10 Best Games With A Free Switch 2 Upgrade

Part of the appeal of the new Nintendo Switch 2 is its backwards compatibility. Most Switch games are playable on the new version of the console, which means that fans can still play and enjoy all their favorite games. Some games even offer an upgrade pack that optimizes them for the Switch 2 for a small free—usually about $10 per upgrade.

What some fans might not know is that there’s a pretty lengthy list of Switch games with Switch 2 upgrades that are completely free. All you have to do to get them is connect your Switch 2 to the internet and download these free updates to optimize your experience with some of your favorite games on Nintendo’s new console. Other games don’t even need an update, simply running more smoothly from the moment you start them on your Switch 2.

10

Crysis

The PC Killer Runs Smooth As Butter On The Switch 2

When the first-person shooter Crysis was originally released in 2007, it was known as the “PC Killer.” The game’s intensive rendering and technologically advanced graphics and mechanics were a strain on modern computers of that era, with some PCs going as far as to call themselves “Crysis-safe” to show off their power.

Switch 2 Vs. Steam Deck Hardware Comparison

Of all handhelds, the Switch 2’s hardware is probably most comparable with the Steam Deck’s. Here’s how the two consoles compare spec by spec.

Crysis came to the Nintendo Switch in 2020, and the port ran impressively well, especially considering the game’s legacy. Playing Crysis on the Nintendo Switch 2, though, is even more impressive and shows the strength of the console’s hardware. Crysis Remastered runs as smooth as butter on the new console, making it certified Crysis-safe.

9

Borderlands 3

Great Performance At The Cost Of Visual Glitches

With Borderlands 4 coming out in just a few months, now is a good time to revisit the third numbered game in the series. The Switch port of the 2019 game struggled to run, causing frequent crashes, performance drops, and visual bugs. Luckily, the Switch 2 does seem to resolve a lot of these issues simply by having stronger processing power. The game’s frame rate is uncapped on the new console, allowing it to run as quickly as possible and often producing flawless 60-fps renders.

Borderlands 3 is a great example of the issues that can arise with backward compatibility on the Switch 2, though. Although the game runs faster, it still has all the framerate-saving updates that were added to get it to work in the Switch. This has resulted in some odd lighting issues for some players, which range from dark spots when standing close to objects to full-on black screens. When it does run well, though, it runs really well, so this particular Switch 2 upgrade is a tradeoff.

8

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet

Download The Free Upgrade For Stunning Image Quality

As Pokémon looks ahead to the series’ 10th generation, second Pokémon Legends title, and plenty of other exciting things in the world, it may be almost time to say goodbye to the last game duo, Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. The company is already looking ahead to the next big step on the Pokémon adventure, but it’s not quite ready to let go of the current generation. Scarlet & Violet are two of a small handful of games that have a free upgrade available for download from the Nintendo store, continuing its support into the new console, at least for the time being.

Trainers from Pokémon Legends: Z-A with a battle zone gate behind them.

Which Pokémon Games Will Get Switch 2 Upgrades?

Pokémon games on the Nintendo Switch haven’t always run the best. With the Switch 2, things are about to change with upgrades to performance.

An update is available for each of the two games, and upgrades both the game’s visuals and frame rate. This means that installing the upgrade improves how the game looks and plays on the Switch 2, improving the image quality for high-resolution TVs and increasing the frame rate. The result is a noticeably less choppy experience with higher-quality renderings of the environments.

7

No Man’s Sky

Unsurprisingly, The Switch 2 Update Is Free

No Man’s Sky from Hello Games is a procedurally generated space exploration game that tasks players with exploring the far reaches of space and cataloging the flora and fauna that live on these distant planets. The developer has been pushing out free updates regularly, many of which add huge amounts of content to the title.

It’s no surprise, then, that the option to upgrade the game for the Nintendo Switch 2 is completely free, too. The free upgrade pack finally integrates multiplayer and settlements for fans playing on the Switch 2 console. It also enhances the visuals so fans can “explore a more beautiful, higher-resolution universe.“

6

The Witcher 3

Better Performance, No Update Necessary

The Witcher 3 shows how significant the difference between the Switch and the Switch 2 is, even without a dedicated patch or update. At this time, there has been no official Switch 2 compatibility patch for the Witcher 3, but the performance of the game on the new console is much improved over its predecessor.

Everything from the loading times to open-world traversal and cutscene rendering is improved when playing the resource-heavy title on Nintendo’s new device. Despite the lack of an update, the game’s visuals still appear crisper and cleaner, with no dips in performance to correspond with the higher resolution. All in all, it’s a huge improvement that’s immediately obvious when playing the title on the Switch 2.

5

Dragon Quest Builders 2

Significant Improvement On A Game That Already Ran Fine

The Dragon Quest Builders series takes the familiar characters and monsters of the franchise and places them in a sandbox building game similar to Minecraft. The game tasks your character with creating a beautiful and bountiful new space in a world where builders have been locked up by a nefarious cult. The Switch version is a pretty solid game with the only issue being some occasional lag.

I include this game on the list, though, because of how striking the difference between the Switch and Switch 2 performance is. It’s not obvious how choppy the game is until it’s compared to its Switch 2 performance, as Modern Vintage Gamer on YouTube does at around the 11-minute mark in their video. Once you experience the game on the Switch 2, it’ll be difficult to go back to the Switch’s comparably sluggish experience.

4

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

The wholesome adventure starring Captain Toad received one of the most significant free updates, despite being over seven years old. Installing the free update optimizes Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker for the Switch 2, adding HDR support and better display options for high-resolution TVs.

GameShare and GameChat features are both available for free for a limited time through March 31, 2026. At that point, in order to use the console’s online features, players will have to be subscribed to Nintendo Online.

More importantly, though, the game can now be played locally through the system’s GameShare program. Before this update, Captain Toad only had local co-op using one console, but the new Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade makes it possible to puzzle through every course together with a nearby friend by sharing the game with another Switch or Switch 2 device, no second purchase necessary.

3

Super Mario 3D World & Bowser’s Fury

Play With Friends And Experience Better Visuals

Like Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, the game pairing of Super Mario 3D World & Bowser’s Fury has also received more than a simple visual upgrade. Of course, the update did add visual improvements, implementing improvements to the display and image quality, increasing framerate, and adding HDR support (but only for Bowser’s Fury).

In addition to the crisper display, the game now also has GameShare support. This means that up to four people can play Super Mario 3D World, and up to two can play Bowser’s Fury by sharing the game across multiple devices. The two games can also be played together online through the GameChat feature.

2

Bayonetta

Stuttering Issues Plagued The Switch Version

Sega’s Bayonetta is an action-adventure game with hack-and-slash mechanics similar to Devil May Cry and God of War. Except, instead of relying solely on swords and guns to attack, the titular character battles using her hair. The high-flying acrobatics of Bayonetta are integral to the exciting feel of the action game, so any lag can be immersion-breaking.

A thoughtful Mario with a Switch and Switch 2.

Every Nintendo Switch Game With Switch 2 Compatibility Issues

The Switch 2 will have backwards compatibility, but not every Switch game will work perfectly. Here’s a list of known compatibility issues.

Unfortunately, all three Bayonetta games suffered from terrible stuttering issues on the Switch, making it simply not fun to play for many fans. Fortunately, the more powerful Switch 2 doesn’t have the same problems as its predecessor, eliminating lag and stuttering, and making it a delight to hack, shoot, and hair-whip your way through enemies in all three titles.

1

Batman: Arkham Knight

The Switch 2 Fixes Batman’s Framerate And Stuttering Issues

There are many excellent Switch ports, but Batman: Arkham Knight was, unfortunately, not one of them. The game’s port had many issues when it launched in 2023, including a volatile framerate that often dipped below 30 and terrible stuttering. Rocksteady Studios tried to fix these with a massive patch about four months later, but the patch was reportedly unsuccessful at resolving the issues, leaving the game mostly broken and deemed unplayable by many fans.

It turns out that it’s not the port that was to blame for the game’s poor performance, but the Switch itself. Many player reports and comparison videos, like this one from Digital Foundry, show that playing Arkham Knight on the Nintendo Switch 2 fixes nearly all the issues experienced by players on the original Switch, locking the FPS at 30 and eliminating stuttering as a result. All the port needed was a system powerful enough to run it, and the Switch 2 provides this for Arkham Knight and many other games—sometimes without even needing to download an update.

Source: Digital Foundry/YouTube, Modern Vintage Gamer/YouTube