Since the reveal of Switch 2 we’ve known about some games getting a Switch 2 upgrade; including Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, Kirby and Super Mario Party Jamboree. These are paid updates, but did you know some Nintendo Switch games are getting a free update? Today I’m going to cover the 12 Switch games getting a free update on Nintendo Switch 2.

When Nintendo unveiled the Switch 2 with their deep-dive on 2nd April 2025, they highlighted a few paid updates for launch. This included Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, which will both see graphical upgrades over their Switch 1 versions. A couple more games got substantive updates including Mario Party Jamboree and Kirby and the Forgotten Land, both with brand new content available for Switch 2.

All of these are paid updates on a varying scale. For example Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom will cost £7.99 here in the UK if you own the games already (translating to roughly $10), or if you have Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion then you’ll get these updates for no additional cost. Mario Party Jamboree and Kirby costs £16.99 here in the UK (translating to roughly $20), which makes sense given we’re getting new content alongside both games.

Nintendo briefly mentioned some Nintendo Switch games would be getting free updates in time for the launch of the Switch 2. Nintendo have come out recently and stated exactly what we should expect for each game, and in this list we have some of the best Nintendo Switch games available on the platform.

First of all, here’s what Nintendo said

“By connecting your Nintendo Switch 2 to the internet and performing a system update, you can download free updates for selected games that may improve graphics or add support for features such as GameShare. The contents of these free updates will differ depending on the game.”

These updates will be available on 5th June 2025 in time for the launch of the Switch 2.

Super Mario Odyssey

Visuals: Optimised for the Switch 2 handheld display plus high-res TVs for improved image quality. HDR support.

GameShare support: Two people can play together, with one player controlling Mario and the other controlling Cappy. Share locally or share online via GameChat.

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

Visuals: Optimised for the Switch 2 handheld display plus high-res TVs for improved image quality.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Visuals: Optimised for the Switch 2 handheld display plus high-res TVs for improved image quality.
Frame rate: Improved for smoother movement on Switch 2.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury

Visuals: Optimised for the Switch 2 handheld display plus high-res TVs for improved image quality. HDR support (Bowser’s Fury only).
Frame rate: Optimised for smoother movement on Nintendo Switch 2 (including Bowser’s Fury).

GameShare support:

• Up to four people can play Super Mario 3D World.
• In Bowser’s Fury, two people can play together, with one player controlling Mario and the other controlling Bowser Jr.
• Share locally or share online via GameChat.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

Visuals: Optimised for the Switch 2 handheld display plus high-res TVs for improved image quality. HDR support.

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

Visuals: Optimised for the Switch 2 handheld display plus high-res TVs for improved image quality. HDR support.

ARMS

Visuals: This will be optimised for the Switch 2 display in handheld mode, plus high-res TVs for improved image quality. Plus HDR support.

Frame rate: Optmised for Switch 2 for smoother movement.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain

GameShare support: Up to four players can play together in party mode. This can be locally or online with GameChat.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Visuals: This will be optimised for the Switch 2 display in handheld mode, plus high-res TVs for improved image quality. Plus HDR support.

GameShare support: Two people can play all of the courses. Share locally or share online via GameChat.

Club House Games: 51 Worldwide Classics

GameShare support:

Up to four people can play 34 games.
Share locally or share online via GameChat.

Game Builder Garage

Visuals: Optimized for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs for improved image quality.
Supports mouse controls via the JoyCon 2.

It’s great to see some of the best Nintendo Switch games in here including Super Mario Odyssey, Link’s Awakening, Super Mario 3D World and Bowsers Fury. Hopefully more games will get the Switch 2 treatment at a later date. Plus it’s good to see these are free updates, so we’ll just get the benefits of the Switch 2 by just owning the games and playing on the new console.

Let me know in the comments what you think. What are you going to be playing on launch day, and are you excited for these free updates?