EA Sports FC 26 on Nintendo Switch 2: A Major Leap for Football Games on the Go

When Nintendo consoles first entered the home gaming market decades ago, they were often left without prominent sports franchises—football (soccer) fans most notably missed out on FIFA.

For many years, Nintendo users either waited for watered-down FIFA ports or went without entirely.

It wasn’t until the Nintendo Switch launched in 2017 that the tide began to turn, giving Nintendo’s platform its most consistent access to annual football simulations. The journey started with FIFA 18, which, while not feature-complete compared to PlayStation and Xbox versions, marked a significant step forward for Nintendo gamers.

FIFA 19 brought incremental improvements, but from FIFA 20 onwards, Switch titles carried the 'Legacy Edition' label, delivering only roster and kit updates with minimal innovation.

Over several iterations—FIFA 21, FIFA 22, and FIFA 23—users saw virtually identical releases, in stark contrast to more ambitious versions on rival consoles. That pattern finally broke with the rebranding of FIFA as EA Sports FC.

For the first time in years, EA Sports FC for Nintendo Switch was built upon a fresh foundation, integrating new features, improved gameplay systems, and modernized animations.

Now, with the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, EA Sports FC 26 represents the most substantial leap forward for the series on Nintendo hardware. Speaking about the comprehensive upgrade, an Electronic Arts spokesperson stated that the company is dedicated to delivering parity across platforms, ensuring that Switch players experience core features such as Rush mode and fully-featured career modes.

The wide array of game modes now available on the Switch 2 platform reflects that commitment. However, EA Sports FC 26’s integration with Ultimate Team comes with a catch: the Switch 2 version maintains a separate transfer market, limiting the pool of active players.

This can make assembling a dream team more challenging and, for some, could lead to a reliance on microtransactions—long a source of contention in football gaming.

This is an ongoing issue, but it is not exclusive to Nintendo’s hardware. Technically, the biggest drawback for hardcore fans is that EA Sports FC 26 runs at 30 frames per second on Switch 2, compared to the 60 frames per second standard on PlayStation and Xbox.

While this may disappoint those accustomed to silky-smooth gameplay elsewhere, the Nintendo Switch 2’s portability still offers unmatched convenience, making it a compelling option for handheld gaming enthusiasts.

Features like touchscreen navigation in menus and enhanced VRR screen support help polish the experience for players on the move. The visual improvements in EA Sports FC 26 are significant, with player likenesses, stadium details, and matchday atmospheres all seeing marked upgrades.

Animations have become more lifelike, and pre-match presentations are more immersive than ever on a Nintendo handheld.

Menu responsiveness, however, could see improvement as users may notice some sluggishness when navigating game modes. In terms of gameplay, veterans will find familiar mechanics with notable enhancements.

Two gameplay styles—Authentic and Competitive—allow players to tailor the experience, with Authentic mode offering more realism and Competitive mode focusing on faster-paced, online-optimized play. For those who primarily enjoy football games in handheld mode, EA Sports FC 26 on Nintendo Switch 2 sets a new standard.

While there are technical and structural limitations yet to overcome, such as the frame rate and Ultimate Team market segregation, this debut on Switch 2 is a promising step forward for football fans on Nintendo platforms.

As the franchise matures on this more powerful hardware, the prospects for future entries are bright, with the community already looking forward to further improvements in EA Sports FC 27. Version tested: Nintendo Switch 2.

Review copy provided by Electronic Arts.

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