BODY: The second half of 2026 is shaping up to be the busiest stretch yet for Nintendo Switch 2, and GAME Watch has gathered the titles Japanese players are watching most closely. From heavyweight RPGs to action showcases, the console's holiday-season slate reads like a greatest-hits list of Japanese game development.
Leading the conversation is a long-rumored remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the 1998 Nintendo 64 landmark that many still call the most influential 3D action game ever made. A modern rebuild for Switch 2 would be a generational event — though, tellingly, Nintendo has yet to confirm a firm release date.
FromSoftware casts a long shadow over the lineup as well. Alongside The Duskbloods, the studio's Switch 2-exclusive PvPvE multiplayer action title, an Elden Ring package bundling the base game with the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion is set to bring Miyazaki's world to the hybrid console. Capcom joins the action front with a new Onimusha: Way of the Sword.
RPG fans are equally spoiled. Square Enix is fielding a new Final Fantasy built in its beloved HD-2D style, while Dragon Quest Monsters 4 promises to extend the beast-collecting series with online competitive features. A new tactical Fire Emblem rounds out Nintendo's first-party ambitions.
The insider take
From Tokyo, the striking thing about this lineup is how deliberately Nintendo is spacing its third-party heavy hitters — Capcom, Square Enix and FromSoftware releases are staggered rather than stacked, a sign of how carefully the Switch 2 launch window is being managed to avoid the software droughts that plagued rivals. The Ocarina of Time remake remains unconfirmed, and Japanese outlets are careful to flag it as anticipation rather than announcement; treat any specific dates as tentative until Nintendo's next Direct. Still, the sheer density of tentpole franchises signals that publishers now see Switch 2, not PS5, as the priority platform for the Japanese market.
Originally reported by GAME Watch (Japanese).