Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, upgrade packs and free updates explained
By Daniel del Moral Hernández · Updated September 23, 2026
There are three ways a Switch 1 game can get better on Switch 2, and only two of them cost money.
Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
A Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is, in Nintendo’s words, “a bundle that includes the original game and its upgrade pack”. The upgrade pack improves the game on Switch 2. Depending on the game it adds better visuals, new features or whole new modes, and those extras only work on Switch 2.
Upgrade pack
If you already own the original Switch game, physical or digital, you do not need to buy the Switch 2 Edition again. You buy only the upgrade pack from the eShop.
Upgrade packs vary a lot in price and in what they add. Some mainly raise resolution and frame rate, like the two Zelda games. Others add new content, like Jamboree TV for Super Mario Party Jamboree or Star-Crossed World for Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Each game page on this site shows the official US eShop upgrade price when there is one.
Free updates
Some Switch 1 games get a free update instead, which improves frame rate, resolution or HDR on Switch 2 at no cost. Nintendo gave free updates to games such as Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 3, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.
Which one do you need?
| You own | What to do |
|---|---|
| Nothing yet | Buy the Switch 2 Edition |
| The Switch 1 game | Buy only the upgrade pack, if the extras interest you |
| A game with a free update | Just update it on your Switch 2 |
Sources: Nintendo: About Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games, Nintendo Life: all Switch 2 Edition games, upgrade packs and free updates.