No, There Are Currently 7 Sport Games in Nintendo Switch Sports

To answer the title question right away – no, Nintendo Switch Sports does not only have 6 games or sports included. With the addition of golf after launch, there are now 7 sports featured:

• Tennis
• Badminton
• Volleyball
• Bowling
• Soccer
• Chambara
• Golf

I‘ll break down the included sports in more detail below. First, let‘s look at Nintendo‘s approach with Switch Sports and the possibilities around expanding it over time.

Nintendo‘s Vision – An Expanding Sports Platform

While some fans expected more content at launch, Nintendo designed Switch Sports as an extensible platform, not just a static collection of games.

Producer Koh Sasaki confirmed they built flexibility into the base game to add new sports via free updates down the road.

The goal is to keep players engaged for years by continually introducing new events, modes, and sports. This should prevent it from becoming stale or being traded in after a short burst of play.

Potential Future Sports

As for what could come next, Nintendo has not confirmed specifics, but Sasaki said they will consider sports that suit:

• Casual play
• Motion control with Joy-Cons
• Local and online multiplayer

That leaves the door open wide. Baseball and boxing seem likely based on previous titles, but I could also imagine fun additions like skateboarding, water skiing, or rock climbing that would leverage Joy-Con capabilities.

Overview of Current Sports and Game Modes

Here is a quick rundown of the 7 existing sports along with details on play options:

Tennis

• Singles and doubles matches
• Slices, topspin, flat shots
• Play against AI or other players locally and online

Badminton

• Singles and doubles
• Clear shots, drops shots, smashes
• Play against AI or other players locally and online

Volleyball

• 2v2, 3v3, or 4v4 teams
• Bumps, sets, spikes, dives
• Play against AI or other players locally and online

Bowling

• Accuracy or aiming for strikes
• Curving the ball with wrist flick
• Local and online multiplayer up to 4 people

Soccer

• 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, or 4v4
• Shooting, passing, tackling, diving saves
• Local and online multiplayer

Chambara

• 1-on-1 sword duels
• Vertical and horizontal attacks and blocks
• Local and online battles

Golf added November 2022

• 9 hole course
• Swing controls with Joy-Cons
• Supports local and online play

There‘s a good amount of variety between sports and ways to compete. Now let‘s look at multiplayer and post-launch plans.

Multiplayer Options

A major emphasis with Switch Sports is bringing family and friends together in the same room. But you also have choices:

Local Play

• Up to 4 players on one Switch console
• Pass additional Joy-Cons around

Online Play

• Supports up to 8 players across multiple Switch systems
• Join friend lobbies or play random opponents

Play Globally

• Challenge AI opponents from around the world
• Earn points to climb regional and global leaderboards

This flexibility allows groups to play however suits them best. The game was built for social fun.

Post-Launch Plans

While some criticisms at launch focused on lighter content than previous Wii Sports titles, Nintendo has maintained this is just the beginning for Switch Sports.

So far they have delivered on expanding the game via a major free update adding golf. Looking ahead, Nintendo announced the next update will introduce squash along with new modes and UI enhancements in 2024.

I expect regular updates over the next couple years to keep Switch Sports feeling fresh. The foundation is solid – now it‘s about building on top of that.

Sales and Reception

For a brand new IP on the Switch, Nintendo Switch Sports has posted impressive sales numbers:

• 8.61 million copies sold as of Dec 2022
• One of top 10 best-selling Switch games
• Could catch up to Wii Sports (82.9 million) over time

The reception has been fairly positive as well, though reviewers note it‘s still early:

Praise focuses on the multiplayer fun factor while critics mainly wanted more depth and content out of the box.

If Nintendo delivers substantial updates as promised, review scores could climb higher over the console life cycle. For now, Switch Sports is off to a promising start as the foundation for the next hit party series on Switch.

The Verdict – A New Sports Platform Begins

To directly answer the original question once more – no, Nintendo Switch Sports did not launch with only 6 games or sports.

There are currently 7 options available after golf joined the lineup as part of Nintendo‘s post-launch expansion initiative.

More sports should arrive soon alongside new ways to play and compete. Nintendo is positioning Switch Sports as an evolving platform primed to entertain families and friends for years into the future.

While light on content for serious gamers currently, the accessible pick-up-and-play multiplayer sports experience should only get deeper. This title deserves some patience as Nintendo builds it out as their next long-term social gaming phenomenon.

For now, grab some Joy-Cons and start the friendly competition – there‘s already plenty here to enjoy and more yet to come!