What makes a game good for a short flight
I've flown many times with a Switch and with a Switch 2, and a flight of up to three hours is a strange place to play. There is no Wi-Fi to count on, the screen is small, the tray table is tight, and the plane decides when I have to stop. Going back through the games I've reviewed, four things decide whether one works up there.
It plays offline. Anything that needs a connection is out. Every game on this list plays without one, and a few have a catch about that, which I explain below.
It looks good in handheld. I only count a game here when handheld is one of the ways I like to play it. The Switch 2 screen is all there is on a seat.
It's easy to stop. Landing, turbulence and the trolley all arrive at their own time. I want a pause, a save or a natural stopping point, and every review says where those are.
It doesn't need my full attention. A cabin is noisy and busy, so I leave out games with a high Effort or Challenge. That keeps the list to games I can drop into after a long day of travel and still follow.
How I pick the games for this list
A game is on this page when it plays offline, it holds up well in handheld, the shortest session worth starting is 30 minutes or less, and neither Effort nor Challenge is high (how I score explains the scales). The list is 11 games right now, best first, and it changes by itself when I review a game that fits. A game can be great and still miss this list because it wants a longer window or a bigger screen. Those are in the close calls below.
Setting up your Switch 2 for a flight
The settings are Nintendo's, and the rest comes from my own flights.
- Before you leave. Updates and downloads need a connection, so do them at home. The NES games need a Nintendo Switch Online membership, and Nintendo says those games must connect to the internet to verify it, so open the app with a connection first.
- Battery. Nintendo gives the Switch 2 battery roughly 2 to 6.5 hours, depending on the game and the functions in use, and a full charge from empty takes around three hours. The console is very sensitive to the game: Air Traffic Controller doesn't drain it as fast as Mario Kart 8 or No Man's Sky do. For a flight of up to three hours, it's worth starting full and keeping a charger or a power bank in reach.
- Flight Mode. Hold the HOME button for a second to open the quick settings and switch it on. It can turn off all wireless connections, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth included, though some can be switched back on by hand. It works in handheld or tabletop mode only, not while the console is connected to a TV.
- Controllers. If you detach the Joy-Con 2 for tabletop mode, turn on the Bluetooth option in the Flight Mode settings first, while they're still attached. Otherwise they stop working.
- Headphones. Wired ones go in the 3.5mm jack. Bluetooth ones need Bluetooth switched back on after Flight Mode.
- Airline rules. Every airline I've flown with allowed the console during take-off, landing and the flight. Rules can differ, so the crew have the last word.
Things to know before you board
- Air Traffic Controller has stages of very different lengths. Early ones are short, but some of the long ones run one to two hours and nothing carries over.
- Aerofly FS can't save mid-flight. Sleep mode keeps my place, but quitting the game loses the flight, so I program a short flight, such as a landing.
- Mario Kart doesn't save mid-race. A 3-lap race takes 2 to 3 minutes and a four-race cup 10 to 12.
- Limbo and Balatro both save or restart cheaply, so interruptions cost little. Limbo is dark, so a seat without glare helps.
Close calls: great, but they want more time or more attention
These work in handheld and offline, but they ask for more than a short flight gives, either a longer window or a bit more of my attention. Here's what I said about stopping in each one:
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: After a quiet stretch of wandering. Skip building a flying contraption with only a few minutes left: it can take twenty minutes of trying.
Short flight, long evening
A game that works on a plane often works on the sofa too. For quick sessions on the ground, I put together the best games for short breaks and commutes. For a quiet night in bed, there are the handheld games for bed, and the best games to play after work page ranks the ten that suit a work night best. The Tonight finder narrows it down if I'm not sure how long I have.
Questions
What's the best Switch 2 game for a short flight? Right now my top pick is Dave the Diver. It plays offline, looks good in handheld and has easy places to stop. The right pick on another day depends on how long the flight is and how much battery is left.
Can I play Switch 2 games on a plane? Yes. Every airline I've flown with, on a Switch and a Switch 2, has allowed it during take-off, landing and the flight. Rules can differ, so the crew have the last word.
Do the games need internet? Not the ones on this list. The NES games need a Nintendo Switch Online membership, which has to check in over the internet, so open the app with a connection before you travel.
How long does the Switch 2 battery last? Nintendo says around 2 to 6.5 hours, depending on the game and the functions in use, and a full charge takes about three hours. The game matters a lot: Air Traffic Controller drains it more slowly than Mario Kart 8 or No Man's Sky.
Can I use wireless headphones? Bluetooth works on Switch 2, but Flight Mode may switch it off, so turn it back on. Wired headphones go in the 3.5mm jack.
Which of these can I pause or stop at any moment? Air Traffic Controller can be paused at any moment. Balatro and the NES games save where you were, and in Limbo you come back just before the trap. Mario Kart autosaves between races but not during one, and Aerofly FS can't save mid-flight.
How often is this list updated? Whenever I publish a review or change a rating, the page is rebuilt. The date at the top shows when something last changed.
