into NBA 2K26. Sure, it's in the PS5 version our editor Raven deftly reviewed, but I wasn't necessarily expecting everything to come over. It's all here, MyCAREER, MyTEAM, MyNBA, WNBA, 2KTV, and more. 2K considers the Switch 2 a part of their Gen 9 experience, so you aren't missing anything.

This includes new changes like the Dynamic Motion Engine and ProPLAY technology. Unfortunately, even with these enhancements, you still aren't on the same level as the other consoles, which restricts cross play. If you want to play competitively online, you'll be doing it versus other Switch 2 users. While it may be frustrating to some, the limitations of the Switch 2 necessitate it.

Speaking of online play, NBA 2K26 works fine without it, but the plethora of modes does slim down without a connection. You're largely limited to QuickPlay and Seasons; no MyCAREER or MyTEAM. 2KTV also straight up disappears from the menu. Unless you're like me who is traveling with a hotspot available in my vehicle while on vacation, you won't be able to enjoy the fullness of NBA 2K26 on the road.

While the frame rate is capped at 30fps, it doesn’t hamper this version of NBA 2K26. Even with this “downgrade”, my experience has been smooth. Hitting the green zone of the shooting meter is a bit more difficult due to this, with it not always appearing quickly once I've gone to attempt a shot. It could be due to my inexperience and trying to shoot off tempo, but there's at least something to the frame rate reduction adding input delay. That said, the actual movement mechanics work tremendously.

NBA 2K26 controls decently well on the Joy-Con 2s. I was a bit concerned about shooting, with the meter requiring a level of precision I wasn't sure would be achievable via the right thumbstick or Y button. Impressively, I've found both to hit the sweet spot, allowing me to shoot accurately when I take a good one.

Loading times aren't great, but for whatever reason sports games are nefarious for this. Starting up MyCAREER averages fifteen seconds, and a regular game in QuickPlay is the same. Maybe I'm spoiled by SSDs, but it just feels too long to wait. Hopefully optimization can mitigate this along NBA 2K26’s update roadmap.

Looking at the visuals outside of just the opening scene, you won't see life-like LeBron James or Giannis Antetokounmpo. That said, take a look at the images above of last year's NBA game on the Switch. They are MILES apart, with 2K26 coming in closer to a few games behind other consoles as far as graphics. For someone on the go, it's the perfect upgrade – it looks fantastic on a handheld. The court (and some character models) just aren't as shiny.

It may not be shocking, but NBA 2K26 is going to hog your Switch 2 storage. Clocking in at over 71GB, it's the largest game I've personally installed on my Switch 2. With only 256GB of space on your device, you may not want to take up nearly a third of it with NBA 2K26. As large as it is, it may make an SD card a mandatory purchase.

With all this in mind, it's just so fun to play. As Raven mentioned in our PlayStation 5 review, NBA 2K26 is a blast. I can get sucked into sports games for a while, but this one has the sheer volume of modes backed by smooth gameplay that will keep you invested. I'll be losing hours on the regular, guaranteed. Especially now that NBA 2K26 will be going with me.

Although it may not be as pretty as its contemporaries, and operates at a slower pace, NBA 2K26 is a great port. The right cuts have been made, with a stable frame rate and lesser visuals making way for a smorgasbord of modes and gameplay. It may take up a lot of space on your Switch 2, but if you're a basketball fan, this is exactly what you want to fill it with.

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