The NintendoSwitch 2is more robust in features and offers stronger performance than its predecessors thanks to a fresh hardware architecture, which also promises backward compatibility with the original Nintendo Switch library. However, the Switch 2’s official launch is on June 18, 2025, and owing to a few problems at hand, the transition from Switch 1 to Switch 2 might not be entirely smooth for everybody. Nintendo’s April 2025 compatibility update reveals that certain Switch 1 classics simply won’t boot, while other titles suffer jarring in-game glitches. A select few titles also unfortunately butt heads with new controller constraints.
These hurdles stem from design differences betweenSwitch 2and its predecessor. Although Nintendo has sought to preserve as much of the existing game catalog as possible, physical accessory conflicts, missing Joy-Con features, and occasional engine incompatibilities mean certain titles either demand workarounds or remain entirely unsupported. This is tragic but understandable, as advancements in hardware can sometimes necessitate trade-offs in backward compatibility.
Nintendo Has Divided the Switch 1 Games Into Four Categories
To offer clarity and streamline troubleshooting, Nintendo has classified older Switch titles based on how they behave on the Switch 2. Interestingly, when compared with the vast majority ofNintendo’s 122 first-party titlesand partner games numbering over 15,000, only a fraction have any problems on Switch 2. Nearly all of Nintendo’s own games run smoothly, while a minor sliver faces start-up hiccups or outright incompatibility.
Meanwhile,Nintendo’s third-party titlesshow a slightly broader spread of issues, ranging from mild in-game glitches to full-on boot failures. Still, most of those partner games are mostly playable with fixes mainly required for start-up. Nintendo has also reported that fixes for most of these games are currently being investigated.
Games That Can’t Be Played At All
One Switch 1 release,Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit, relies so heavily on physical constructions or console dimensions that playing it on Switch 2 is outright incompatible. The VR Goggles demand that the Switch 1 console be slotted into the cardboard shell, and the slightly altered size and design of the Switch 2 render that impossible.
Games That Require Nintendo Switch Joy-Con to Play
A second group of games hinges on capabilities found only in the original Joy-Con, such as theIR Motion Cameraor specialized attachments. Titles likeRing Fit Adventuremandate sliding a Joy-Con into a Ring-Con accessory and leg strap, which is an impossible task with Joy-Con 2’s revised shape.
Meanwhile,WarioWare: Move It!or1-2-Switch!need the IR Motion Camera to detect hand gestures, andNintendo Switch Sportsuses a leg strap that Joy-Con 2 doesn’t support. Players who still ownoriginal Joy-Con controllers, however, can wirelessly pair them with the Switch 2 and maintain full functionality. The games included in this category are:
Games That Have Start-Up Issues
Nintendo’s third category covers games with immediate boot-up failures on Switch 2. According to official statements, 141 games exhibit start-up issues, including major third-party hits likeDoom EternalandDead by Daylight. Because these errors typically stem from core engine dependencies that clash withSwitch 2’s updated OSand performance libraries, developers must update or rebuild specific code segments before the games will run.
Nintendo, since then, is regularly updating itsPDF listingsto reflect which studios have managed to patch problems and which games remain in limbo. While many updates are underway, no universal deadline has been set. The most important titles on this list include but aren’t limited to:
Games That Start But Have Incompatibility Issues
Finally, there’s a relatively smaller subset of games out of those 140+ titles that boot normally on Switch 2, yet the games have subtle or pronounced in-game glitches. These might range from control inputs failing to register in certain mini-games to incomplete haptic feedback for events that previously utilized HD Rumble. ThePDF listingfor these issues states that the issues are being investigated. Some of the prominent titles from this list include but aren’t limited to:
There Are Reportedly Some Games Also Being Tested
Nintendo emphasizes that its classification system remains a work in progress, with additional testing ongoing for titles not yet officially categorized. Therefore, there’s a chance that if any issues are found, the compatibility status of some other games might also change moving forward.Fortnitedeveloper Epic Games, on the other hand, is already working on completing a tailor-made Switch 2 edition that leverages the new console’s improved performance and online features.
In fact,Fortniteis the only game in the third category to have an updated status — dozens of other games are just marked as “the issue is being investigated.” Reports also indicate that other third-party blockbusters are undergoing deeper architecture reviews before receiving officialSwitch 2 updates.
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 July 25, 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.
