It’s official: certain games will get freeNintendo Switch 2upgrades when the console is released. Several new features of the Switch 2 were revealed during a Nintendo Direct,including its release date. But the presentation also focused on the console’s library, announcing21 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 aspart of today’s Nintendo Direct,some games will be available in their upgraded forms on the Switch 2 at no additional costfor 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.
All Confirmed Switch 2 Updates
PerNintendo(viaGameSpot), the list of Switch 2 upgradable games include:
Notethat these are pretty much all first-party Nintendo games- the only four that aren’t actually developed by Nintendo, thePokémonandZeldagames 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 ofScarlet,Violet, andMario 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 touse 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, likeARMS,Big Brain Academy, andClubhouse Games.
These updates pale in comparison, though, tothe more significantupgrades toZelda: Breath of the WildandTears 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, support 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 thatBOTWandTOTK’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 download 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 freeSwitch 2upgrades where possible, even if they don’t apply to every single game.
