The Nintendo Switch is not where you look for the sharpest graphics in shooters, but it has become one of the most varied homes for the genre. Nintendo's own Splatoon and Metroid Prime sit beside remarkable ports of id Software and MachineGames hits, and the eShop is packed with fast, stylish indie shooters that suit a handheld. Gyro aiming makes first-person games feel better here than on many controllers, even if the hardware limits resolution and frame rate.
1. Metroid Prime Remastered#
Retro Studios shadow-dropped this remaster in February 2023, rebuilding the 2002 GameCube classic with modern textures and lighting while keeping the original design. Samus scans, explores and shoots her way through Tallon IV in a first-person adventure where exploration matters as much as aiming. Dual-stick, pointer and gyro control schemes are all available, and the sense of place is superb. It stands out as the most complete and atmospheric first-person experience on the system. Its main weakness is backtracking, and progression can be vague when you are stuck. Anyone who wants fast multiplayer should look elsewhere.
2. Doom Eternal#
Panic Button brought id Software's Doom Eternal to Switch in December 2020, and it remains a striking technical feat for the hardware. The game is a demanding arena shooter where you juggle weapons, chainsaw kills and glory kills to stay alive and refill ammo and health. Combat is relentless and rewards aggression. On Switch it targets 30 frames per second, and the image gets soft in docked and handheld play, with cutscenes running at a lower frame rate. It is the best pure campaign shooter on the console, but newcomers may find the many systems overwhelming.
3. Splatoon 3#
Nintendo's third Splatoon launched in September 2022 and is the most polished version of the ink-based team shooter. Turf War pits two squads against each other in a fight to cover the map in ink, and you swim through your own colour to move and reload. The Splatsville hub, the cooperative Salmon Run, the Tableturf card game and ranked modes give it plenty of variety. It is colourful, fast and welcoming to players who shy away from traditional shooters. The core idea is familiar if you played Splatoon 2, and the single-player campaign is fairly short.
4. Doom#
Panic Button's Switch port of the 2016 Doom arrived in November 2017 and showed that big modern shooters could run on the console. The game revived the series with fast, aggressive combat, a thumping metal soundtrack and superb level design full of secrets. It runs at 30 frames per second, half the frame rate of other versions, and the resolution is modest. Motion aiming was added in a later update. It is still a thrilling single-player campaign, though the multiplayer mode is the weaker part of the package.
5. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus#
MachineGames' story of B.J. Blazkowicz fighting the Nazis in an alternate 1961 America reached Switch in June 2018, ported by Panic Button. The game mixes brutal gunplay with surprisingly human drama, performance-driven cutscenes and memorable set pieces. It is a demanding game for the hardware, and the port is a real achievement with the full campaign intact. The image is soft and runs at around 30 frames per second, so the lower visual quality shows. It is the best narrative-driven shooter on Switch, but the game leans heavily on its story and violence.
6. Splatoon 2#
Released in July 2017, Splatoon 2 took the original idea of a colourful ink-based shooter and gave it more weapons, stages and modes, including the Salmon Run co-op mode. The Octo Expansion added a clever single-player challenge for those who want puzzle-like shooting. The feel of swimming in ink and claiming territory is still unique among shooters. Splatoon 3 improves on it in nearly every way, so this is most appealing if you want a second, slightly different helping of the series, or if you prefer its weapon balance.
7. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond#
Retro Studios' long-awaited return for Samus arrived in December 2025 on both Switch and Switch 2. Samus lands on the alien world of Viewros and is hunted by the sharpshooter Sylux, with a new bike, the Vi-O-La, to cross the land. The game builds on the exploration and scanning of the trilogy with new psychic powers and a large world to learn. It is a fine first-person adventure that feels like Prime, although the Switch 2 version has the better performance and visual fidelity, so the original Switch edition is the weaker way to play it.
8. Hotline Miami#
Dennaton Games' top-down shooter from 2012 comes to Switch in the Hotline Miami Collection, released in August 2019 with its sequel. You enter buildings in animal masks, kill everyone in a few hits and die in a single one, then restart at once. The pulsing synth soundtrack and neon art turn violence into a trance-like rhythm. It is short, sharp and ideal for handheld play in small bursts. Its weakness is the intense, graphic violence and the sharp difficulty, which can frustrate players who prefer a slower pace.
9. Neon White#
Angel Matrix's Neon White came to Switch in June 2022 as a first-person shooter that plays like a speedrunning platformer. Every weapon is also a card with an ability, such as a double jump or a dash, and each level asks you to clear demons by the fastest possible route. The movement is fluid and the gyro aiming is a good fit for the Switch. It is one of the most original games in the genre. Some players will tire of the visual-novel dialogue between levels, and the chase for the best times is only for those who want to replay.
10. Superhot#
The Superhot Team's first-person shooter, available on Switch since August 2019, rests on one idea: time moves only when you move. Every encounter becomes a puzzle of dodging bullets, throwing objects and planning an elegant kill in slow motion. The minimalist white-and-red look is unmistakable. It is easy to pick up and brilliant in the first hours. The campaign is short and can be finished in a single sitting, so it works best for those who enjoy its challenge modes afterwards.
11. Enter the Gungeon#
Dodge Roll's bullet-hell dungeon crawler came to Switch in December 2017 and is a cheerful roguelike built on guns. You roll through chambers, flip tables for cover, dodge walls of projectiles and find an absurd range of firearms, including ones shaped like fish and bees. Every run plays differently, and the tight dodge roll makes it satisfying. Co-op lets a friend join. It is a rewarding game for those who love mastering patterns, though the difficulty and random loot can feel unfair and a bad run can end quickly.
12. Quake#
The 2021 re-release from id Software and Nightdive Studios restores the 1996 classic with smoother visuals and widescreen support, plus co-op and online play. The Switch version includes the expansions and Dimension of the Machine, a new campaign from MachineGames. Quake's fast movement, gothic levels and rocket-jumping remain hugely influential, and gyro support helps. It is an old-school shooter with old-school design, so some levels are mazes and the brown, angular look is a matter of taste. Fans of the genre's roots should play it.
13. Dusk#
David Szymanski's Dusk is a love letter to 1990s first-person shooters, published by New Blood Interactive and released on Switch in October 2021 after a delay. It is fast and dark, with eerie levels, tight gunplay and sound design that builds unease. It follows the Quake tradition and is one of the best retro-styled shooters around. The crude, pixelated visuals are intentional, but they will not suit everyone. Anyone looking for a modern narrative or hand-holding should play something else, as it demands quick reactions.
14. Nuclear Throne#
Vlambeer's post-apocalyptic top-down shooter reached Switch in March 2019 and is among the most addictive roguelikes of its kind. You pick a mutant, blast through irradiated wastelands and pick up new weapons and mutations as the run goes on. The gunplay is tight, the art is sharp and the pace is very fast. It is perfect for short handheld sessions. Its difficulty is steep and each death costs a run, so it can be punishing, and the rewards for progress are limited to unlocking new characters.
15. Borderlands 2#
Gearbox's loot-shooter arrives on Switch in the Borderlands Legendary Collection, released in May 2020 with the first game, The Pre-Sequel and all their DLC. Borderlands 2 is the best of the trio, with witty writing, the villain Handsome Jack and gun-collecting that keeps you playing for hours. It is best with friends in local or online co-op. It is a decade-old game that looks its age on Switch, with a softer image. Solo players may find the endless side quests repetitive.
16. Risk of Rain 2#
Hopoo Games' Risk of Rain 2 turned the series' side-scrolling roguelike into a third-person shooter, and Gearbox brought it to Switch. You fight through alien landscapes as a survivor, collecting items that stack into ridiculous builds as the enemies get tougher. It is thrilling and endlessly replayable, especially with up to four players in co-op. The chaos of late runs can be hard to read on a handheld screen. Newcomers may also find the lack of explanation confusing.