Nintendo's new console will launch on June 5 with around fifty games from the manufacturer and third-party publishers... but in reality, it's much more: the Switch 2 is in fact compatible with almost all of the Switch 1 games. The company has tested more than 15,000 games: the vast majority boots smoothly on new hardware, with many of them not causing any technical issues.
Nintendo, however, goes a step further by offering free updates to "improve gameplay" of some Switch 1 games on the Switch 2. The first generation of the console is not a lightning war, and the performance of games like Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, Echoes of Wisdom, Pokémon Scarlet/Purple or even Super Mario Mario Odyssey is not great. Especially when it comes to the frame rate: the number of images per second is fluctuating, which degrades the gaming experience.
Nintendo will therefore provide free updates… but there will also be paid ones grouped under the term “Switch 2 Edition”. The company promises graphical improvements and better performance, but also, and above all, additional content. In Super Mario Party Jamboree, for example, the Joy-Con's mouse mode will be used for new mini-games, and players will also be able to "appear" in-game with the camera.
The two 3D Zelda games (Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom), Kirby and the Forgotten World, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond... All these Switch 1 games will be entitled to their Switch 2 Edition "pack" which will therefore have to be paid for. The prices of the updates - if you already own the Switch 1 game - are not yet known, let's hope that Nintendo won't be too heavy-handed even if the worst is possible.
There is, however, a solution to avoid having to pay again, well... if you can call it that. Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) "Additional Pack" subscribers will be able to get these updates at no extra cost. This formula costs 39.99 euros for individual use, or 69.99 euros for the family version. The subscription also gives access to a catalog of retro games (Game Boy, N64, Mega Drive...); lucky owners of a Switch 2 will also be able to play a selection of GameCube games.
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