Farming Simulator 26 Switch Review

Farming Simulator 26 Switch Review
Version Reviewed: Nintendo Switch

It’s no secret that I’ve been a massive fan of the Farming Simulator series since Farming Simulator 23 landed on the original Nintendo Switch. It’s one of the few games that’s remained on my microSD card ever since, only stepping out of the spotlight when the larger-scale Signature Edition rolled onto the Nintendo Switch 2 late last year. Since then, I’ve been steadily building my farming empire whenever I find a spare moment. Now, Farming Simulator 26 arrives on the original Switch, offering a more streamlined and accessible take on the formula that’s designed with newcomers in mind. What’s It Like? Put on your flannel, climb into your tractor, and get ready to work as we sow the seeds of reviewing Farming Simulator 26 on Nintendo Switch.

Farming Simulator 26 feels more like a sequel to Farming Simulator 23, following in its footsteps with a more accessible approach that tones down some of the heavier simulation elements. The result is a fantastic introduction to farming life. You begin with a handful of small fields, a tractor, a harvester, and enough equipment to cultivate, plant, and harvest crops for profit, all while working towards expanding your business with new land, machinery, tools, and production facilities. This is what I love most about the Farming Simulator series, as you can focus on whatever aspect of farming interests you. To build up funds quickly, I sold most of my starting machinery and invested in a barn filled with goats to produce milk, planting only one field of grass to feed my livestock and leaving the rest empty. Later, I began growing canola and purchased an oil mill, allowing me to refine my harvest into a more valuable product and increase my profits. As you become more comfortable with the systems, you can automate many farming tasks by hiring AI workers to plough, plant, and harvest your fields while paying them a wage, and I found that putting workers in charge of my crops allowed me to focus on my growing goat business. Once I expanded into forestry, my fields were still being taken care of by my workers while I developed a thriving lumber operation.

That’s the beauty of Farming Simulator 26… it can be as hands-on or as hands-off as you want it to be. Much like Farming Simulator 23 and the Signature Edition, while writing this review, my workers were busy harvesting wheat in the background to keep my flour production and bakery running. There is something incredibly satisfying about building a self-sustaining farming empire that continues to generate income while you focus on new ventures. Progress can be slow, but that makes every new purchase feel rewarding. Whether it’s a larger tractor, a new production facility, or another field to expand into, every milestone feels earned. Players looking for a fast-paced experience may need to look elsewhere, as Farming Simulator 26 rewards patience, planning, and long-term thinking.

This latest entry also introduces several welcome changes that make it a better fit for handheld play. The maps have been designed with convenience in mind, with fields, production facilities, vendors, and resources generally located closer together. Travelling around the map is much faster, creating a more streamlined experience than Farming Simulator 23, which I really appreciated. There’s also a healthy selection of machinery on offer with many familiar favourites returning alongside new licensed tractors, tools, and equipment. Contracts are another excellent addition, allowing you to complete jobs on fields you don’t own with tasks that range from fertilising crops to harvesting and delivering produce for a quick cash reward. If you don’t own the required equipment, you can rent it for a small fee, making contracts accessible even in the early stages of the game. Weekly challenges are another feature I really appreciated, as these objectives can be as simple as checking in each week for a cash bonus or harvesting a set amount of wheat for a larger reward, providing a valuable financial boost during the early hours of your farming career and offering another reason to keep coming back.

Graphically, Farming Simulator 26 is a significant step up from Farming Simulator 23. Gone is the blurry presentation and muddy visuals of its predecessor, replaced by a much sharper image and a brighter, more vibrant colour palette. There is still some noticeable pixelation in places, but I’ll gladly take that trade-off over the soft, unfocused look of Farming Simulator 23. The machinery is highly detailed, with tractors, harvesters, and tools all looking fantastic as you work the fields. The environments are equally impressive, featuring landscapes that feel authentic and lived in. Whether you’re tending crops, transporting goods, or managing forestry operations, the world does a great job of selling the fantasy of running your own farming business. For a Nintendo Switch title, Farming Simulator 26 looks remarkably good. The increased visual clarity makes it easier to appreciate both the equipment and the surrounding environment, creating a more immersive experience overall. These improved visuals do come with a caveat, however…

The main issue with Farming Simulator 26 is its performance. The game struggles to maintain its 30fps target for much of the experience, with frame rate drops occurring regularly during normal gameplay, hovering closer to the 24 fps mark. As your farm grows and more machinery and vehicles populate the world, these dips become even more noticeable when driving through busier sections of the map, which can cause performance to deteriorate further, particularly once your farming empire begins to expand. I also noticed some level-of-detail pop-in when quickly switching between vehicles. Textures and environmental details can take a moment to fully load, although this usually only lasts a second or two before everything settles into place. The good news is that Giants Software has a strong track record of supporting its games after launch, so there’s every chance these issues will be improved through future updates. As it stands, however, the performance problems are difficult to ignore and are the biggest drawback of the launch version, although handheld fares slightly better than docked mode. It’s also worth noting that these issues appear to be limited to the original Nintendo Switch hardware, because when played on Nintendo Switch 2 through backwards compatibility, the frame rate issues are effectively eliminated. All gameplay footage captured for this review was recorded on the original Nintendo Switch.

For farmers looking into accessibility options, Farming Simulator 26 includes several useful settings that can help tailor the experience to individual needs. These include colourblind modes, the ability to highlight interactive zone markers, adjustable UI scaling, and controller sensitivity options. As always, I recommend doing further research to find out if Farming Simulator 26 suits your accessibility needs.

At just under $70 AUD, Farming Simulator 26 successfully strikes a balance between accessibility and depth. The streamlined maps, contracts, and weekly challenges create a more welcoming experience for newcomers, while the extensive farming, forestry, livestock, and production systems provide enough depth to keep veteran farmers occupied for hundreds of hours. While performance on the original Nintendo Switch leaves room for improvement, the core gameplay loop remains as addictive and rewarding as ever. Farming Simulator 26 plants the seeds for another great portable farming experience, even if a few technical weeds still need pulling.

So, What’s it Like? Farming Simulator 26 is like Farming Simulator 23, with a bit more streamlining.

In the interest of full disclosure, a review copy was provided by the publisher, but this doesn’t influence my score.

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