Nintendo has introduced a system for upgrading original Switch games to enhanced versions on the new Switch 2 console, with costs ranging from free to $20 depending on the content added. This allows owners to access performance improvements and additional features without repurchasing titles entirely. The pricing structure varies by game and publisher, complicating the overall cost of games on the platform.
The Nintendo Switch, launched in 2017 with games priced at $60, saw price increases across the industry, including Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom at $70 in 2023. With the Switch 2, game pricing has become more varied. Native Switch 2 titles, such as Mario Kart World at $80 and Donkey Kong Bananza at $70, are designed exclusively for the new hardware, alongside third-party releases like Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition.
Switch games fall into three categories on the Switch 2: native Switch 2 games, Switch 2 Edition upgrades with performance and visual enhancements, and original Switch 1 games playable with minor hardware benefits. Examples of Switch 2 Edition titles include Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokémon Legends: Z-A, where physical copies combine the base game and upgrade on one cartridge.
Upgrade Packs convert owned Switch games into Switch 2 Editions, with costs based on added content. Packs with DLC-sized additions, such as new gameplay features in Super Mario Party Jamboree, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder, cost $20, bringing the total to $80 for the enhanced edition. Smaller updates for performance and visuals in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokémon Legends: Z-A are $10. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom offer Switch 2 Editions free via Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, though new copies cost $70 and $80 respectively.
A $5 tier applies to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, adding enhanced visuals, GameChat, and mouse controls alongside its free version 3.0 update, and to Xenoblade Chronicles X for performance improvements. Free upgrades cover titles like Arms, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Super Mario Odyssey, and Bowser's Fury, focusing on visual enhancements, frame rate improvements, HDR, and GameChat support. Additional free recipients include Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, and Splatoon 3.
Third-party developers set their own prices, such as $2.99 for Hamster's Arcade Archives series and $10 for Marvelous games. Specific examples include $20 for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition, $10 for Hogwarts Legacy, and $1 for The Exit 8. Free third-party upgrades are available for games like Dave the Diver, Stardew Valley, and No Man's Sky. Not all titles offer upgrades; some, including Atelier Ryza Secret Trilogy Deluxe Pack and Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, require full repurchase on Switch 2. Others may receive free patches for hardware compatibility without formal upgrades.
