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Some Switch 2 games might be $80, but you can upgrade some Pokemon and Mario games for free, so they’ll run better on your new console.
Zachary McAuliffe Staff writer
Zach began writing for CNET in November, 2021 after writing for a broadcast news station in his hometown, Cincinnati, for five years. You can usually find him reading and drinking coffee or watching a TV series with his wife and their dog.
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The wait is over, and the Nintendo Switch 2 is here. Whether you preordered the new console or waited in line to grab one when stores opened, the long-awaited follow-up to the Nintendo Switch is out in the wild.
While some people got Mario Kart World to play on their new consoles, a lot of other games, like Donkey Kong Bananza and Kirby Air Riders, won’t be available until later this year. There are games you can buy and play on the console now, and Nintendo is providing free upgrades to some original Switch games to improve playability on the latest console. That means if you have one of these games, you don’t have to buy it again to enjoy it on your new hardware.
Here are all the Nintendo Switch games that you can update for free to play on the Switch 2.
- Arms
- Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
- Super Mario Odyssey
- Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
- Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics
- The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- Game Builder Garage
- New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
- Pokemon Scarlet
- Pokemon Violet
- Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain
Watch this: Switch 2 Launch Games | Obvious Skill Issue 5
How to update Nintendo Switch games to play on the Switch 2
Nintendo writes online that downloading the free update for these games is easy. Here’s how.
1. Connect your Switch 2 to the internet.
2. Update your console.
3. Start the game from your Switch 2 Home menu.
Once you start the game, you’ll be asked to download the update. Download the update, and you’re all set.
For more on the Nintendo Switch 2, here’s what we know about the console and Switch 2 Editions of games. You can also check out what to know about games like Mario Kart World and The Duskbloods.