Best Games Like GTA on Nintendo Switch (2026)

2026-05-01 · 9 min read · By Justlikegames Editorial

GTA isn't on Switch — but these 10 open-world crime, sandbox and chaos games scratch the same itch on Nintendo's hybrid.

Grand Theft Auto has never landed on a Nintendo console — and it almost certainly never will. But the Switch library hides a surprising number of open-world, crime-and-chaos sandboxes that hit the same nerve. Here are the ten best.

1. Saints Row: The Third — The Full Package

The single best GTA-alike on Switch. All three story DLCs included, surprisingly stable framerate in handheld, and the most over-the-top crime sandbox ever made.

2. LEGO City Undertakers

Don't laugh. LEGO City Undertakers is essentially "kid-friendly GTA": carjack civilians, crash through the city, complete heist missions. The 100% completion run is enormous.

3. The Simpsons: Hit & Run (via emulation only — sadly not on eShop)

Worth mentioning because Switch homebrew makes it possible. The most beloved licensed GTA-clone of all time.

4. Just Cause 4 (Cloud version)

Pure destruction. Tether anything to anything, blow it up, repeat. The cloud version on Switch is the only way to play it portable.

5. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy — The Definitive Edition

Yes, really. GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas are on Switch. The remaster is rough but playable, and Vice City handheld is genuinely a vibe.

6. Mafia I: Definitive Edition (Cloud)

Story-focused 1930s gangster crime. One of the best narrative campaigns in the genre.

7. Yakuza Kiwami (Cloud)

Japanese GTA with a heart. Combat-focused, story-rich, and packed with more side activities than any GTA game.

8. Watch_Dogs Legion (Cloud)

Open-world London with a recruit-anyone mechanic. The cloud version is the only way to play it on Switch.

9. Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition (Cloud)

Hong Kong, martial arts, undercover cop drama. A criminally underrated open-world gem.

10. Bully: Scholarship Edition (rumored Switch port — watch this space)

Rockstar's high-school sandbox classic. A Switch port has been rumored for years. Until then, it's PS2 emulation only.