10 Essential Apps For Your Nintendo Switch Needs

The Nintendo Switch is easily the most popular console of its generation. With over 153 million units sold (almost 160 million units if you include the Switch 2), the console eclipses the Xbox Series and PlayStation 5 in terms of sales. Even with increasing console prices, countless customers join the Switch and Switch 2 family every day. But what good is a console without software?

When anyone purchases a Nintendo Switch (or other modern consoles for that matter), odds are they also buy a game to go with it. And there are countless standout titles and hidden gems that are worth buying, from “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” to “Celeste.” But the console is also home to numerous apps that are downright essential to your console experience. Some of these programs are games that you just can’t do without, while others are software suites that expand the Switch’s capabilities. One way or another, these programs are virtually necessary.

Read on to learn about some must-own programs for your Switch and possibly Switch 2. Since Nintendo has a strict no-unofficial apps and software policy, we won’t go into anything that can jailbreak or modify your Switch. Besides, nobody wants to brick their $500 piece of gaming tech just because they wanted to use a DualSense controller natively with their Nintendo console.

The “Pokémon” franchise is Nintendo’s golden goose. No series moves sales and merchandise quite like the company’s premier monster collection title. In the past, players had to jump through some serious hoops if they wanted to transfer their rosters to new titles, but that process is now more streamlined.

“Pokémon Home” is a free app for both the Nintendo Switch and mobile devices that functions a lot like boxes in the main “Pokémon” games in that it can store Pokémon. However, “Pokémon Home” includes a few more bells and whistles. Unlike in-game boxes, this app lets you trade Pokémon from your collection with those of other trainers, receive item gifts and use them in your games, and examine creature models from angles impossible in the mainline games.

You might wonder what the purpose of “Pokémon Home” is if the games already have storage boxes, and the answer is why it’s so essential: You can move your roster between titles. However, one of the most important things to know about the app is that it has some restrictions. For instance, any creature you extract from the “Let’s Go” games and put in “Pokémon Sword” or “Pokémon Violet” can never return to its home game. Plus, some features are locked behind a paywall. Regardless, you can still use “Pokémon Home” to keep the ball rolling with your favorite team — or so you never have to say goodbye to that shiny Scizor with perfect stats.

Video game consoles aren’t only for video games anymore; you can stream videos on them if you have the right subscription. While the Nintendo Switch doesn’t have all the streaming platforms you can access on the Xbox Series or PlayStation 5, you can’t argue against the console’s ability to take streaming on the go.

YouTube is a downright vital service for any electronic device that can connect to the internet, and the Nintendo Switch has an app for it. The app gives you access to an ever-growing collection of videos from your favorite content creators and an even larger library of videos you’ve yet to discover. While you need a wi-fi connection to use the app on the Switch, it has several advantages over other versions, such as a larger screen than most smartphones.

If you want more video streaming goodness than just YouTube, the Switch has you covered (unless you want YouTube TV or Netflix, anyway). The Nintendo Switch has apps for services such as Crunchyroll and Hulu. While these services have shows and movies you can’t find on YouTube, they aren’t as robust as YouTube since they have fewer choices on offer. Plus, you need a subscription to watch anything on Hulu, and most of Crunchyroll’s content is locked behind another subscription. Of course, if you have a hankering to watch “My Hero Academia,” “Dan Da Dan,” “Alien: Earth,” or “The Handmaid’s Tale” on the go, these apps are more practical for you than others.

If you own a Nintendo Switch, odds are you like to play video games. Shocking, I know. Odds are also good you probably wonder what it’s like to build video games. While the art of game making has no upper skill limit, the barrier to entry for learning the basics has never been lower, especially if you own a Nintendo Switch.

“RPG Maker” is a program series that teaches you how to create 16-bit RPGs by turning the learning process into a game. Apps like these are necessary for anyone who wants to get started building games or to see if they want to get started in the first place. The Switch has several “RPG Maker” apps, including “RPG Maker MV” and “RPG Maker WITH.” While these games are normally $50, “RPG Maker WITH” includes a free demo, and what’s more essential than a way to try a program before you buy it?

While “RPG Maker” is a must-buy for anyone who wants to make retro-oriented RPGs, it is not without its limitations. The program has a specific way of teaching, and even though eccentric designers have managed to twist the engine to create horror titles, other programs are needed to craft platformers and 3D titles. That’s where “Game Builder Garage” and “FUZE4” come in. These apps teach users how to code drastically different games, which makes them essential for anyone who would rather create titles you can’t build with a 2D RPG engine. Plus, “Game Builder Garage” has a demo of its own.

These days, you can’t just buy consoles and video games. If you want to play your games online, you also need a subscription for an online service. Every company tries to give players an additional incentive to purchase this subscription, but Nintendo gives players several.

While Nintendo Switch Online is needed to play most games over the internet, the service’s main selling point — and possibly the main selling point of the Switch itself — is the Nintendo Classics program. As its name suggests, Nintendo Classics is a collection of curated titles from consoles of Nintendo’s past and one console from Sega’s past. While Nintendo Classics doesn’t offer every Nintendo and Sega game ever made, it still provides an ever-growing library of hidden gems, cult classics, and iconic fan favorites.

If you decide to play some old Nintendo games using Nintendo Classics (and you should), your options will be limited by the apps you can use. They’re all free to download, but access is restricted by subscription tiers. The basic Switch Online membership grants access to the NES, SNES, and Game Boy emulation apps, while upgrading to the Expansion Pack level also unlocks the Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, and SEGA Genesis apps. And finally, the Nintendo GameCube Nintendo Classics app is restricted to gamers who have both the Expansion Pack and a Nintendo Switch 2. On one hand, that kind of sounds dubious, but on the other hand, “Soul Calibur II,” “F-Zero GX,” and “Chibi-Robo!” are worth the price of admission alone.

To everyone who says people don’t read books anymore, they’re only half correct: Fewer people read physical books. Why purchase a hardcopy text when you can own an Amazon Kindle that stores hundreds or thousands of stories? The same logic can apply to graphic novels and comic books, as long as you have the right platform.

“InkyPen” is a unique app in the video game console environment since it turns the Nintendo Switch into a veritable e-reader for comic books, graphics novels, and manga. On one hand, the InkyPen app is essential for fans of visual storytelling who have to pick between a Switch and a tablet. On the other hand, you need to pay a recurring subscription if you want to get the most out of the app. Yes, the program itself doesn’t cost anything to download, and new users can start reading select story issues without a subscription, but you know what they say: The first hit is free. If you want to read past the first issue of “Bloodshot” or “Locke & Key,” you’re going to need to give “InkyPen” a credit card. But for some people, $8 a month is a fair price. Or you can watch the “Locke & Key” live action adaptation on Netflix.

Let’s be honest: Exercising can be boring. That’s why many people listen to podcasts or watch Netflix while using treadmills and elliptical machines. But do you know what’s better than combining exercise and entertainment? Gamifying the workout to keep you motivated.

“Ring Fit Adventure” isn’t so much a game as it is a turn-based, RPG-themed exercise routine. The story is nothing to write home about, although it does include an important message about exercising in moderation. Instead, “Ring Fit Adventure” provides a surprisingly difficult workout regimen based around resistance training, isometric exercise, and reps. You’re not going to get ripped playing this game, but you will sweat and improve your endurance.

While “Ring Fit Adventure” is an excellent addition to any Switch library, it has one nasty flaw: The game is only compatible with the Switch and Switch OLED models on a hardware level. “Ring Fit Adventure” uses peripherals that require Joy-Cons to function. The Switch Lite doesn’t have Joy-Cons, and the Switch 2’s locking mechanisms work on a completely different system from the Switch Joy-Cons that the “Ring Fit Adventure” requires to function. However, Switch 2 owners aren’t completely left out in the cold. If you want to use the console for exercise, you can still punch and duck to the rhythm in games such as “Fitness Boxing Fist of the North Star” and “Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku.”

The video game demo is a dying breed. Few titles let players try before they buy, but some designers still offer gamers a taste of the full experience. A rare few, however, provide more than a taste and create demos that are more akin to full-course meals.

“Deltarune” is the critically acclaimed semi-sequel to the equally-critically acclaimed game “Undertale.” Like “Undertale,” “Deltarune” is an RPG that works in bullet-hell elements. However, the game’s most important features are its story and characters that flawlessly combine drama and humor, as well as some of the catchiest earworm music tracks of all time. “Deltarune” is the kind of game that everyone should experience, even if they aren’t normally into RPGs.

If you go to the “Deltarune” page on the Switch eShop, you will see the game is $24.99. If our assurances that the game is an essential app regardless of price don’t convince you, the demo will. Unlike similar games whose demos only provide a fleeting glimpse of the experience, the developer, Robert “Toby” Fox, released the first two chapters (out of a total planned five) for free and labeled them as a “demo.” Each chapter is a full-length game in its own right. Nobody expected Fox to do this (or release “Deltarune” for that matter), but he did so because he was confident in his product. And because he thought giving the second chapter away would help gamers get over the COVID quarantine blues.

Gacha games are the current reigning champions of the mobile market. These titles entice players with the promise of rare, powerful equipment and characters, doled out with all the lights and sounds (and probability) of a Las Vegas slot machine. But what if there were a game that delivered roughly the same experience without draining your wallet? There is.

“Vampire Survivors” is as simple an experience as it gets, but that’s why it’s so addictive. The game is split into 30-minute sessions. You can only move characters around 2D environments and must survive for as long as possible. Also, you can’t attack manually, but your character strikes enemies automatically with whatever weapons you’ve collected. Items drop randomly, but the more you play, the more you unlock. Oh, and each time a character levels up or finds something, the game produces a symphony of lights and sound to make you feel like you’ve won the lottery.

“Vampire Survivors” is a must-play experience for a multitude of reasons. Each session is short, easy to pause and pick up, and generally leaves players with a desire to go one more round. The game is custom made to be played on the go. Perhaps more importantly, “Vampire Survivors” is only $4.99 (plus $1.99 to $3.99 per paid DLC pack). Given the amount of available content and replay value, “Vampire Survivors” has one of the best cost-to-benefit ratios of any video game or app, Nintendo Switch or otherwise.

Every console has at least one game that justifies its purchase. For the PlayStations, one such title is “Journey,” a simple indie title that, while short, is a solid argument in favor of claiming video games can be art. Honestly, the game’s biggest flaw is that it’s a PlayStation exclusive, but it has a spiritual sequel.

“Sky: Children of the Light” is classified as an MMO, but it is more of an experimental social experience. After a tutorial, the game opens up and lets players explore at their leisure. “Sky” has an end goal of sorts, but like “Journey,” it’s the, um, journey, not the destination, that counts. The more you do, the more you can unlock, and the more you unlock, the more you can do. Add in a unique art style and smooth controls, and “Sky: Children of the Light” becomes a must-try. But the game doesn’t end there.

Unlike more traditional MMOs, you can’t actively chat with other players. You can make sounds and emotes, leave notes à la “Dark Souls,” and customize small areas with personalized landscaping dioramas. As a result, “Sky: Children of the Light” delivers a unique multiplayer experience. Plus, the game is free and receives regular updates, many of which add new quests and items to customize your world and avatar. Some of these are locked behind a season pass, but the paywalled components are far from essential and do not detract from the otherwise gorgeous experience.

Every video game has a cost. Usually, that comes in the form of cold, hard cash, as the price of video games has been rising steadily for the past few years. But while some other games are free, they often force players to pay by making progression excruciatingly slow, aka, via “grinding.” Often, grinding can make or break a player’s enjoyment. It all comes down to implementation.

The Nintendo Switch has no shortage of free, action-packed multiplayer titles. Fortnite is a popular option, but “Warframe” is arguably the better one. “Warframe” is basically a power fantasy simulator where players step into the bodysuit of a superpowered future ninja from outer space. The game has a ton of lore, but the meat of the experience lies in the fast-paced parkour action. Players can and are encouraged to kickflip through levels like sentient blenders that shoot bullets.

As you’ve probably guessed, “Warframe” is mired in grinding. To unlock new weapons, levels, and warframes (the suits that provide different powers), players need to complete missions countless times and collect crafting components. But therein lies the game’s appeal. Missions are semi-randomized, so players don’t always know what they’re in for. Combine that with over a decade’s worth of content, and you have an essential app for anyone with a Switch. And even if you primarily play “Warframe” on other platforms, the game supports cross platform save functionality, so you don’t lose progress while traveling.

Since the Nintendo Switch is old enough to have a sequel console (which is now easier to find and purchase), we had no problem finding apps and games that belong in every Switch owner’s collections. But if we included all those programs, this article would go on forever, so we had to pare down entries.

Priority went to non-game programs, such as YouTube, “Pokémon Home,” and “InkyPen,” as they expanded the Nintendo Switch’s capabilities beyond just playing games. Even though the core functionality of “Pokémon Home” hinges on using other “Pokémon” games, it was included because most Switch users own at least one title in the franchise. After those entries were completed, we moved on to the best freemium apps and programs with demos that expanded the Switch’s functionality, which is why titles such as “RPG Maker” are in this article.

Even with all the non-game apps out of the way, we still wanted to give readers more, so we finally included proper games. Of course, the first slots went to the free games, freemium titles, and games with demos. Only the best of the best were allowed, hence why we included “Deltarune” and “Warframe.” To round out the last few entries, we finally looked at games you had to buy, but we couldn’t just add any old title. As much as we wanted to include exclusive gems such as “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” and “Fire Emblem: Three Houses,” we instead opted for titles that provided experiences that are impossible on other platforms, such as “Ring Fit Adventure,” or inexpensive masterpieces like “Vampire Survivors.”