Nintendo shared more details about the nature of Switch 2 backward compatibility during the dedicated Switch 2 Direct. Subsequently, it published a list of games for the original Switch that might not function correctly on the Switch 2. A set of follow-up interviews with the Switch 2 development team also provided clarification on questions such as what to expect from the Switch 2 eShop and how purchasing original Switch games might work on the new console. Nintendo explained how Switch 2 upgrades will work as well, with games that have a dedicated “Switch 2 Edition” version and those that will have free updates that make smaller improvements.
Can you play Switch games on Switch 2?
Nintendo confirmed in a support post that you can play digital and physical Switch games on the Switch 2, with a few exceptions.
Are all Switch games backwards compatible?
On April 2, Nintendo confirmed that the backwards compatibility support is limited and provided a list of more than 100 games that, as of the Switch 2’s June 5 launch, may not work with the new console. Most of these are listed as having “compatibility issues” that developers are “currently investigating.” The only game that Nintendo flat-out says won’t play on the Switch 2 is the Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit. That kit requires you to insert the Switch tablet into the Toy-Con device, and the Switch 2 tablet is larger than the original Switch. It simply won’t fit.
Nintendo offered no timeline for when the games with compatibility issues might function seamlessly on Switch 2 or if they ever will.
Does Switch 2 improve Switch games?
The Switch 2 will improve some Switch games, though to varying degrees. A handful of Switch games, including Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Party Jamboree, will have paid Switch 2 upgrades–either a standalone Switch 2 version or, for those who own the original, a paid upgrade path. Nintendo also published a small list of other games that will benefit from performance improvements, though Nintendo didn’t specify what those improvements will be.
We will update this post as more information comes to light.
Nintendo Switch games with free Switch 2 updates
As of April 2, Nintendo plans free Switch 2 updates for 12 games that launched on the original Switch. Nintendo didn’t specify what improvements each game will receive, though said they could include better performance and support for things like GameShare.
- Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
- Super Mario Odyssey
- Arms
- Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
- The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- Clubhouse Games 51: Worldwide Games
- Game Builder Garage
- Pokemon Scarlet Version
- Pokemon Violet Version
- Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain
- New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
Switch 2 game store and Nintendo Switch Online
Nintendo didn’t specifically mention the Switch 2 eShop during the April Nintendo Direct. However, in part of a lengthy Q&A interview that Nintendo published about creating the new console, Kouichi Kawamoto from Nintendo’s Entertainment Planning and Development Department mentioned a game finder tool meant to improve discoverability on the eShop. The video clip that accompanied Kawamoto’s comments shows the redesigned eShop and games that have no confirmed Switch 2 upgrade, such as Splatoon 3 and Monster Hunter Stories, for purchase.
Beyond that, Takuhiro Dohta, also from Nintendo’s Entertainment Planning and Development Department pointed to virtual game cards as another method by which Switch 2 players can play original Switch games on their new console.
“I expect many people who buy a Switch 2 will already own a Switch,” Dohta said. “They might wonder which system they should use to play their digital games, but with virtual game cards, they can load and eject digital games between Switch and Switch 2 just like you would with a physical game card. This feature can also be used among Switch systems as well as Switch 2 systems. We originally developed it with the idea in mind that many players will continue to play both Switch and Switch 2 after Switch 2 has launched.”
Nintendo confirmed that Switch 2 owners who also have an original Switch can move their digital games and save files, among other data, to their new system by transferring their Nintendo Account.
Becoming the norm
There was a time in the video game industry when new console generations represented something of a clean slate, and consumers had to start over and purchase new games for the new device. But those days are becoming a relic of the past, for Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony.
The Xbox Series X|S supports Xbox One games (and some Xbox 360 and original Xbox games), while the PS5 supports PS4 titles, along with PS3 and PS2 games by way of streaming, and only for a certain selection of titles. It’s not backwards-compatibility in the traditional sense of popping your old Xbox or PlayStation disc into the new machine. Instead, this was made possible through the video game industry’s push towards digital. Many digital games purchased for one platform carry forward to the next, and now Nintendo–which has also seen dramatic increases in digital game sales–is joining the fold with Switch 2.
That’s all we know for now, but with the Nintendo Direct event for the Switch 2 coming up in April, we may learn more soon.
Switch games with Switch 2 compatibility issues
Nintendo didn’t mention what compatibility issues these games suffer from, but did say that all are under investigation.
- Alan Wake Remastered
- Alien: Isolation
- Arcade Archives Ordyne
- Arcade Archived Phelios
- Arcade Archives Tetris the Absolute Grand Master 2 Plus
- Acrade Archives Tetris the Grand Master
- Asphalt Legends Unite
- Dadish
- Dex
- Dust: An Elysian Tale
- Elderand
- Factorio
- Fall Guys
- Family Chess
- Games Advent Calendar – 25 Days – 25 Surprises
- Godlike Burger
- Harvestella
- Hitman 3 – Cloud Version
- Hot Wheels Unleashed
- Just Dance 2019
- Klondike Solitaire
- Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
- Matchpoint – Tennis Champions
- Mega Man Legacy Collection
- MotoGP 21
- My Brother Rabbit
- Noir Chornicles: City of Crime
- Overcooked! All You Can Eat
- Port Royale 4
- Raiden IV x Miakdo remix
- Real Car Driving Simulator and Parking 2022 Games
- S.N.I.P.E.R. – Hunter Scope
- Saints Row IV: Re-Elected
- SmileBasic 4
- Steven Universe: Save the Light
- Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection
- Stumble Guys
- Uta no Prince-sama All Star
- Uta no Prince-sama Amazing Aria and Sweet Serenade Love
- Uta no Prince-sama Repeat Love
- Niconico
- Pilot Sports
- Puru-Chara Friends: Hoppe-chan and Sanrio Characters
- Clockwork of Ley Lines: Wandering Witch in the Heat Haze
- Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars
Switch games with Switch 2 startup issues
Nintendo said the “issue is being investigated” for each of these as well, except Fortnite. Epic is launching a Switch 2 version of Fortnite on June 5, so you can just download that instead.
- 112 Operator
- A Boy and His Blob Retro Collection
- Abyss Memory Fallen Angel and the Path of Magic
- ACA Neogeo Art of Fightning 2
- ACA Neogeo Samurai Showdown II
- ACA Neogeo The King of Fighters ’95
- ACA Neogeo The King of Fighters ’96
- Airhead
- Alchemy Garden
- Another Crab’s Treasure
- Arcade Archives Burger Time
- Arcade Archives Crime City
- Arcade Archives Dig Dug
- Arcade Archives Gradius III
- Arcade Archives New Rally-X
- Arcade Archives Pac-Land
- Arcade Archives Xevious
- Astral Flux
- Baron: Fur Is Gonna Fly
- Batman: The Enemy Within
- Beyond the Ice Palace II
- Boot Hill Bounties
- Boot Hill Heroes
- Botany Manor
- Bus Simulator 2023: City Driver
- Cats Hidden in Italy
- Cats on Duty
- Crazy Strike Bowling EX
- Dadish 2
- Darksiders Genesis
- Dead by Daylight
- Death Coming
- Doom: Eternal
- Eggy Party
- Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist
- Everdream Valley
- Everspace
- Fables Mosaic: Snow White
- Felix the Cat
- Fig
- Final Fantasy
- Fitness Boxing
- Floor Kids
- Fortnite (will have Switch 2 edition)
- Framed Collection
- Gal Guardians: Demon Purge
- Gang Beasts
- Gas Guzzlers Extreme
- Grid Autosport
- Guns, Gore, and Cannoli
- I Got Isekai’d Into A Shmup
- Inferno 2
- Island Flight Simulator
- Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection
- Kids vs Parents
- Kill la Kill – If
- Korean Drone Flying Tour Jeju Island-1
- Kosmokrats
- Library of Ruina
- Little Nightmares Complete Edition
- Manticore – Galaxy on Fire
- Mexican Train Dominoes Gold
- Monster Loves You Too
- Model Debut #nicola
- Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame
- Musynx
- Nascar Rivals
- NBA 2K18
- NBA 2K25
- Nelly Cootalot: The Fowl Fleet
- Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition
- Nobody Saves the World
- Nova-111
- Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath
- OK KO! Let’s Play Heroes
- OMG Police – Car Chase TV Simulator
- Onigo Hunter
- Palia
- Perseverance: Complete Edition
- Pineview Drive
- Pizza Tower
- Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville
- Raiden III x Mikado Maniax
- Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles
- RiMS Racing
- River City Girls Zero
- Rocket League
- Roller Champions
- Saviors of Sapphire Wings/Stranger of Sword City Revisited
- Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-a-fide Edition
- Slayin 2
- Soul Dog TD
- South of the Circle
- South Park: The Fractured Butt Whole
- Sportitions ’24
- Star Wars Episode I: Racer
- Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster
- Strania -The Stella Machine- EX
- Summer Pockets
- Super Mega Baseball 3
- Super Neptunia RPG
- Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival
- Taito Milestones
- The Cube
- The Jackbox Party Pack
- The Jackbox Party Pack 2
- The Journey Down Trilogy
- The Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition
- Touhou Gouyoku Ibun: Sunken Fossil World
- Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes
- Tricky Towers
- Trip World DX
- Trouble Witches Final: Rocket Engine Inc.
- Trove
- Trover Saves the Universe
- TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 3
- Under Night In-Birth Exe: Late[cl-r]
- Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi
- V-Rally 4
- Warface: Clutch
- Warframe
- Warp Shift
- Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
- Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
- WolfFang 2001 SkullFang Saturn Tribute Boosted
- World of Tanks Blitz
- Xtreme Sports
- Victor Vran Overkill Edition
- Labyrinth of Galleria
- Closed Nightmare
- Konosuba: Labyrinth of Hope and the Gathering of Adventurers
- Senran Kagura Reflexions
- Star Melody Yumemi Dreamer
- Family Trainer
- Beyblade Battle Zero
- Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon
- Flower that Splits the Underworld
- Assault Suit Leynos 2 Saturn Tribute
- Process of Elimination
- Tokyo Xanadu eX+
- Meiji Action Drama High Color Ryuuseigumi – Let’s Punish Them, Reform the World
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