It's official: certain games will get free 21 day-one releases for the Swtich 2. Besides those big reveals, though, the Direct also revealed a lot more about the Switch 2's backwards compatibility, including the availability of upgraded Switch 2 editions for certain games.
Announced as part of today's Nintendo Direct, some games will be available in their upgraded forms on the Switch 2 at no additional cost for players who already own them. This complicates earlier rumblings of backwards compatibility: while we always knew that most Switch games that don't rely on the console's unique hardware would be playable on Switch 2, this is the first time Nintendo has confirmed that certain games will actually be updated for better performance on the console.
Every Switch 1 Game With A Free Switch 2 Upgrade
All Confirmed Switch 2 Updates
Per Nintendo (via GameSpot), the list of Switch 2 upgradable games include:
- ARMS
- Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
- Super Mario Odyssey
- Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
- Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics
- The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- Game Builder Garage
- New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
- Pokémon Scarlet
- Pokémon Violet
- Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain
Note that these are pretty much all first-party Nintendo games - the only four that aren't actually developed by Nintendo, the Pokémon and Zelda games listed above, are at least published by them as part of their big three franchises. For the most part, they aren't particularly resource-demanding games, either; with the exception of Scarlet, Violet, and Mario Odyssey, many of these are spinoffs of bigger main series, or simple budget titles designed to be accessible for casual play.
Not Every Classic Switch 1 Game Is Getting The Full Switch 2 Treatment
Free Vs. Paid Upgrades
The free Switch 2 upgrades aren't expected to have a major impact on how these games actually play. According to Nintendo, they'll improve performance in some cases. More importantly, though, upgrading these games on Switch 2 may allow you to use them with GameShare, a feature that lets you temporarily and remotely share your games with friends who don't own them. GameShare could do wonders for the multiplayer titles listed above, like ARMS, Big Brain Academy, and Clubhouse Games.
These updates pale in comparison, though, to the more significant upgrades to Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Those games will see far more sweeping changes: their Switch 2 versions will have improved performance, better loading times, higher frame rates, for 4K graphics and HDR display, and new story content. They'll also include access to the tie-in Zelda Notes smartphone app, where players can get gameplay advice and share Autobuild schematics.
Every Game Confirmed For Nintendo Switch 2
The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct finally revealed many of the titles coming to the new console – here’s every single announced Switch 2 game.
The main difference is that BOTW and TOTK's upgrades will be paid, while the other games listed above will be updated for free. You'll be able to purchase them as standalone titles, or as upgrades if you already own the original Switch versions of the games. The free Switch 2 upgrades sound like they'll happen automatically when you the relevant games to an Internet-connected console.
Still other games won't even get that, though; their original versions may be playable on Switch 2, but without any significant, intentional upgrades. So it's nice to get these free Switch 2 upgrades where possible, even if they don't apply to every single game.
- Brand
- Nintendo
- Operating System
- Proprietary
- Storage
- 256GB internal / MicroSD
- Resolution
- 1080p (handheld) / 4K (docked)
- App Store
- Nintendo eShop
- Wi-Fi
- Yes
