Nine games into 2026, Nintendo has quietly built the strongest first-party record of any major platform holder this year. Its Metacritic average sits at 80.33, ahead of both PlayStation and Xbox, which are coincidentally tied at 77.5 each.
That gap might look small on paper, but the details behind it tell a more interesting story.
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How the numbers actually break down
The methodology here matters. This comparison covers only first-party titles: games published and funded by the platform holder, or developed by a studio it owns. Ports, remasters, and DLC are excluded, though remakes count. That means Ghost of Yotei: Complete Edition and Avowed are out, while Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls and Towerborne are in.
With that framing, Nintendo's nine-game slate for 2026 looks like this:
Six of those nine games landed at 80 or above. That consistency is the key here, not any single standout release.
Where PlayStation and Xbox actually stand
PlayStation and Xbox each released six qualifying first-party titles this year, and both landed at exactly 77.5 on average.
What most players miss in a straight average comparison is how different the two platforms' profiles actually are. Xbox has the single highest-rated first-party game of 2026 with Forza Horizon 6 at 90, but its lower-end releases drag the average down significantly. PlayStation, meanwhile, carries the lowest-rated first-party title of the year in God of War: Sons of Sparta at 64, a result that will sting given the franchise's legacy.
Neither platform managed three games above 80, where Nintendo placed six.
What this actually tells us about 2026
The combined average across all three platform holders this year sits at 79, which lands in Metacritic's "generally favorable" range. The gap between first and last is less than 3 points. This is not a story about one platform dominating while others collapse.
Here's the thing: Nintendo's advantage comes from volume and consistency. Nine games with six clearing 80 is harder to sustain than landing one or two prestige releases in a calendar year. Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave and Pokémon Pokopia both hitting 89 anchors the top end, but the floor rarely drops below 76 outside of Pokémon Champions at 67.
For players who own multiple platforms or are weighing where to spend, the data suggests Nintendo's Switch 2 lineup has delivered the most consistent quality this year without relying on any single blockbuster to carry it. Whether you prefer the spectacle of Forza Horizon 6 or the breadth of Nintendo's catalog, 2026 has been a genuinely strong year for first-party gaming across the board.
With Modern Warfare 4 arriving for Xbox on October 23, and the year's remaining releases still to be tallied, these averages could shift before 2026 closes out. Check our game reviews for ongoing coverage as new titles land, and if you're playing on handheld hardware, our gaming guides have performance optimization covered for titles like Directive 8020 PC settings to help you get the most out of whatever you're playing right now.
