Summary
TheNintendo Switch 2seems to have received a tease for console-specific editions of games on the Virtual Game Card portion of the company website. Although more details about what these editions offer are yet to come, many believe this to be the first true confirmation that theNintendo Switch 2will offer enhanced editions of titles originally sold on the 2017 Nintendo Switch.
Nintendo Switch gamers have been searching for clues about the Switch 2 for a while. In November 2024,Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa confirmed backward compatibilitywould be a Switch 2 feature, leading many to believe that the successor would naturally offer upgrade paths to titles that were made for older hardware. Now, some new details may have been revealed.
A YouTuber known asActualAero spotteda detail on theNintendo Switch Virtual Game Card webpagethat seemingly confirms Nintendo’s plans to create Switch 2 versions of games. On the page explaining the varioususes of Switch Virtual Game Cards, Nintendo left a couple of details bulleted under Asterisks. The first one is related to the availability of these cards on regular Switch models following an update. The second asterisk mentions “Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games” and “Nintendo Switch 2 Exclusive games,” describing them as separate entities. At the time of writing, this information is still on the website.
Nintendo Website Notes ‘Switch 2 Edition Games’
The existence of the “Nintendo Switch 2 Edition” appears to imply thatvarious Nintendo Switch gameswill have upgrade paths to the Switch 2. Nintendo emphasizes that Nintendo Switch 2 Exclusive Games, as well as Switch 2 Edition games, can only be played by users with a Nintendo Switch 2. This is likely included there to save some original Switch users from disappointment when a Switch 2 user tries to share the Virtual Game Card of a title they own, even if there is a 2017 Switch Edition. However, this information inadvertently teases a feature many Switch fans have eagerly anticipated.
The presence of Switch 2 Editions of Nintendo Switch games has opened the floor for fan speculation about what titles might get these possible upgrades. Some believe that considering the rumored DLSS capabilities of the Switch 2, the console will be able to automatically run all games with improvements. This could be true, but many expect Nintendo to paywall dedicated upgrades to games in a similar fashion to many PlayStation games, leading to the impression that five-to-20-dollar upgrades will be the standard going forward. This could be a use case for titles like therumoredThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of The WildSwitch 2 demoshown at Gamescom 2023. Although this apparent confirmation has come earlier than expected, Nintendo will probably discuss this element of the console at length during its April 2 Direct.
Nintendo Switch 2
The successor to 2017’s Nintendo Switch continues down the same path as its predecessor, providing a hybrid experience that supports both home and handheld gaming. Launching on Jun 15, 2025, with games like Mario Kart World, the basic Nintendo Switch 2 bundle comes with the console, Joy-Con 2, straps for the controller, a dock, an AC adapter, an HDMI cable, and a Joy-Con 2 grip.
