Nintendo Reveals Some Switch 1 Games Will Get Free Switch 2…

Summary

Nintendo's upcoming Switch 2 hardware will have enhanced capabilities for both old and new games.
The Switch 2 will allow most existing Switch 1 games to be played, with special upgrades for select titles.
Nintendo will release free updates for certain Switch 1 games to optimize performance on the Switch 2.

To promote the upcoming release of the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware, Nintendo has unveiled a list of Switch 1 games that will receive free enhancements. Set to release worldwide on June 5, 2025, the Nintendo Switch 2 is the next generation of Nintendo's Switch hardware, with enhanced capabilities that will apply both to older titles and new original games.

The release date of Nintendo's next-gen hardware is looming ever closer, and while fans and Nintendo executives alike ponder the potential for Switch 2 supply problems, the company itself is making sure owners of the current Switch hardware will find some value in an upgrade. Early on, Nintendo confirmed that the Switch 2 will use a combination of hardware and software solutions to address the issue of backwards compatibility, allowing it to play most existing Switch 1 games. A few of Nintendo's most popular titles on the Switch 1, such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, will also get special "Switch 2 Edition" upgrades, allowing them to take full advantage of the Switch 2 hardware.

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By Sarah Fields

While there are many Switch 1 games that won't get Switch 2 editions, Nintendo won't leave them all out in the cold. On the official Nintendo website, the company recently published a list of select Switch 1 games that will receive free updates to enhance their performance on Switch 2. The list includes even a few early Switch titles, like the unique motion-controlled fighting game ARMS, and the popular table game collection Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics.

List of Nintendo Switch 1 Games With Switch 2 Performance Updates

ARMS
- Optimized visuals
- Optimized frame rate
- HDR support
Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain
- GameShare and GameChat support for up to four players in Party Mode
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
- Optimized visuals
- HDR support
- GameShare and GameChat support for up to two players
Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics
- GameShare and GameChat support for up to four players across 34 games
Game Builder Garage
- Optimized visuals
- Support for Switch 2 mouse controls via Joy-Con 2
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
- Optimized visuals
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
- Optimized visuals
- Optimized frame rate
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
- Optimized visuals
- Optimized frame rate
- HDR support in Bowser's Fury
- GameShare Support (four players in Super Mario 3D World, two players in Bowser's Fury)
- GameChat support
Super Mario Odyssey
- Optimized Visuals
- HDR support
- GameShare and GameChat support for up to two players
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- Optimized Visuals
- HDR support
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
- Optimized Visuals
- HDR support

The list Nintendo published is mainly limited to games published and developed by Nintendo itself, and includes updates scheduled to go live alongside the release of the Switch 2 on June 5, 2025. It also includes previously confirmed updates like the Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Switch 2 patches. Third-party publishers will determine their own priorities when it comes to releasing updates for their Switch 1 games, or if they'll commit to distinct Switch 2 ports.

The list also doesn't mention performance updates for games that are getting their own Switch 2 editions, like Breath of the Wild or Kirby and the Forgotten Land. While Nintendo hasn't committed to issuing patches for the Switch 1 versions of those games, it has said some Switch 1 games will see a performance boost simply from being played on the Switch 2's more powerful hardware. Whether that will address their issues with performance or satisfy fans that are unsure about upgrading to the new console is a different matter.

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