Archery is the best sport in Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, according to the critics. All 7 reviews we gathered praise it. Thumb Wrestling, Skateboarding and Bowling come next, and Basketball and Volleyball finish last. With younger kids, start with Bowling.
Most sports take one Joy-Con per player, so the pair that came with your Switch 2 covers two people. Boxing and Archery take two Joy-Con per player. Older Joy-Con work in most cases, but Skateboarding needs Joy-Con 2.
Researched across 7 critic reviews, 5 Nintendo pages, the ESRB and Metacritic, all listed in the source log below. How we ranked them: Ordered by how many of the 7 critic reviews praised each sport. Ties go to the sport with fewer criticisms, then fewer mixed verdicts. Sports still level share a rank.
All 12 sports, ranked
1. Archery
Every review we gathered likes Archery. You hold a Joy-Con in each hand and pull one back like a bowstring, and Nintendo adds wind to aim against. Eurogamer calls it a blast, and the Guardian finds it perfectly intuitive.
“Archery is easily the best sport offered in Sports Resort.” (IGN)
2. Thumb Wrestling
The surprise of the set. Six of 7 reviews praise it, and you play it sitting down. Nintendo’s rule is simple: pin the other thumb for three seconds. VGC is the holdout. It calls Thumb Wrestling basic, with some strategy to it.
“Thumb Wrestling is perhaps the dark horse of the bunch; a deceptively simple game of pin-the-digit that quickly descends into psychological warfare as you embark on an increasingly desperate succession of frantic shake-offs and sneaky feints.” (Eurogamer)
3. Skateboarding
The one sport built for Switch 2. You lay a Joy-Con 2 flat and use it like a mouse, pulling it back to push off. Eurogamer calls it the standout of the whole package. VGC’s note is the one to read if you have young kids.
“My 8-year-old daughter got used to every other sport in the game, but struggled for a while with the Skateboarding controls and asked why she couldn’t just walk around the island instead.” (VGC)
4. Bowling
No review has a bad word for Bowling, and GameSpot counts it among the most pick-up-and-play sports. Twist the controller to add spin, Nintendo says. There’s also a 100-pin variant and a mode where everyone bowls at once, so nobody waits for a turn, per GameSpot. Nintendo Life says Bowling and Golf “still rule”.
5= Prop Plane
You tilt the controller to speed up, roll and fly around Wuhu Island. Eurogamer singles out the free-flying mode, and Nintendo Life likes the Ball Battle mode. Eurogamer finds the competitive balloon mode thin by comparison.
“I can’t get enough of Prop Plane’s free-play mode, taking to the skies, and watching Wuhu Island do its thing below.” (Eurogamer)
5= Table Tennis
VGC says it has the accuracy Tennis lacks, and the Guardian likes the spin you get from small wrist movements. Eurogamer finds it a slightly harder sell than Tennis, because the motions are subtler.
“I’ve taken a real shine to Table Tennis this time around, and the Island Champ gave me such a hard time that I ended up needing to change my shirt into something a little less sweaty.” (Nintendo Life)
Though I certainly have my destination sports, there's not a loser in the bunch.
7. Boxing
You hold a Joy-Con 2 in each hand to punch, guard and counter, per Nintendo Japan. Four reviews praise it, and GameSpot says a new stamina gauge adds strategy. Nintendo Life is the exception: it calls Boxing the least engaging of the new sports and says the motion controls sometimes falter.
“And though boxing remains one of my favorite sports in the bundle, I needed to retrain my brain, as throwing a punch the correct way doesn’t work with how the game wants you to do it; if I turn my wrist when punching, my character sways instead of attacking.” (Game Informer)
8. Power Cruising
A jet ski, steered with a Joy-Con in each hand like handlebars. Four reviews praise it. IGN finds the controls clunky, and Eurogamer expects them to divide people.
“Leisure Sports are a standout, with each sport offering a much-appreciated change-up from the usual arm flailing.” (GameSpot)
9. Golf
The calm one. Nobody hates it, but fewer reviews single it out. IGN calls it one of the more mundane sports, though it says a group makes it feel exhilarating.
“Golf remains one of the more chill sports to give your arms a bit of a rest and offers a wide variety of courses with varying difficulties.” (GameSpot)
10. Tennis
Swing any Joy-Con like a racket. Eurogamer says Tennis and Bowling are the two you can hand to anyone. VGC’s knock is aim.
“With no option to move your character using the control stick, or have more control over where your shots go, Tennis still has that odd vibe to it where it’s fun but always feels a little random.” (VGC)
Which sport should you start with?
Answer four quick questions. We'll suggest a first sport and tell you what controllers it takes.
Start with
Players 3 and 4 need a second Joy-Con 2 pair. See the pair for players 3 and 4
| Group | Standing | Sitting | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Just me | Archery | Skateboarding | Archery takes two Joy-Con. Skateboarding takes one Joy-Con 2. |
| Two (one pair) | Bowling | Skateboarding | One Joy-Con per player. One pair covers two players. |
| Two (two pairs) | Archery | Skateboarding | Archery for two takes four Joy-Con. Skateboarding takes one Joy-Con 2 each. |
| Three or four | Bowling | Skateboarding with two Joy-Con 2 pairs; otherwise Prop Plane | One Joy-Con per player, so four players need four Joy-Con (two pairs). One pair leaves a gap for players 3 and 4. |
| Any group with younger kids | Bowling | Prop Plane | One Joy-Con per player. |
Free icons from Streamline, licensed under CC BY 4.0, recolored.
11. Volleyball
No review praises the main game outright. Nintendo Life calls it a little sluggish. IGN found it boring alone but says it came alive with a room of friends. GameSpot likes its rhythm-game mode.
“Volleyball returns from its debut in Nintendo Switch Sports and remains a reasonable enough take on the sport, but it’s probably not one of the more exciting events in the package.” (VGC)
12. Basketball
Four reviews name it as the weak spot. VGC calls it probably the weakest sport and blames clunky dribbling. GameSpot and Eurogamer both point to the quick shooting modes as the fun part.
“Almost all of these sports work exactly as you’d expect, with the exception of basketball, whose real-world speed and flashiness are replaced here with methodical turn-taking.” (The Guardian)
How many Joy-Con you need
Here’s the exact math, sport by sport.
| Sport | Joy-Con per player | What one pair covers |
|---|---|---|
| Boxing | 2 | One player |
| Archery | 2 | One player |
| Power Cruising | 2 alone, or 1 each in multiplayer | One player alone, or two players |
| Skateboarding | 1 Joy-Con 2 (older Joy-Con won’t work) | Two players |
| Every other sport | 1 (Eurogamer’s general rule) | Two players |
- Most sports: Eurogamer says you’ll generally need one pair for two players and two pairs for four. In sports that use one Joy-Con per player, a second Joy-Con 2 pair adds players 3 and 4.
- Boxing and Archery: each player holds two Joy-Con. The pair in the box covers one player, and a second pair covers a second player.
- Power Cruising: you use a Joy-Con in each hand when you play alone. IGN says multiplayer has an option to use one per person.
- Skateboarding: one Joy-Con 2 per player. Nintendo says Skateboarding requires Joy-Con 2.
- Older Joy-Con: Nintendo says Joy-Con you already own work in most cases. Skateboarding is the exception.
Nintendo says up to four people can play offline on one Switch 2. Eurogamer notes that not every sport and variant supports four players on one console.
Family tips from Nintendo
More things worth knowing before the first game night:
- Standing or sitting. GameSpot says Prop Plane, Skateboarding, Power Cruising and Thumb Wrestling can be played without standing. The other eight sports have you up in front of the TV.
- Rating. The ESRB rates Nintendo Switch Sports Resort E10+.
- Play modes. Nintendo lists TV mode and Tabletop mode. Nintendo Life’s review notes you still can’t play local co-op in Tabletop mode.
- Online. Online play needs a paid Nintendo Switch Online membership, per Nintendo.
If you want four players: the pair for players 3 and 4
Keep the Joy-Con 2 pair that came with your Switch 2. This second pair adds players 3 and 4 in the sports that use one Joy-Con per player. In Boxing and Archery, it covers a second player. Nintendo’s store page says the pair includes two Joy-Con 2 straps.
Nintendo Joy-Con 2 (L)/(R), Light Blue/Light Red
- Adds players 3 and 4 in sports that use one Joy-Con each
- Includes two Joy-Con 2 straps, per Nintendo
- Boxing and Archery still need two Joy-Con per player
What the critics said overall
- IGN 7/10
- VGC 4/5
- Game Informer 8/10
- Eurogamer 4/5
- Nintendo Life 9/10
- GameSpot 9/10
- Metacritic 79 (62 critic reviews, as of October 26)
Scores run from 7/10 at IGN to 9/10 at Nintendo Life and GameSpot. Metacritic lists a score of 79, based on 62 critic reviews, as of October 26.
“Though I certainly have my destination sports, there’s not a loser in the bunch.” (Game Informer)
“This just might be the Nintendo Sports series at its best.” (Nintendo Life)
Quick answers
What’s the best sport in Switch Sports Resort? Archery. All 7 reviews we gathered praise it.
Which sport should young kids start with? Bowling. GameSpot puts it among the most pick-up-and-play sports, and no review we gathered knocks it.
How many Joy-Con do four players need? Four Joy-Con, which is two pairs, in one-Joy-Con sports. Boxing and Archery take two each, so two pairs cover two players there.
Do old Joy-Con work? In most cases, Nintendo says. Skateboarding requires Joy-Con 2.
Can you play in Tabletop mode? Nintendo lists Tabletop mode. Nintendo Life’s review notes local co-op doesn’t work in it.
What is it rated? E10+ from the ESRB.
Source log
Researched across 14 sources: 7 critic reviews, 5 Nintendo pages, the ESRB and Metacritic. Every source was checked on October 26, 2026.
- Nintendo Store, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort. The 12 sports, up to four players offline on one system, the safety note, TV and Tabletop modes, and the Nintendo Switch Online requirement for online play.
- Nintendo, “Get warmed up for the new and returning sports,” October 16, 2026. How each sport plays: any Joy-Con as a Tennis racket, twisting the controller in Bowling, tilting it in Prop Plane, the Thumb Wrestling rule and the Archery wind.
- Nintendo, “Grab your headband and get ready to move,” October 22, 2026. Older Joy-Con work in most cases. Joy-Con 2 is required for Skateboarding.
- Nintendo Japan, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort announcement, June 10, 2026. Boxing uses a Joy-Con 2 in each hand. The three play cautions, in our translation.
- Nintendo Store, Joy-Con 2 (L)/(R) Light Blue/Light Red. The pair includes two Joy-Con 2 straps.
- ESRB, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort. Rated E10+.
- Metacritic, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort. Score of 79 based on 62 critic reviews, as of October 26.
- IGN review by Jesse Vitelli, October 20, 2026. Archery quote, Power Cruising and Basketball criticism, Volleyball and Golf in groups, and the October 20 correction on Power Cruising and older Joy-Con.
- VGC review by Chris Scullion, October 20, 2026. Skateboarding, Tennis, Volleyball and Basketball quotes and verdicts.
- Game Informer review by Brian Shea, October 20, 2026. Boxing quote and the overall verdict.
- Eurogamer review by Matt Wales, October 20, 2026. Thumb Wrestling and Prop Plane quotes, per-sport verdicts and the general controller rule.
- Nintendo Life review by Jim Norman, October 20, 2026. Table Tennis and Bowling quotes, per-sport verdicts, the overall verdict and the Tabletop co-op note.
- GameSpot review by Kurt Indovina, October 20, 2026. Golf and Leisure Sports quotes, which sports you can play sitting, Archery and Power Cruising grips, and the pick-up-and-play list.
- The Guardian review by Keza MacDonald, October 22, 2026. Basketball quote, and verdicts on Archery, Boxing, Table Tennis and Basketball.
