Switch 2 Edition Games Include the Switch 1 Game and Upgrade Pack on the Game Card - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 10 April 2025 / 4,748 Views
Nintendo in a statement to Vooks said the Switch 2 Edition of Switch 1 games will contain both the original Switch 1 game, as well as the upgrade pack on the same game card.
"That 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 the Nintendo spokesperson.
"Alternatively, some publishers may release Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games as download codes in physical packaging, with no game card."
The majority of Switch 1 games will work on the Switch 2 via backwards compatibility, however, some games will be getting specific Switch 2 versions that contain improvements. Switch 2 Editions can be purchased as an upgrade or as a separate full price game.
The Nintendo Switch 2 will launch on Thursday, June 5 for $449.99 USD / $629.99 CAD / £395.99 / €469.99 / 49,800 yen in the US. A Mario Kart World Bundle will also be available for $499.99 USD / $699.99 / £429.99 / €509.99 / 53,980 yen.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Bluesky.
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I am very happy to be wrong.
^ this.. I don't get why they didn't put out a comment earlier on though. Like if a guy working for nintendo says its "switch 1 + download code" to dl, and the internet runs with it... why wouldn't someone at nintendo spot that, and come out and do PR controll and correct it early on?
Is the game card red or black? I agree that any previous DLC should be included with these upgraded versions especially since they have the audacity to increase the price.
I imagine they would be red since it's still a Switch 2 game. A Switch 1 wouldn't be able to read the Switch 2 upgrade data.
Their messaging seems confusing. Saying its a Switch 1 version with upgrade pack is rather pointless if its meant to be played on the Switch 2 in a Switch 2 game card. Just start calling it the Switch 2 version. No download needed. for me personally, i like to be able to move between systems so I will get the Switch 1 version and then just pay for the download to make it a Switch 2 version when i play on that.
Unless they are trying to say you can play this same version on both and depending on if its in a SW1 or SW2 it will load up the appropriate version... that would be cool. With PS5 games, they are only playable on the PS5 but PS4 games that offer PS5 upgrades are exactly that, the PS4 game on disc and then it DL the PS5 updates to the PS5 itself.
The Big 3 couldn't even all use a unified cross-gen strategy for physical games.
PS5 games are on UHD Blu-ray, so they can't be played on PS4. But certain PS4 games offer a free upgrade via download.
Xbox uses Blu-ray for cross-gen games. The Xbox One version is often on the disc, Series X is an download.
And now Nintendo is doing this instead of just calling them Switch 2 versions.
The whole PS5 UHD thing is so annoying. Games that work on both should be on a cross compat disc. Not ONLY UHD for PS5 because many games can fit on a regular BD or even less. There is a PS5 disc version of Glover and its full game size is 150MB... Yes that is MB) and yet they wasted a full 100GB UHD disc for it. Like why cant these companies use what works instead of being mandated to use what Sony uses when their games would obviously fit on lesser (and cheaper) media.
This is my understanding... that alot of Switch 2 games, that have patches for resolution/framerate, are the same as the Switch 1 game, so they can run on the Switch 1 if you put the cartridge in there.
When you use it on the Switch 2, it also runs the patch. The confusion was that, someone asked nintendo, and they said the patch was a download code, not physically on the cart as well. Weeks go by, and now we're told thats not the case. Its bad PR management that they didn't correct this earlier on.
Does this include the DLC?
Most games do...some wont (like BotW)
What are some that do?
