Playing ranked in Switch Sports can be a fantastic way to test your skills against other players and prove that you are the best Switch athlete out there.
Although Nintendo games tend to be party games, there are players who love competition. Casually playing online against others can be fun, but some of us like to keep scores.
That being said, there is a way to play Switch Sports competitively. Since this is probably what you are looking for, here’s how to play ranked in Switch Sports.
Nintendo Switch Sports Pro League
Switch Sport has its own version of ranked games called Pro Leagues.
In this mode, you can play against others online, and the matchmaking is made in a way that you will most likely be in a match against others with similar skill levels. The better you get, the higher your rank is, up to A-Rank.
This is the best way to play the game for those who care about competition. This way, not only the player has a way to feel challenged when playing against real people, but they also have a metric to track if they are improving or not.
Some techniques and tactics don’t work against real opponents. However, players who care enough learn to avoid basic tricks, serve fast in Tennis, or even return a spike in Volley. These players usually put some time and effort into getting better at the game, and they might not have fun unless they play against someone who does the same.
That being said, those who play casually most likely won’t be that worried about doing all the work to learn the more intricate parts of a game like Switch Sports. This is why less competitive players might not be found in the Pro Leagues, where those who care about winning usually go to test their skills.
Unfortunately, you can’t just start playing in the Pro Leagues. The mode is locked when you first launch the game.
How to Unlock Switch Sports Pro Leagues
Once you have played 10 matches in a single sport, the pro league of that sport will become available. If you like playing a sport very much, this will happen naturally.
The bad side of this simple system is the fact that you need to play too many matches, 10 of each different sport in the game, to unlock all the Pro Leagues available in Switch Sports.
However, it might be good for you to play 10 times before competing at a higher level. It lets you adjust to the sport, learn some techniques, and hopefully rank up quickly.
If you really care about your position on the ranks ladder, you might want to check our Switch Sports soccer guide and our Badminton tips for winning more often.
It also helps if you can get a strike every time.
Final Thoughts
It might seem weird that a party game with such basic skills might have a competitive mode. However, there is some not-so-obvious depth in this game.
Volley, when played 2v2, can demand some mind games and coordination. Speaking of mind games, Chambara is a somewhat complex fighting game within Switch Sports. Although the motions are simple, the game demands reacting correctly and reading your opponent.
Finally, Bowling might seem like a sport that doesn’t require skill in this version of the game, but that can only be true if you don’t play the special courses. There are weird lanes with ramps and holes that make the experience fun and fresh.
