Five games we want Nintendo Switch 2 upgrades for: Zelda, Pokémon, and more

While the Nintendo Switch 2 comes with some sparkly new games, we’re interested to see what the upgrades to past releases will look like. Plus, we’re eager to see which – if any – other games get the same treatment.

To start, let’s take a look at what we know we’re getting upgrades for as the Switch 2 launches. 11 games are set to get free upgrades, which improve the resolution of most games while adding HDR, mouse controls, and GameShare support to some. These include ARMS, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Super Mario Odyssey, and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.

I’m most intrigued to see how the upgrade affects Scarlet and Violet, as that game didn’t run very well on my OLED Switch and really hampered my overall experience. Specifically, the mini-game with the Sunflora which ran at about one frame per second.

You’re going to have to fork out for upgrades to other games, though. Some games get ‘upgrade packs’, which cost around $10, whereas some have an entirely different Switch 2 version, costing the full price of the game. There are a few games that are confirmed to get upgrade packs already. Some will be at the console’s launch, whereas others will come later when the games themselves release.

Here are the Switch 2 upgrade packs we know about at the time of writing:

• Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
• Kirby and the Forgotten Land
• Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
• Pokémon Legends: Z-A (releasing in 2025)
• Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma
• Sid Meier’s Civilization VII
• Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar (releasing in August 2025)
• Super Mario Party Jamboree
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Nintendo has already shown off how some of these upgrades look, and having gone hands-on with them myself, I’d say it’s worth it for a few dollars – or as part of an NSO subscription – if you’re a fan of the games. What may not be worth it is the options that require you to purchase a whole new version of the game, instead of just a download.

These include Hogwarts Legacy and Sonic x Shadow Generations. There is – annoyingly – no way to upgrade the games without purchasing a separate version. But, you can get a discount on the Switch 2 version of Hogwarts Legacy if you own the original, so that’s… Something? You can transfer save data from Sonic x Shadow Generations to the Switch 2, so that’s another benefit, I guess.

So now we know what we are getting, the question is, what else could we get? While we’re sure to see more upgrades announced as June 5 rolls around and people get their hands on their shiny new Switches, we have a list that we’d like to see.

Really, any first-party Nintendo title, anything from GameFreak, or that uses the Zelda, Mario, etc names would be worth an upgrade. My number one choice would be Pokémon Legends: Arceus, though, as that also had some serious performance issues. Not quite as badly as Scarlet and Violet, but there was a certain crunchiness to the game that did make me question saying that I really like it.

Another key title that definitely deserves attention is Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. We’re getting a second Hyrule Warriors using the Switch’s lineup of characters, and an update to bring the first option in line would be very beneficial. While overall performance isn’t bad, it can suffer during the enemy-heavy scenes, which there are a lot of given that it’s a musou game. If the Switch can’t deal with 300 bokoblins on screen, I can only imagine how Link (or Sidon, or Maz Koshia) feels.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons, though it has been left in the dust, could also benefit from an upgrade and easily sell well if it’s a paid one. There were never many real issues with it on the original Switch or OLED, but on some heavily decorated islands, it gets a little slow. And given we’ve had nothing else to do but continue to put furniture down for five years, it could do with a little help.

Now, a couple of mentions for non-Nintendo IPs. Alan Wake Remastered – or as some would call it, ‘Demastered’ – leaves a lot to be desired. NintendoLife gave it a 6/10, saying that the visuals take “a severe beating”, and NintendoWorldReport also comments on the “REAL muddy visuals.” There was an update to the performance, but it didn’t solve everything. Maybe another visit is due for the Switch 2 to bring it in line with any other platform.

The last game we’re going to highlight is Apex Legends. We have an Apex Legends review of the Switch version, if you’d like to read it, but the fact that we gave it a 6/10 should tell you a lot. While discussing this version, my fellow writer Sam quantified the game’s port as “ass”. It boils down to the performance on the original Switch hardware, really, so surely a Switch 2 update, version, patch, or something should be in the works to improve the game.

We know that our list is a lot is wishful thinking. Some games stand a chance of actually getting an upgrade, like Animal Crossing and Hyrule Warriors, as they’re big, first-party options – but third-party, non-exclusive games probably wouldn’t get an upgrade, as it’s likely not worth the resources for the companies involved. If that was on the cards, then games like Skyrim, The Witcher 3, and Persona 5 Royal would be excellent candidates for upgrades. In all likelihood, we’ll probably just get a Switch 2 Skyrim version that also costs $49.99, though.

Our list of potential candidates could go on forever, and even our list of things we legitimately could – and should – see is kept very short. Do you agree? What else would you like to see get a facelift for the new console? Regardless, we’re sure you’re interested in getting the new console, so here’s where to find a Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order, and the upcoming Switch games we know about… with and without upgrades.