Though the title was announced back in 2017, it had likely been in development even before that. However, it garnered significant attention when Nintendo announced a reboot to development in 2019 with Retro Studios now in charge.

However, the developers noted that the success Nintendo saw with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild played a big role in defining the game structure of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. This was despite the Metroid franchise’s traditional structure, where players would gradually find new ways of exploring, opening the world up further. They pointed out that this structure would be counter-intuitive to having an open-world game like Breath of the Wild. Ultimately, the hub area was a compromise between Nintendo and the team to mix in both styles of level design.

“At the start of the project, perhaps due to the influence of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, we saw a lot of comments on the internet saying ‘we want to play an open-world Metroid’,” said the developers. “However, Metroid’s core element of ‘increasing the amount of explorable areas by unlocking powers’ is not very compatible with the ‘freedom to go anywhere from the beginning’ of open worlds. Thus, we thought to design a limited area that could be freely explored, and have that be a hub that could connect to other areas. Then we thought that if one could move around on the bike in a satisfying way in that area, it could be a segment that mitigates the tension from exploration, and paces the whole game.”

The fact that attitudes towards open-world games had changed since all the way back when Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was first announced was a major sticking point, however, because the title went through a long and arduous development cycle. Since development had already seen at least one reboot, “backtracking development again was out of the question, and we resolved to move forward with our original vision,” said the developers.

“During this time, shooting games and action games went through evolutions, with an increase in game speed in particular, but taking in those changes would have made it difficult to construct the tempo of an adventure game, so we actively chose not to take them into account. Therefore, I think this game is pretty much divorced from the changing of times.”

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is available on the Nintendo Switch and the Switch 2. For more details, check out our review.

While the duo discussed several projects throughout the interview, one of the most interesting details came from Iwamoto talking about wanting to work with Monolith Soft again in another game in the Zelda series. He praised the studio as being a “strong partner” when it comes to making games in the Zelda franchise, and went on to say that they should “use the know-how we’ve developed by working together” to make a new unique title in the series.

“Monolith Soft is a strong partner when it comes to developing Zelda games from scratch,” said Iwamoto. “And more and more I would like to see them taking on a central role in production. Going forward, let’s use the know-how we’ve developed by working together, and the strength of the whole Monolith Soft team, to create a unique title in the series together.”

While this by no means serves as definitive confirmation that the next mainline entry in The Legend of Zelda franchise will be developed by Monolith Soft, Nintendo and the developer are quite likely already working on something new for the series in the background.

Elsewhere in the interview, Fujita also discussed the role Monolith Soft had played in the development of Zelda games, and how it has evolved since its work on Skyward Sword.

“Monolith Soft now has a larger number of developers, and the way we’re involved has changed,” said Fujita. “With Skyward Sword, the main relationship was that Monolith Soft would create the data in accordance with the game design and specifications laid out by Nintendo, but with Breath of the Wild, we’re more likely to ‘think and create together.'”

While the studio had been working with Nintendo for quite some time with the latter owning 96 percent of the studio as of 2011, Nintendo became a 100 percent owner of Monolith Soft back in December 2024. While this didn’t really change much since Nintendo was already the majority stakeholder in the studio, Monolith Soft now being owned 100 percent by the company likely means that it has more access to the internal infrastructure and support system that had already been set up.

In June, Monolith Soft had revealed that it wasn’t just working on Xenoblade Chronicles and The Legend of Zelda games. It had also provided support in developing Nintendo Switch 2 launch title Mario Kart World. While details were sparse, the studio confirmed that Nintendo contracted it to work on the kart racer’s open world and character designs.

That represents the central difference in the philosophy of Breath of the Wild with the philosophy of Tears of the Kingdom. Breath of the Wild is a game that is marked by minimalism and solitude, pitting the lone player against what feels like an entire world that is indifferent at best and outright hostile at worst towards the player. It is a game marked by melancholy, introspection, discovery, and player-guided adventure. 

Tears of the Kingdom, on the other hand, takes the framework of Breath of the WIld and stuffs it with such an insane amount of content, it’s a wonder the entire enterprise didn’t buckle under its own weight. This is a game that empowers the player with the ability to manipulate literally anything in the environment, and puts the world at the player’s mercy. This is no longer the story of a lone warrior surviving against impossible odds, this is the story of a warrior at the peak of his powers, able to take on anything.

"Tears of the Kingdom is an excellent game that was already a technical marvel on the original Switch."

Maximalism is the name of the game with Tears of the Kingdom – a lot more playable area (the game now has three map layers, the regular old Hyrule, the sky islands, and a whole underground map that mirrors the surface). A lot more quests. A lot more story and storytelling. A lot more puzzles and dungeons. A lot more characters. A lot more emphasis on the music and soundtrack. Even the powers and abilities Link gets don’t have any of the restraint that Breath of the Wild’s did, with Ultra Hand, Fuse, Ascend, and Recall all being so game breaking, they would probably count as developer-only debug tools in pretty much any other game.

Tears of the Kingdom is an excellent game that was already a technical marvel on the original Switch. That the game was running on the original Switch at all was a surprise to many – this is a game that allows players to pick up and manipulate anything, maintains a record of the physical states of each individual object on screen separately (and allows players to manipulate them individually), and a game that allows players to bypass entire geometry and geography in an instant. It’s a game that has three gigantic maps, all seamlessly interconnected.

And all of this is on top of the pre-existing impressive physics and chemistry calculations that were already technically taxing in Breath of the Wild. And arguably, while doing all this, Tears of the Kingdom on the Switch ran better than Breath of the Wild did (at least at launch for the latter)! 

So this game was a technical marvel on release, a title that managed to do more on hardware that at best was equivalent to a mid range 2015 Android tablet than most other developers manage on consoles far more sophisticated. It’s surprising, therefore, just how much of an upgrade the Switch 2 Edition of Tears of the Kingdom feels, even compared to the upgrade for Breath of the Wild. On paper, the two games receive the same set of visual upgrades – 60fps, higher resolution, HDR. But Tears of the Kingdom’s upgrade feels a lot more impressive and convincing.

"Tears of the Kingdom’s update also comes off as better value for money than Breath of the Wild’s for one other reason – Breath of the Wild got paid DLC and an expansion, neither of which are included in the Switch 2 upgrade for the game, and must be purchased separately if you don’t already own them."

Running at a steady 60fps frame rate with pretty much no drops (unless there are a lot of particle effects on screen, which do cause some slowdown), the game instantly feels better to play than it ever has before. But the true improvement seems to be in image quality and clarity. Like Breath of the Wild, Tears runs at 1440p in docked mode and 900p in handheld mode on the Switch 2, up from up to 720p in handheld mode and up to 900p in console mode for the original release.

But that original release utilized its dynamic resolution scaling fairly aggressively, and then on top of that upscaled the final output via AMD’s FSR. This means the image quality was soft – softness which is entirely gone in the Switch 2 build, where the image looks crisp and sharp in both modes. 

This crispness in image quality is the immediate difference between the visual upgrades for Tears and for Breath. It’s unclear why Tears looks so much nicer – presumably the fact that Breath of the Wild was built on an older engine with Wii U era tech in mind has something to do with that, whereas Tears of the Kingdom was built on an entirely new engine, from the ground up for the Switch, which was a lot more modern as far as hardware functionality goes.

Maybe it’s because Breath of the Wild ran at or close to its target resolution almost all the time, so the bump to resolution doesn’t seem as notable there as it does in Tears of the Kingdom, which, as we already discussed, used a variety of scaling and sampling techniques on the Switch. Whatever the reason, though, the visual upgrade for Tears feels a lot more impressive than it did for Breath.

Tears also benefits more from the other upgrades it got. Like Breath of the Wild, it has received a bunch of new features that are gated to the Zelda Notes companion app, but the features on offer here are genuinely more helpful than what Breath offers. In addition to the voice navigation and photo editor that Breath of the Wild got with the Switch 2 upgrade, Tears of the Kingdom also gets the ability to share your Ultra Hand Autobuild contraptions with others by letting you import them to the app and saving them as a QR Code (conversely, you can also get others’ Autobuild creations this way), as well as also allowing players to gift items to each other.

Given Tears of the Kingdom’s central gameplay loop, which includes finding items around and combining them to create things that can help you do… whatever it is you are doing in the game at the moment, these upgrades are genuinely helpful, and also the exact kind of updates that should be outsourced to a companion app. Unlike the bonus features Zelda Notes offers for Breath of the Wild, which can feel nice to have but otherwise inessential, the new features you get here are a lot more helpful and impactful to the game’s central gameplay loop.

Tears of the Kingdom’s update also comes off as better value for money than Breath of the Wild’s for one other reason – Breath of the Wild got paid DLC and an expansion, neither of which are included in the Switch 2 upgrade for the game, and must be purchased separately if you don’t already own them. This can greatly diminish the perceived value of the package – if this is supposed to be the definitive way to play the game, and players are being charged the money they are for it, then why does it not include all the content in the original game out of the box? Tears of the Kingdom, however, never got any paid expansion, the absence of which therefore doesn’t undermine the value of this upgrade.

"If you’ve been waiting for better hardware to play Tears of the Kingdom, then you’ve made the correct choice, because now you get to play this great game without any of the technical shortcomings it may have had at launch."

So, this one is a lot easier to recommend – everything, from the excellent visual upgrade, to the great bonus features, to even the fact that the rare time you see a loading screen in the game, it lasts barely a couple of seconds, makes this the definitive way to play this game, with pretty much no caveats whatsoever.

If you’ve been waiting for better hardware to play Tears of the Kingdom, then you’ve made the correct choice, because now you get to play this great game without any of the technical shortcomings it may have had at launch. If you have already played the game, then the upgrade is still genuinely useful and helpful enough that it’s worth paying for. Whether you are a newcomer or an existing fan alike, the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Tears of the Kingdom is the definitive way to play this game, with no caveats whatsoever.

This game was reviewed on the Nintendo Switch 2.

This means that a new visual upgrade for one of the most beloved and celebrated games of all time was a no-brainer – particularly with the Switch 2 providing Nintendo much more powerful hardware to play with. And so, we have The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, which, alongside the game’s sequel Tears of the Kingdom, updates the modern classic for more capable hardware.

The upgrades themselves are hardly anything to sneeze at. Breath of the Wild on Nintendo Switch 2 runs at a persistent, steady 60 frames per second. The frame rate drops the game infamously suffered from in several areas – such as the starting Great Plateau region, or the Lost Woods/Korok Forest, hold their frame rate (which is doubled to begin with) significantly better this time around.

In my experience, trying to set off as many CPU-heavy processes (such as physics and chemistry interactions) while also trying to fight as many enemies on screen at a time as possible, the frame rate held up remarkably well – at one point there was a brief slowdown when I hit about a dozen hitboxes at the same time, but other than that, the game itself runs at a blistering 60FPS, which alone can make all the difference for a lot of people.

That said, there is more on offer with this updated version too – for starters, the resolution is a lot higher now, in portable and docked modes alike. Playing Breath of the Wild on a Switch 2 in handheld mode, the game runs at a 900p resolution, whereas in portable mode, it renders at 1440p. Both of these are higher than the Switch version’s 720p for handheld mode and 900p for docked mode, and significantly higher than the Wii U version’s 720p. Additionally, the game supports HDR now, and also comes with a bunch of new features and content that can be accessed through a companion app, and, of course, supports significantly quicker loading courtesy of the Switch 2’s SSD caliber data transfer speeds.

"The other improvements and additions, however, mostly feel nice, but inessential."

Let’s stick with the visual upgrades for now, because these are the most immediate and the most apparent. Other than the aforementioned 60fps, the higher resolution and HDR both do wonders. Breath of the Wild was always a good looking game, but ultimately it was constrained by the hardware it was on. Seeing it run in 1440p at 60FPS with HDR support, the game’s gorgeous aesthetic comes to life and sings, with Nintendo’s stylized and palette focused visual style working extremely well with an HDR-enabled high resolution image. These improvements work to increase the game’s draw distance (which was already impressive in the Switch build, but is even better here), and other than enhancing the game’s sense of immersion and presentation, all come together to make an already great game feel even more pleasant to play.

Non-visual improvements help with that too – I specified much faster loading earlier, and yes, the fact that loading of any kind – a cold boot, fast traveling, or the transition screens when entering or exiting the game’s mini-dungeon area style Shrines – basically last a second or two at most. The loading times weren’t too bad to begin with, but they were longer than this, by a fair bit. For a game you are going to spend dozens if not hundreds of hours on playing, shaving off a few seconds on each load can make a big difference in the long run.

There are other improvements on offer as well – for instance, you now (finally) get two save slots to have two separate ongoing campaigns in progress, rather than having to overwrite the older one. This is in addition to the extra slot you get from Master Mode (which also gets its own extra slot). Suffice it to say, the days of having to delete your older file to start a new one are at an end.

The other improvements and additions, however, mostly feel nice, but inessential. For example, let’s talk about Zelda Notes. Taking a leaf out of the playbook of every major console release circa 2013 or so, Zelda Notes syncs up with your save as you play and provides a bunch of neat bonuses and content you can get no other way. These include a GPS-style voice guided navigation, voice memories that can be unlocked and played in certain locations, play stats, support for editing and enhancing the photos you took in-game, and a smattering of other minor features, including tips and help, as well as achievements. 

"The Switch 2 upgrade is also notable for the things it doesn’t have. Most significantly, it does not include the paid DLC and expansion for Breath of the Wild, which must (still) be bought separately."

None of these particularly add to, or detract from, the game. They are nice to have, but you can play Breath of the Wild without ever being aware of them (which, I suspect, will be the case for most people), and still miss nothing whatsoever. Some of the features are ones that I could see being consequential – navigation assistance is good for a game that gives you giant open world with few objective markers, but having to have your phone on hand for it is annoying.

The new context given the Voice Memories you find can be a great insight into this world – but again, you need your phone on hand for it. I do like the global and local stats tracking that Zelda Notes provides a lot, and to me, that is its killer feature. But I love tracking stats, so that makes sense – for the average player, I don’t know how much value that would hold.

The Switch 2 upgrade is also notable for the things it doesn’t have. Most significantly, it does not include the paid DLC and expansion for Breath of the Wild, which must (still) be bought separately. This is a baffling omission, particularly given that the Switch 2 Edition of the upgrade is pricey to begin with. The DLC wasn’t essential, so missing out on it won’t diminish the experience of playing the base game, but it absolutely calls into question the value of this package when, for an eight year old game, it doesn’t include all the content. There are also some minor QoL upgrades Tears of the Kingdom added which would have been nice to have back ported into Breath of the Wild, but their absence, while a bummer, doesn’t particularly rankle as much as the DLC’s absence does.

So in terms of the actual upgrades, it’s a mixed bag. There’s some great stuff – the loading and visual improvements – as well as some misses (the DLC), while there’s some stuff that is nice to have but completely inessential. All of which adds up to this being a fairly average upgrade for an extraordinary game.

"If this is your first time playing Breath of the Wild, I am frankly jealous of you – it’s a truly unforgettable and indelible experience"

And the game is extraordinary, even today, in 2025, more than eight years after it first came out and rewrote the playbook. Breath of the Wild is an incredibly hyped and beloved game, and it has frequently been heralded as the greatest game ever made. That praise is well earned – the game’s approach to open world design, its incredible player-driven game loop, and its emphasis on mechanics that facilitate dynamic and emergent gameplay, have led to a game that even after nearly a decade and hundreds upon hundreds of hours poured into it by more than 30 million players worldwide, continues to surprise and delight.

If this is your first time playing Breath of the Wild, I am frankly jealous of you – it’s a truly unforgettable and indelible experience, and even now, there are very few open world games that even begin to approach what it goes for, let alone actually pulling it off well. Playing it now, without the technical or graphical hiccups that marred the original, and getting it in this polished form, is probably going to be an amazing experience. For all the game’s misses, and you will probably rack up a list of those, from dungeons to bosses to permanent upgrades, all of which are heavily sidelined in this title – what it does well, it does so extraordinarily well, that it rises beyond those stumbles and becomes far more than the sum of its parts.

Breath of the Wild is one of the best games ever made. It having a more modern version readily available is a great thing, and if there were players who were interested but turned off by its poor resolution or performance, it’s great that those will no longer be problems here. That said, other than the graphic and tech, the upgrades seem like a bit of a mixed bag – I do think they could have added some better content to the game than what is in Zelda Notes, or at the very least, they could have added Zelda Notes’ content directly to the game itself. I also think not including the DLC content in this package is a poor decision.

"Breath of the Wild is one of the best games ever made. It having a more modern version readily available is a great thing, and if there were players who were interested but turned off by its poor resolution or performance, it’s great that those will no longer be problems here."

Overall, then, this is a mixed update for an all-time great game. If you have never played Breath of the Wild previously, and this will be the first time you do, then almost nothing in this review should matter or register for you. Ignore the nitpicking of a seasoned player who spent more than 400 hours on this game, and lose yourself in one of the finest adventures the medium has ever turned out. If you are a returning fan, then it is great to finally have this upgraded version on hand – but given the fact that this is a paid upgrade, it is a bit disappointing that the updates included aren’t more convincing.

This game was reviewed on the Nintendo Switch 2.

Some of the games getting these updates are The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (version 1.4.0), The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (version 1.8.0), Pikmin 3 Deluxe (version 1.1.2), Super Mario Bros. Wonder (version 1.0.2), Kirby’s Dream Buffet (version 1.0.0a), Kirby Star Allies (version 4.0.0a), Super Mario 3D All-Stars (version 1.1.2), Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (version 2.2.1), Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain (version 1.2.0), and ARMS (version 5.51), among others.

All of these updates revolve around giving these games improved performance for the new console over how they ran on the original Switch. Along with performance boosts, quite a few games are also getting access to new features, including GameShare and even support for HDR displays.

The Switch 2 will be hitting store shelves on June 5.

Patch notes for Nintendo Switch games to run on Switch 2:

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Version 1.4.0

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch 2:

General

• Added support for the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition.
• Added support for the Portuguese (Brazil) system language setting.
• Because Portuguese is not a supported voice language, the voice content will use the language you select in the in-game options.
• Added support for the Sidon, Tulin, Yunobo, and Riju amiibo.
• Several other issues have been addressed to improve the gameplay experience.

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch:

General

• Added support for the Portuguese (Brazil) system language setting.
• Because Portuguese is not a supported voice language, the voice content will use the language you select in the in-game options.
• Added support for the Sidon, Tulin, Yunobo, and Riju amiibo.
• Several other issues have been addressed to improve the gameplay experience.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Version 1.8.0

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch 2:

General

• Added support for the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition.
• Added support for the Portuguese (Brazil) system language setting.
• Because Portuguese is not a supported voice language, if you select the Match System Settings option in the game, the voice content will use English.
• Several other issues have been addressed to improve the gameplay experience.

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch:

General

• Added support for the Portuguese (Brazil) system language setting.
• Because Portuguese is not a supported voice language, if you select the Match System Settings option in the game, the voice content will use English.
• Several other issues have been addressed to improve the gameplay experience.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe – Version 1.1.2

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch 2:

General

• Partially alleviated an issue that occurs when playing on Nintendo Switch 2 where the entire screen flickers during some scenes in the game, such as when a day starts and ends.
• We will be releasing an update in the near feature to fix this completely.
• Note: An update addressing the problem above has not been distributed for “Pikmin 3 Deluxe Demo ver.” However, we plan to perform the same fix as the full game in a future update.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Version 1.0.2

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch 2:

General

• Several adjustments have been made to improve gameplay on Nintendo Switch 2.

Kirby’s Dream Buffet – Version 1.0.0a

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch 2:

General

• Several adjustments have been made to improve gameplay on Nintendo Switch 2.
• Note: The version number in the lower right of the software title screen is still Ver. 1.0.0. The version number displayed in the software menu on the HOME Screen will display 1.0.0a if the update is applied.

Kirby Star Allies – Version 4.0.0a

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch 2:

General

• Several adjustments have been made to improve gameplay on Nintendo Switch 2.
• Note: The version number in the lower right of the software title screen is still Ver. 4.0.0. The version number displayed in the software menu on the HOME Screen will display 4.0.0a if the update is applied.

Super Mario 3D All-Stars – Version 1.1.2

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch 2:

General

• Several adjustments have been made to improve gameplay on Nintendo Switch 2.
• Note: The software update is required to play on Nintendo Switch 2.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – Version 2.2.1

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch 2:

General

• Several adjustments have been made to improve gameplay on Nintendo Switch 2.

ARMS – Version 5.51

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch 2:

General

• Visuals: Optimized for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs for improved image quality.
• Frame rate: Optimized for Nintendo Switch 2 for smoother movement (even when playing with 3 or more players). Note: HDR-compatible display required when playing in TV mode.
• *Compatible with Ver. 5.4.1 for “local communication” and “LAN play”. Not compatible with Ver. 5.4.0 or earlier for “local communication” and “LAN play”. Please be aware of the versions of each other’s update data.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain – Version 1.2.0

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch 2:

General

• Added support for GameShare.
• Party Mode content can be played with up to 4 users.
• The user who will host the GameShare session should select “GameShare” on the mode selection screen after launching the software. They can then choose to use GameShare with Local Users or with GameChat members.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker – Version 1.4.0

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch 2:

General

• Visuals: Optimized for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs for improved image quality.
• HDR (High Dynamic Range) support for improved image contrast and brightness. Note: HDR-compatible display required when playing in TV mode.
• Added support for GameShare.
• Two people can play all the courses, and each person can have their own unique display that is easier to see.
• The person sharing can press the – button on the title screen or course select screen or go to “Partner Adventure” in the pause menu and select “GameShare + Local Play” or “GameShare + GameChat.”

Club House Games: 51 Worldwide Classics – Version 2.0.0

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch 2:

General

• Added Korean as a supported language.
• Added support for GameShare:
• You can play 34 kinds of games with up to 4 players.
• The user who will host the GameShare session should select “GameShare” from the main menu, then “Via GameChat” or “Play With Local Users”.
  The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch:

General

• Added Korean as a supported language.
• Several other adjustments and revisions have been made to improve the gameplay experience.
• Note: Update data with the above content will also be distributed for the demo “Clubhouse Games: Guest Pass” as Ver. 2.0.0d.

Game Builder Garage – Version 1.1.0

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch 2:

General

• Visuals: Optimized for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs for improved image quality.
• Added support for Joy-Con 2 mouse controls. Up to 8 Joy-Con 2 can be used. (As up to now, 1 USB mouse can be used, as well.)
• As a result of improved processing speed, there may be some changes in behavior in games that were made previously on Nintendo Switch.
• Note: An update is also available for the Game Builder Garage Demo version to support the content above (Ver. 1.1.0).

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe – Version 1.2.0

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch 2:

General

• Visuals: Optimized for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs for improved image quality.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury – Version 1.2.0

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch 2:

General

• Visuals: Optimized for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs for improved image quality.
• Frame rate: Optimized for smoother movement on Nintendo Switch 2 (including Bowser’s Fury).
• HDR (High Dynamic Range) support for improved image contrast and brightness (Bowser’s Fury only). Note: HDR-compatible display required when playing in TV mode.
• Added support for GameShare.
• You can play “Super Mario 3D World” with up to four people. Press R on the course select screen for “Local/Online,” and then choose “GameShare + Local Users” or “GameShare + GameChat.”
• In “Bowser’s Fury,” two players can play, with one controlling Mario while the other controls Bowser Jr. Once you can control Mario, press the + button to open “Menu,” and then choose “Local/Online,” and then choose “GameShare + Local Users” or “GameShare + GameChat.”
• Note: Does have local user compatibility with Ver. 1.1.0. Does not have local user compatibility with Ver. 1.0.0. Please be careful of the update version on each player’s system.

Super Mario Odyssey – Version 1.4.0

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch 2:

General

• Visuals: Optimized for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs for improved image quality.
• HDR (High Dynamic Range) support for improved image contrast and brightness. Note: HDR-compatible display required when playing in TV mode.
• Added support for GameShare.
• Two players can play, with one controlling Mario while the other controls Cappy.
• The user who will host the GameShare session should select “Resume 2P” on the title screen or “Two Players” on the Pause menu, then select “GameShare + Local Play” or “GameShare + GameChat”.

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening – Version 1.1.0

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch 2:

General

• Visuals: Optimized for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs for improved image quality. Note: HDR-compatible display required when playing in TV mode.

Animal Horizon: New Horizons has sold 47.44 million, slightly up from 47.82 million last quarter, which is understandable given the lack of updates. Sales for other titles were also only somewhat higher, with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at 32.81 million sold, Super Mario Odyssey selling 29.28 million, and so on.

Check out the full list below. The Nintendo Switch 2 is out on June 5th for $449.99 worldwide, so expect sales of older Switch titles to dip even further. It launches alongside titles like Mario Kart World (with a special bundle available in limited quantities until this Fall), Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut, Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, and more.

As spotted by Eurogamer, the eShop listings for the Switch 2 editions of both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom note that the game does not support the Save Data Cloud Backup feature. Curiously, this only seems to apply to the two The Legend of Zelda titles. Other games part of the Switch 2 Edition line-up like Super Mario Party Jamboree and Kirby and the Forgotten Land don’t have the disclaimer. The same disclaimer is also not present in the Japanese eShop listings for the two Zelda games.

This will likely be quite a problem for players that were hoping to carry over all of their save data on the Switch 2 versions of the games. Since both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are large open-world games that encourage players to spent dozens of hours as they explore the world, a fair bit of progress will be lost by players since they can’t bring over their save data.

Nintendo had also confirmed earlier this month that the Switch 2 Edition of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will not include the content that was originally released as part of the $20 expansion pass for the game on the original Switch. The expansion pass had brought with it quite a bit of content that players who don’t already own it will have to buy it at full price on the Switch 2.

“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition does not include The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass DLC,” said Nintendo in a statement. “That DLC is available as a separate purchase.”

The company had confirmed that the physical release of first-party Switch 2 Edition games, like Breath of the Wild, will not require players to download anything. Rather, all of the content will be available in the game card itself. The company has stated that this applies to all of its first-party titles, including Super Mario Party Jamboree and the upcoming Metroid Prime 4. However, it has left the door open for third-party developers to make players download additional content.

“Physical versions of Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games will include the original Nintendo Switch game and its upgrade pack all on the same game card (i.e. they are exclusively Nintendo Switch 2 game cards, with no download code),” said Nintendo in a statement. “Alternatively, some publishers may release Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games as download codes in physical packaging, with no game card.”

The Nintendo Switch 2 is slated for launch on June 5. The Switch 2 Edition releases of both Zelda titles will also be available on the same day.

As caught by IGN, the eShop listing for the title makes no mention of the Expansion Pass content that was released for Breath of the Wild back when it first came out on the Switch and Wii U. Rather, first time buyers who decide to pick up the Switch 2 Edition release will have to spend an additional $20 on the expansion pass to get access to the DLC.

“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition does not include The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass DLC,” said Nintendo in a statement. “That DLC is available as a separate purchase.”

It is worth noting that, unlike the Switch 2 Edition for Super Mario Party Jamboree, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild won’t really be getting any additional content. Rather, the $10 upgrade or $70 full purchase will only get you the base game along with general performance improvements, as well as access to the new Zelda Notes feature in the Nintendo Switch smartphone app.

Titles like Super Mario Party Jamboree and Kirby and the Forgotten Land, on the other hand, feature much heftier Switch 2 Edition upgrades. While they are priced higher, there will also be additional gameplay content, such as the new Jamboree TV mode in Super Mario Party Jamboree, and Star-Crossed World in Kirby and the Forgotten Land.

Nintendo had also previously confirmed that physical releases of Nintendo Switch 2 Edition titles will not have to worry about needing to download additional content. Rather, all of the in-game content will be available in the game card directly. As such, there will be no download codes packaged with the game.

On the other hand, the company has also left this option open to third-party developers that want to bring over their older titles with Switch 2 Edition releases. The company has stated that other companies might decide to include download codes for their games rather than including all the files in the game card.

“Physical versions of Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games will include the original Nintendo Switch game and its upgrade pack all on the same game card (i.e. they are exclusively Nintendo Switch 2 game cards, with no download code),” said Nintendo in a statement. “Alternatively, some publishers may release Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games as download codes in physical packaging, with no game card.”

The Nintendo Switch 2, along with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition will be coming out on June 5. For more details about the company putting pre-orders in various countries on hold, check out our coverage. And in the meantime, also check out Reggie Fils-Aime’s recent story about wanting to release Wii Sports as a free pack-in game for the Wii.

Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers can get the upgrade packs for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom at no added cost. Once again, you must own the Switch 1 versions of each game, but as long as you’re subscribed, their upgrades will remain playable on the Nintendo Switch 2.

Another benefit for Expansion Pack subscribers is access to GameCube titles like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Soulcalibur 2 and F-Zero GX. These are exclusively playable on the Switch 2, with other titles like Luigi’s Mansion, Super Mario Sunshine, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, and Super Mario Strikers coming later.

The games eligible for the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade packs are Super Mario Party Jamboree with the Jamboree TV pack, the Nintendo Switch 2 Editions for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will also be getting upgrades on the Switch 2, but there doesn’t seem to be a separate cost associated with it as of yet.

Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV will feature a host of new game modes and minigames that make use of some of the new consoles features. This includes use of the built-in system microphone, the Nintendo Switch 2 camera, and even the mouse controls available on the new Joy-Con 2 controllers. There will also be a new mode, dubbed Bowser Live. The mode will be a game show-themed experience, and will pit two teams of two players each against each other. The upgrade will be available on July 24.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will both feature separate Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrades. Available on June 5 alongside the launch of the console, the upgrade packs bring in smoother frame rates, quicker loading times, and overall improved visuals. Both titles will also be able to make use of a new feature on the Nintendo Switch App dubbed Zelda Notes. through this, players will be able to better navigate through the games’ open worlds to find secrets like Koroks. It will also feature commentary from Princess Zelda.

3D platformer Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World will be available on August 28. The upgrade pack includes new content in the form of additional story and a new uncharted territory to explore. The game will also include content for single-player as well as local co-op game modes, as well as new Mouthful Modes for players to clear.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will be available on the Switch 2 alongside its Switch release later this year. The Switch 2 version of the game will allow players to make use of the Joy-Con 2 mouse controls alongside the other control methods already available. When it comes to visuals, players will be able to pick between Quality Mode and Performance Mode. While both support HDR displays, Quality Mode will focus on running the game at 4K with 60 FPS, while Performance Mode will drop down to 1080p and a higher frame rate of 120 FPS.

The upgrades included in Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition all revolve around improving the game’s visuals and frame rates. It will be available in late 2025.