Nintendo Announces Free Switch 2 Upgrades for 12 Popular Games

Nintendo has revealed plans to offer free upgrades for 12 of its first-party games when the Switch 2 launches on June 5, 2025.

These updates—available via internet downloads—focus on improving playability with enhancements like better visuals, smoother frame rates, HDR support, and a new GameShare & Gamechat feature. While the specifics vary by title, all upgrades aim to take advantage of the Switch 2’s improved hardware.

Unlike the controversial paid “Nintendo Switch 2 Edition” upgrades, these free updates don’t include major new content, but they do give existing games a welcome technical boost.

Here’s the full list of upgraded games:

• ARMS: Improved visuals, smoother frame rate, HDR support

• Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain: GameShare (up to 4 players, local/online via GameChat)

• Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker: Enhanced resolution, HDR, GameShare (2 players, all courses)

• Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics: GameShare (up to 4 players, 34 games)

• Game Builder Garage: Better resolution, support for Joy-Con 2 mouse controls

• New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe: Enhanced resolution

• Pokémon Scarlet & Violet: Improved resolution and frame rate

• Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury: Enhanced resolution, smoother frame rate, HDR (Bowser’s Fury only), GameShare (4 players in 3D World, 2 in Bowser’s Fury)

• Super Mario Odyssey: Enhanced resolution, HDR, GameShare (2 players: Mario and Cappy)

• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom: Enhanced resolution, HDR

• The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening: Enhanced resolution, HDR

• Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit: Improved resolution

Many of these titles are being optimized for the Switch 2’s sharper screen and support for high-res TVs, meaning crisper visuals and a more immersive experience overall. Games like ARMS, Captain Toad, and Pokémon Scarlet & Violet will especially benefit from the graphical upgrades.

Frame rate improvements are another big win here. Titles like ARMS, Pokémon, and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury will feel noticeably smoother—something that’s particularly useful during multiplayer matches. ARMS, for example, has been specifically tuned to run more fluidly even with three or more players on-screen.

Several games are also getting HDR (High Dynamic Range) support for richer colors and better contrast. These include ARMS, Captain Toad, Super Mario Odyssey, and both Zelda titles—Echoes of Wisdom and Link’s Awakening.

One of the most exciting new additions is GameShare, which allows multiple players to enjoy local or online multiplayer using just one copy of the game. Big Brain Academy: Brain vs Brain will support up to 4 players in Party Mode, while Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker enables 2-player gameplay across all courses. Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics will let up to 4 players enjoy 34 different games through GameShare.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury also gets creative with multiplayer via GameShare. The main game supports four-player co-op, while Bowser’s Fury adds a two-player mode where one player controls Mario and the other plays as Bowser Jr. Similarly, Super Mario Odyssey’s co-op mode lets one player guide Mario and the other take control of Cappy.

Another social feature, GameChat, will be supported in most of these titles—but take note: it’ll require a Nintendo Switch Online membership after March 31, 2026.

One particularly cool update comes from Game Builder Garage, which adds mouse-like controls through the new Joy-Con 2 controllers.

That said, some major titles are noticeably absent from the list—Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Animal Crossing: New Horizons among them—prompting speculation that Nintendo may have more announcements (or paid editions) up its sleeve.