Some Original Switch Games Will Get Paid Upgrades To New “Switch 2 Editions”

It’s finally happened. Through a thick, 60-minute Direct showcase, Nintendo has properly lifted the lid on the hugely-anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 – giving us just about everything we’d want to know of the console from the release date and price, first-party titles, new features and more.

One new piece of information from the stacked showcase concerned how original Nintendo Switch games would play even better on the Switch 2, with Nintendo introducing the idea of special, new Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of certain titles being prepared for launch and in the future.

The Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of games are, similarly to something like recent PlayStation 5 remasters, moderately enhanced versions of games that contain just enough new bells and whistles to justify existing as a new product SKU. That means you’ll be able to buy them specifically for the Switch 2 or, as has been revealed, pay upgrade your existing Switch copies.

So far, titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have been confirmed as getting Nintendo Switch 2 Editions, along with Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Super Mario Party Jamboree. These seemingly amount to more than just visual upgrades, though they’ll have those too, and will actually add completely new content and features to (hopefully) justify the price. We don’t know how much the upgrades will cost, but we do know that Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members will get access to Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom upgrades at no extra cost.

Some future titles have also been confirmed to be getting Nintendo Switch 2 Editions the same day they launch on the original Switch, including Metroid Prime: Beyond and Pokémon Legends Z-A.

Presumably, you’ll still be able to pop the original Switch versions of these games into a Switch 2 and play them as-is, without the Switch 2-specific enhancements.

Following the Switch 2 Direct, Nintendo also shared a list of original Nintendo Switch games that will be getting free updates to “improve playability” on the Switch 2. The official page says that these updates will amount to things like improved performance or GameShare features, and confirmed the following games will be getting updates:

• 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

You can find out more right here.

What do you think about paying for enhanced Switch games on the Switch 2? Are you happy just to play the existing versions via backwards compatibility? Let us know in the comments below or over on social media!