Nintendo Switch Sports Resort hits Switch 2 Oct 22 at $49.99

Key takeaways

• Nintendo Switch Sports Resort launches on October 22, 2026, and is exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2. It will not run on the original Switch.
• Nintendo's US store lists the game at $49.99. A Switch 2 bundle that includes the game costs $529.99.
• There are 12 sports, two of them new to the series (Thumb Wrestling and Skateboarding), plus a Jump Rope warm-up. Everything is set on Wuhu Island.
• Local play supports 1 to 4 players on one system. Nintendo's US listing says online play supports 2 to 16 players, and every online feature needs a paid Nintendo Switch Online membership.
• Nintendo lists three ways to play: Casual Online Play, a ranked online Pro League and a mostly single-player mode called Island Crown.

Nintendo Switch Sports Resort launches on October 22 exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2, priced at $49.99 on Nintendo's US store. It brings 12 sports to Wuhu Island, the setting of 2009's Wii Sports Resort, including two new to the series: Thumb Wrestling and Skateboarding.

Release date, price and editions

Nintendo's product pages in the United States, Singapore and Malaysia all give the release date as October 22, 2026. In the US the game costs $49.99, according to Nintendo's store listing and its own news post for the launch. A Nintendo Switch 2 bundle with the game costs $529.99. Nintendo's store page says the bundle saves $27.98 compared with buying the system, the game and a three-month Nintendo Switch Online membership separately, which suggests that membership is included. The Malaysian page lists a download version from the Nintendo eShop and a packaged version sold in shops. Pre-orders are open on the eShop.

The sources reviewed for this guide do not say what time the game unlocks in each region. Readers who pre-loaded the game should check the eShop listing for their region. Prices outside the US vary, and Nintendo had not published them on every regional page we checked.

The 12 sports

Nintendo lists 12 sports. Ten return from earlier games in the series and two are new. The Singapore announcement sorts them into regular sports and "leisure sports". Jump Rope is a warm-up activity and does not count as one of the 12.

New to the series

• Thumb Wrestling: you pin your opponent's thumb for three seconds to win. According to Nintendo, holding your thumb down makes it bigger and stronger. You play it using only your thumb.
• Skateboarding: uses the Joy-Con 2 mouse controls. You slide the controller along a surface to grind rails, slide and do aerial tricks.

Returning sports

• Tennis: any Joy-Con can be used as the racket.
• Bowling: twisting the controller puts spin on the ball.
• Archery: pull back to aim and shoot for a high score. Wind can push your shot off course.
• Boxing: throw different kinds of punches.
• Volleyball: bump, set and spike.
• Table Tennis: Nintendo describes it as quick, simple shots.
• Basketball: dribble, pass and shoot.
• Golf: line up your shot and swing, using the ball's predicted path to aim at the distant hole.
• Prop Plane: tilt the controller to speed up, roll and shoot balloons.
• Power Cruising: steer with a pair of Joy-Con and twist to boost. Nintendo says this sport also lets you explore the island.

Joy-Con 2 controls

Motion controls are central to the game. Nintendo's announcement says the Joy-Con 2 controllers stand in for rackets, bows and handlebars. The biggest change is Skateboarding, which uses the mouse function built into Joy-Con 2, a feature the original Switch's Joy-Con lacked. Nintendo's Malaysian page lists the main control styles as motion controls for most sports, mouse controls for Skateboarding, tilting for Prop Plane and thumb-only input for Thumb Wrestling.

Nintendo's US store page lists TV and tabletop modes. The Malaysian page also lists handheld mode. Nintendo notes that some multiplayer setups need extra controllers or accessories, sold separately. A household that wants four people swinging at once needs enough Joy-Con for everyone.

Online play and Nintendo Switch Online

Nintendo's US store page lists three main modes:

• Casual Online Play: unranked matches online.
• Pro League: ranked competition online.
• Island Crown: a mode built mainly for single players.

Every online feature needs a Nintendo Switch Online membership, sold separately, as well as a Nintendo Account and an internet connection. Nintendo says memberships renew automatically unless you cancel them. The US listing gives online support as 2 to 16 players. Friend Lobbies hold up to eight players, with no more than two on each system. Nintendo's Malaysian page, which is older, said the number of players per online session would be announced later. The US figures are therefore the most detailed Nintendo has published.

The US page also says GameChat, the Switch 2's built-in voice and video chat, can be used with the game. Video chat needs a compatible camera. Players create a Mii or a Sportsmate, the customisable avatar introduced in 2022's Nintendo Switch Sports.

How it follows Wii Sports Resort

The title and setting both point back to Wii Sports Resort. That game launched in Japan on June 25, 2009, and in North America on July 26, 2009. It was the first game to require the Wii MotionPlus accessory, which came bundled with it, and it introduced Wuhu Island as the setting for its 12 sports. Nintendo's sales data, as cited by Wikipedia, puts its lifetime sales at 33.14 million units, making it one of the best-selling Wii games.

The new game brings back several Wii Sports Resort activities, including Archery, Table Tennis, Basketball, Power Cruising and Prop Plane. It keeps Volleyball and other sports from Nintendo Switch Sports, and adds the Sportsmate avatars and online leagues from that game. Nintendo's announcement also describes Wuhu Island as a holiday spot with tourist attractions and sports facilities, not just a background for menus.

What it means

For Switch 2 owners, this is Nintendo's first sports game in the series built for the new hardware. Using the Joy-Con 2 mouse for Skateboarding gives an existing controller feature a practical use in a game. For families and casual players, the main practical points are the $49.99 price, the 1 to 4 player limit on one console, and the fact that ranked and casual online play both sit behind a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. Original Switch owners cannot play it at all, so it also works as a reason to upgrade. The $529.99 bundle appears aimed at people buying a Switch 2 for the holidays.

A few things remain unknown before launch. Nintendo has not published unlock times in the sources reviewed, has not confirmed prices in every region, and has not announced post-launch updates. Reviews and early player feedback after October 22 will show how well the motion controls and online leagues work in practice. Fans in the US can also try selected sports at in-store launch events at Nintendo NEW YORK and Nintendo SAN FRANCISCO on October 24, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. local time.

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Sources

• Nintendo Singapore: Nintendo Switch Sports Resort announcement
• Nintendo Malaysia: Nintendo Switch Sports Resort product page
• Nintendo US store: Nintendo Switch Sports Resort
• Nintendo US: Get warmed up for the new and returning sports in Nintendo Switch Sports Resort
• Nintendo US: Get up and move in Nintendo Switch Sports Resort
• Wikipedia: Wii Sports Resort (release dates, sales citing Nintendo data)