[1][2] The game features eight sports: volleyball, badminton, bowling, golf, soccer, chambara, tennis and basketball.

[11][12] Alongside Miis, new avatars called "Sportsmates" have been introduced,[13][14] which have more detailed hair and faces as well as arms and legs.

[15] Additionally, the Leg Strap accessory introduced in Ring Fit Adventure is included in the physical copy of the game and is usable in Football.

In September 2022, Nintendo announced that the golf game mode, which was previously targeted for release in fall 2022, would be delayed to winter.

[22] Nintendo World Report praised the minigames for being easy to pick up, but criticized the Joy-Con motion controls, saying that it had "removed a little bit of variance and nuance".

[29] GamesRadar+ liked the new soccer mini game, writing that it was "brilliantly chaotic when another human player gets involved in local multiplayer".

[33] While enjoying the game for family-friendly entertainment, The Guardian disliked volleyball, stating, "the pace is slow and the movements too obvious".

[36] IGN liked the flexibility of badminton, and called attention to its use of HD Rumble, saying that the Joy-Con gave off "precise haptic feedback that I could feel in my hand whenever the racquet connected with the birdie to make a satisfying *ting* sensation".

[27] The Verge disliked the simplicity of the racquet-based sports, "The games are still fun, but I wish I could have had more strategy to play them than 'swing your arm and pray'".