work-in-progress Some original Switch games will run better on Switch 2; some wont run at all Some Switch games will get free updates to improve Switch 2 performance. Andrew Cunningham Apr 2, 2025 12:33 pm | 0 Nintendo's Switch 2 console. Credit: Nintendo Nintendo's Switch 2 console. Credit: Nintendo Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreWe've known for a few months now that the Nintendo Switch 2 will support backward compatibility for older Nintendo Switch games, and as of today's presentation, we also know that some Switch games will get special Switch 2 Editions that add new features and support higher resolutions and other features.Nintendo's product pages for the Switch add more details, including the status of backward-compatibility testing for original Switch games and a small handful of first-party Switch games that will get "free updates" to enhance them for Switch 2.First, some good news. There will be a second tier of updates for original Switch games that Nintendo says "may improve performance or add support for features such as GameShare in select games." These won't include the extra features or higher resolutions of Switch 2 Edition games, but they'll be available for free, and they ought to improve playability. Nintendo lists a dozen first-party Switch games that will benefit from free Switch 2 updates:ArmsCaptain Toad: Treasure TrackerSuper Mario OdysseySuper Mario 3D World + Bowser's FuryClubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide ClassicsThe Legend of Zelda: Link's AwakeningThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of WisdomGame Builder GarageNew Super Mario Bros. U DeluxePokmon ScarletPokmon VioletBig Brain Academy: Brain vs. BrainNintendo says "the contents of these free updates will differ depending on the game."Compatibility testing is ongoingWe still don't know whether non-updated Switch games running on the Switch 2 will perform better by virtue of the updated hardware; we'll have to wait to test the console ourselves to know for sure. (There are, for better or worse, many Switch games with performance issues that we could use to test.) The current state of Switch 2 backward compatibility testing. The vast majority of first-party games are good to go; third-party testing is a work in progress. Credit: Nintendo Though Nintendo's plan is to support the vast majority of the Switch library on the Switch 2, there are some games that won't run, some games that will have specific requirements, and others that are still being tested.All of Nintendo's first-party games have passed "basic compatibility testing," meaning they should play more or less as reliably as they do on current Switch hardware. The one incompatible game is the Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04 VR Kit, which requires you to put the Switch into a cardboard VR headset; since the Switch 2 is a lot bigger than the original Switch, it won't work.Other games, including most of the other Labo stuff, will require the use of original Switch Joy-Cons rather than the updated Switch 2 versions. These games are generally ones that were built specifically around the Joy-Cons, including Ring Fit Adventure, 1-2-Switch, and WarioWare: Move It!Third-party games are more of a work in progress. Nintendo says that roughly 20 percent of the "over 15,000" third-party Switch games have cleared the "no issues found during basic compatibility testing" bar, while the vast majority of the remaining games are still being tested but will at least start up without crashing.There are three other compatibility statuses: games that aren't compatible at all, games that won't start up properly, and games that are playable "with issues in certain parts of the game." Nintendo has published a full list of the games with start-up issues (PDF) and those that will start but have compatibility issues (PDF).The company says it is working to address these issues, "including by working with publishing and developing partners." This implies that some of the problems, whatever they are, can be resolved on Nintendo's end via Switch operating system updates, while others will require patches to be released by developers.For the games where testing is still in progress, Nintendo says it will provide another compatibility update "later in April." So while backward compatibility isn't a foregone conclusion, it seems that Nintendo is evaluating the Switch library pretty comprehensively and wants to make sure that the vast majority of Switch games on the new hardware will run as well as or better than than they do on the original Switch.Andrew CunninghamSenior Technology ReporterAndrew CunninghamSenior Technology Reporter Andrew is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica, with a focus on consumer tech including computer hardware and in-depth reviews of operating systems like Windows and macOS. Andrew lives in Philadelphia and co-hosts a weekly book podcast called Overdue. 0 Comments