While it may not be a typical way to play on a console, playing games with headphones has become an immersive way to experience what is happening on a screen. Games with excellent sound design and music tend to stand out even more to people who decide to wear headphones instead of listening to the game on speakers.
Luckily, the Nintendo Switch has a great library of games that are worth listening to, from triple-A classics to indie hits. While there are plenty of different experiences to choose from, there are a handful of games that are truly music to your ears.
10 Splatoon 2
When playing a tense match in Splatoon 2, it may not be top of mind to listen to every single sound effect. However, the audio design of the game is very impressive, and the sound of the ink coming out of the weapons and landing is so unique that it is core to what makes the game so interesting.
This is putting aside that the music is superb, with enough energy that matches the action of trying to claim territory on the other team. Since players may want to focus on their friends in multiplayer, it may be worthwhile wearing headphones and getting immersed in the story mode or DLC instead.
9 Pokemon Legends Arceus
An open-world Pokemon game was once a wild concept, but Pokemon Legends Arceus was the first game that really focused on letting players explore a world and just focus on catching various creatures that they encounter. While the gameplay loop is fun on its own, the audio for this game is solid as well.
There is some light ambient music that comes in every once in a while, but putting on headphones for this game is perfect for the sounds of nature as players try to sneak around to find the different Pokemon. These more subtle moments are great, but those who also want to get sucked into great boss music can also look forward to that.
8 Luigi's Mansion 3
Spooky games may be difficult to play with headphones on, but Luigi's Mansion 3 is a nice enough game for the ears and zero jump scares that will make you chuck your headset across the room. The game thrives on its sound effects more than most on this list.
This comes with the atmosphere as sounds of the floors creaking and the thunder of the storm outside give that creepy vibe. When a ghost shows up, there is satisfaction in hearing them get sucked into Luigi's vacuum. The only downside is that the low-health sound effect is very annoying, so try to stay healthy.
7 TOEM
While much of this list will feature first-party titles, it's worth shouting out a few indie games for their excellent sound design. TOEM is one of those games as it is a relaxing game about walking around and taking photos of various landmarks that the player stumbles across.
Each level has its own atmospheric sound that fits in with the environment along with some chill tunes to vibe to while you are helping a character with a photo-related task. These details make an already wholesome adventure come alive, especially if you have headphones to listen to the soothing sounds.
6 Inside
Those who actually enjoy being a bit disturbed may end up enjoying listening to some of the creepy sounds that Inside provides. This eerie game about a boy and his no good, very bad day has no music that is playing. This may sound like a bad thing for people who want to use headphones, but this makes playing the game that much more immersive.
Early on, players are walking around in the silent forest with only the sounds of the leaves underneath the boy's feet. This evolves into hearing the sounds of being in large empty rooms and the echo that occurs in that. While the game reaches unbelievable levels of wild visuals, a major part of its charm comes from the audio.
5 Kirby And The Forgotten Land
Just by looking at the world of Kirby and the Forgotten Land, it's hard to not want to spend as much time as possible in the colorful environments that are presented throughout the game. But as nice as the game looks, the sounds of the game are far superior and make the game one of the must-play games to play with headphones on.
This is mostly due to the soundtrack being one of the best Nintendo has produced, with amazing tunes that match the levels themselves and the action in them. However, there are great sound effects too, such as the little sounds Kirby makes as well as the sounds of breaking through stuff in Mouthful Mode.
4 Animal Crossing New Horizons
Another nice world that players may want to spend a lot of time in is Animal Crossing: New Horizons, a game all about hanging out in nature, chilling with animal friends, and building the island of your dreams. Sound plays a pretty important role in the game, and it's not just the music.
Fishing is a great example of why wearing headphones may benefit you, as it's important to hear the bobber when it actually gets sunk to know when to reel in the catch. Even sound effects of villagers trying to get your attention or hearing a present tied to a balloon blow through the wind are crucial to keep an ear out for.
3 Super Mario Odyssey
Traveling the world in the Odyssey is a lot of fun in Super Mario Odyssey, as there are so many large worlds to discover and explore. The differences between each of these worlds and what they bring both visually and audibly make the game a really dynamic experience.
Because it's a Mario game, it's hard to mention audio without mentioning the amazing soundtrack throughout the game. Besides that, every single platform Mario walks on sounds different from the next, and the ambiance of each world really sets the tone for what you can be looking forward to.
2 Metroid Dread
If you want to talk about atmospheric audio, Metroid Dread certainly establishes itself. While the soundtrack doesn't stand out in the game, what does are the sounds of an intense adventure through the unknown that make wearing headphones a must.
The sounds of battle can be quite intense with the sounds of lasers shooting across the room and the boom of a punch being thrown your way. But even just walking around the map with some rooms having some puddles that Samus walks through, or the sounds of the EMMI slowly walking through the facility is enough to send chills down your spine.
1 The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
When spending a lot of time in the game, it's nice to be able to get lost in it to avoid getting bored with the world. Luckily, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of the easiest games to do that with as there is plenty to discover as Link runs and climbs around.
However, none of this would work as well if the sounds weren't perfectly implemented. Most portions of this game don't have music playing, with just the sounds of the open-air playing and the sounds of Link either using his tools or just running around fills the space. Sound is so intertwined into the gameplay that headphones can really benefit you.