Summary
Nintendo is known for its vast array of solid first-party games. The Nintendo Switch is also known for having a deep library of indies to take on the go. However, what isn’t spotlighted as much as those two points is the amount ofthird-party support the Switchhas gotten since its launch in 2017.
With the help of some major companies, Nintendo has been able to build a solid catalog of high-quality AA or AAA games on the Switch that aren’t just Nintendo-made. While there are quite a few options for players to choose from, only a small handful stand out as thebest third-party games on the Switch.
Updated August 06, 2025, by Hamza Haq:There is a new wave of handheld gaming on the horizon for the industry, thanks to consoles like the Nintendo Switch, the Steam Deck, Lenovo Legion Go, and ROG Ally being actually decent options for gamers on the move or on a budget. Nintendo has always had its own chunk of the market cornered quite convincingly, but more handheld options mean more games being developed with the format in mind by third-party developers, and that’s great news for the Switch, as it can take advantage of all of it without having to do anything.
The mere idea of playing aSouth Parkgame on the Switch is hilarious for fans who loved the PG-friendly reputation that Nintendo had enjoyed for the longest time, with a few exceptions along the way. These have become the norm now, and players who want to check out a hilarious game with some gross-out humor will loveSouth Park: The Stick of Truth’s brazen nature.
Players take on the role of the New Kid, who harbors a mystery that his parents hide as they encourage him to be normal. It turns out that this kid’s farts have the power to save the world, which is about as ridiculous a revelation as one would expect. To make things even funnier, Morgan Freeman drops by to deliver this explanation, further adding to the ridiculous humor of one of thebest third-party games on the Switch.
Given the many technical and ethical problems that plaguedDragon’s Dogma 2when it came out, most fans would recommend that players stick to the first game for now if they’ve yet to check out a game in the series. Featuring an excellent combat system that serves as the heart and soul of this beloved action RPG, it’s easy to see whyplayers loveDragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisento the moon and back.
The fact that players can enjoy this enhanced version on the Switch makes it even more of a tantalizing prospect for fans to check out. There’s something about mounting chimeras and trolls on the go that makesDragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisenone of thebest third-party Switch gamesthat players should enjoy if all they care about is using cool and varied moves to take out their opponents.
TheBioShocktrilogy features three of the greatest first-person shooters ever made. The narrative-heavy focus of these titles works out pretty well and lets players enjoy a game full of freaky Plasmids and unique weapons that can pulverize their opponents in no time. While a long time has passed since the release ofBioShock Infinite, players will still love playing through this amazing trilogy for themselves, regardless of whether they’re new or returning fans.
All three games individually can stake their claim as being some of thebest third-party Switch gamesplayers can get their hands on. To find all these games in one amazing collection that is usually available at a decent price is an absolute steal and a bargain that fans should take advantage of if they’ve yet to check out the underwater city of Rapture and the floating dystopia of Columbia
TheBorderlandsfranchise has been an icon of the gaming industry for a very long time, filling the niche of the honest-to-goodness looter shooter in a way most studios have given up on. Switch owners are now in the enviable position of being able to enjoy not one, not two, but three wholeBorderlandsgames for the price of one through this bundle.
The bundle includesBorderlands: Game of the Year Edition,Borderlands 2, andBorderlands: The Pre-Sequel. Chronologically,Borderlands 1comes first, thenBorderlands: The Pre-Sequel, and finallyBorderlands 2. Despite their 3D graphics and open-world nature, the Borderlands games run quite well on the Switch.
The FPS action ofDoom’s reboot was something else, and it’s easy to see why players wanted to enjoy a sequel that would let them enjoy more of this title’s impressive gameplay.Doom Eternalcertainly upped the ante for this title, even if some people felt like the gameplay was unnecessarily convoluted in some instances.
What really makesDoom Eternalsuch a massive achievement is how smoothly it works on the Nintendo Switch. The gameplay doesn’t feel like it’s being held back by the lower graphical and processing power of the Switch, which is a massive achievement in its own right.
No Man’s Skyis a game that went through a lot of strife before finally achieving the level of excellence most people expected from this title. Tighter procedurally generated systems, gameplay improvements, and the addition of new features have helped this game stand out as one of the best space exploration games players can check out.
Enjoying this title on the Switch is a dream come true. After all, most people would love the idea of exploring planets on the go, which is accommodated by the Switch’s portable nature.
Based on the 1997 hit simulatorTheme Hospitaland many other simulation games,Two Point Hospitalputs players in the position of running their own hospital. Players can take on a handful of different starting scenarios as the primary goal is to build different rooms that willhelp satisfy the needsof the patients that will be staying there.
Players will also need to tackle made-up diseases and how to cure them by hiring the right staff to get to the bottom of them.
Commonly talked about as being among the best puzzle games in history, thePortalfranchise came to the Nintendo Switch in 2022 with both games bundled together under the namePortal Companion Collection. The first-person platform puzzler tasks players with navigating a series of tests using a Portal gun.
While the most talked about parts of thesethird-party Switch gamesare their single-player campaigns, players can pick up the game at any time andtake on the co-op modewith a friend either with split-screen multiplayer or through different devices locally and online.
The Witcherhas become a multimedia franchise thanks to the work done on the video game series. The most beloved entry of the trilogy, and the highest-selling, isThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The monster slayer Geralt of Rivia returns as he searches for his adopted daughter as she attempts to escape the Wild Hunt, a group of ghostly warriors from a parallel dimension.
The Witcher 3is an action RPG that revolves aroundfighting monstersand completing quests to help enhance Geralt’s abilities.
After being a PlayStation exclusive for many years,13 Sentinels Aegis Rimarrived on the Switch and joined the system’s deep JRPG library. The Vanillaware game is about high school students who have been thrust into a war that they must fight using mechas.
One of thebest third-party Switch games,13 Sentinels Aegis Rimcombines side-scrolling navigation of areas with epic battles that use a real-time strategy format that allows for unique approaches for every encounter. There are also multiple branches that the story can go down depending on decisions made by the player during the experience.
