Here's Every Game Getting a Switch 2 Update So Far, Including Xenoblade Chronicles 3

A new era of Nintendo is kicking off with the release of Switch 2, and as exciting as the likes of Mario Kart World might be, one of the system’s major appeals is seeing original Switch games all souped-up. While we knew a few games were getting updates already, it turns out it’s more than Nintendo initially let on, with over 15 games getting a performance update. There are even some big surprises in there, including the likes of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and the elusive Super Mario 3D All-Stars.

To clarify, there are two different categories of original Switch games getting enhanced for Nintendo Switch 2 — ones getting new content, and ones simply getting performance and technical updates. The six games getting expanded “Nintendo Switch 2 Editions” require a $10 upgrade because of substantial new content, or you can simply buy the Switch 2 edition. Those games are The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Super Mario Party Jamboree, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Pokémon Legends Z-A, and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. The exception here is Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, which both received updates to add support for the Switch 2 additions and “fix other gameplay issues.”

On the other hand, there are 18 games getting a free update for Switch 2, all of which you can see here, that will add increased performance, HDR Support, and more in a few cases. Here’s the full list of games, before some of the more notable updates.

• ARMS
• Big Brain Academy
• Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
• Clubhouse Games 51
• Game Builder Garage
• Kirby’s Dream Buffet
• Kirby Star Allies
• Pikmin 3 Deluxe
• Pokémon Scarlet & Violet
• Super Mario 3D All-Stars
• Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
• Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• Super Mario Odyssey
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
• The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Every single one of these got at least a performance update, but there are a few interesting extras. Echoes of Wisdom is getting a nice little quality of life addition, with the notes saying, “Added a feature to display only favorited echoes in the list of echoes after 30 or more echoes have been learned.”

But Mario 3D World might be getting the biggest update, adding a surprising amount of GameShare features. GameShare is the new feature where one player who owns a copy of the game can essentially share it with friends and family to let them play. Here are its full notes.

• 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.”

Four of the other games also had updates for GameShare compatibility — Big Brain Academy, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Clubhouse 51 Games, and Super Mario Odyssey.

The other most notable change is for Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, as those games will now run at 60fps on Switch 2. Performance was arguably the biggest problem with Scarlet and Violet, even to this day, so a visual and performance boost might make them feel like drastically different games.

While it’s not technically related to these first-party updates, it should be noted that No Man’s Sky has also announced a massive free update for Nintendo Switch 2. This is to coincide with the game’s massive Beacon update, and it’s one of the few games not charging for what feels more like a Switch 2 upgrade. Here’s what you get with No Man’s Sky’s Switch 2 upgrade.

• Multiplayer
• Enhanced visuals
• Higher resolution
• Settlements
• Cross save
• Cross paly
• Gyro and touch screen controls

Hello Games also released a Switch 2 Edition deep dive video that goes into further detail.

While there might not be a lot of new games out at launch, Nintendo is clearly taking advantage of the Switch 2’s power to upgrade its massive catalog of games from the first system.

There are still plenty of obvious outliers that feel like they could receive Switch 2 updates in the future, like Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Metroid Dread, Splatoon 3, and more. It’ll be interesting to see if this is just a big push for launch, or if Nintendo has plans to sequentially roll out more support for past games.