(Credit: Nintendo)
Video game prices have been slowly creeping up for years. When the Nintendo Switch first launched in 2017, full-priced games were $60. Then, PlayStation and Xbox first-party releases jumped to $70 in 2020. Nintendo followed suit in 2023 with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. But Switch 2 pricing has made everything more complicated.
Mario Kart World costs $80. Donkey Kong Bananza is $70. Yet Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is just $40. Want to buy physical games? That will cost you more than the digital versions. And even though some of the Switch 1 games I own are backward compatible, if I want to upgrade to the Switch 2 version for better performance or additional DLC, the upgrade pricing is all over the place. In some cases, upgrading costs $0, while others require you to break out your credit card.
Here's the full breakdown of how much it costs to upgrade your old Switch game to the Switch 2 versions.
The 3 Types of Switch 2 Games
Before I talk about how much the upgrades cost, I need to explain the three (yes, three) different kinds of games you can play on the Switch 2.
Switch 2 games: These are native Switch 2 games made exclusively for the console. They feature the Switch 2 logo and are designed to take advantage of the latest hardware. This includes Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, as well as third-party releases like Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition.
Switch 2 Edition games: These are Switch games that have performance and visual upgrades over their Switch 1 counterparts. The physical versions of these titles will have the Switch game and Upgrade Pack on the same cartridge. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokémon Legends: Z-A are Switch 2 Edition games, and are labeled accordingly.
Switch 1 games: Finally, there are just Switch 1 games, since (most of) these can be played on the Switch 2. This means you can play Breath of the Wild or Metroid Dread for free if you already own those games. They won't have the significant upgrades that come with the Upgrade Packs, but should gain some small benefits simply by running on more powerful hardware.
How Much Does Nintendo Charge for a Switch 2 Upgrade Pack?
Instead of having to buy new games to get upgraded versions of the titles you already own, Nintendo allows you to upgrade your Switch games into native Switch 2 games, turning them into Switch 2 Edition games. However, the cost of that upgrade varies widely, depending on how much new content is included.
$20: Upgrade Packs that include DLC-sized additions for the Switch 2 cost $20. This includes Super Mario Party Jamboree, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which add new gameplay features and content to the base game. The Switch 2 Edition versions of these games cost $80, so it's the $60 base game + $20 DLC.
$10: Games with smaller performance and visual upgrades, such as Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokémon Legends: Z-A, cost $10. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are also priced here because a new copy of BOTW for Switch 2 costs $70 and TOTK costs $80. However, they're actually included as part of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. It's interesting to note that the Xenoblade games add some additional content.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
$5: Nintendo introduced a $5 upgrade path for the Switch 2 Edition of Animal Crossing: New Horizons to coincide with the game's free version 3.0 update. This upgrade adds enhanced visuals, GameChat functionality, and mouse controls. Xenoblade Chronicles X is another $5 upgrade, but it just includes performance improvements. Interestingly, both games are getting new physical editions, so is this the one common thread?
Free: Finally, some games have received free updates from Nintendo, including Arms, Pokémon Scarlet/Violet, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Super Mario Odyssey, Bowser's Fury, and more. These updates mainly focus on visual upgrades, though some gain frame rate bumps, HDR, and even GameChat support.
Arms
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics
Game Builder Garage
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
Pikmin 3 Deluxe
Pokémon Champions
Splatoon 3
Super Mario Odyssey
How Much Are Third-Party Games?
It's not just Nintendo games that have unlockable updates for the Switch 2; all developers have the option of offering an upgrade path to players. Many of these updates come with graphic and performance improvements, but some may add additional content. However, how much this costs will depend on the game and the publisher.
For instance, games in Hamster's Arcade Archives line cost $2.99 to upgrade. Meanwhile, Marvelous has multiple games at the $10 price point. However, many developers have opted not to charge for the Switch 2 Edition of their game. This means if you own the Switch version, the upgrade pack is available to you as a free download.
Recommended by Our Editors
1000xResist - Free
4PGP - $5
Another Crab's Treasure - Free
Another Eden Begins - $5
Asdivine Knot - $1
Asphalt Legends - Free
Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land - $10
Ball x Pit - Free
Bang! Bang! Bandits - $3
Beyblade X Evobattle - $10
Blood Dungeon - Free
Blood: Refreshed Supply - Free
Botany Manor - $4
Brotato - Free
Card-en-Ciel - $10
Cast n Chill - Free
Chippy&Noppo - $2.40
Citizen Sleeper - Free
Core Keeper - Free
Cozy Grove - Free
Cozy Grove: Camp Spirit - Free
Culdcept Begins - $10
Dark Auction - $1
Dave the Diver - Free
Deltarune - Free
Demon Castle Story - $4
Dinkum - Free
Disney Dreamlight Valley - Free
Disney Speedstorm - Free
Dispatch - Free
Divinity: Original Sin II - Free
Dream Town Island - $4
The Drifter - Free
Dungeon Village 2 - $4
Epic Mickey: Rebrushed - Free
The Exit 8 - $1
Factorio - Free
Fountains - Free
The Fox's Way Home - $3
Fruit Mountain Party - $1.88
Game Dev Story - $4
Go-Go Town - $3
Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 1+2 Dual Collection - $5
Hades II - Free
High on Life - Free
Hogwarts Legacy - $10
Hollow Knight - Free
Hollow Knight: Silksong - Free
Human Fall Flat - $5
Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road - $2.59
Isekai Rondo - $1
Isekai Villain - $1
It Takes Two - Free
Jumbo Airport Story - $4
Lego Party! - Free
Little Rocket Lab - Free
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes - Free
Lou's Lagoon - Free
Lynked: Banner of the Spark - Free
Mina the Hollower - Free
Minecraft - Coming soon
Minishoot' Adventures - Free
Moomintroll: Winter's Warmth - Free
Moonlight Peaks - $5
No Man's Sky - Free
Novel Rogue - $1
Once Upon a Katamari - Free
One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 - Free
Overcooked 2! - $10
Overrogue - $1
Party Party Time 3 - Free
Planet of Lana II - Free
Pritto Prisoner - $1
Psyvariar 3 - Free
The Ramen Sensei - $4
Red Dead Redemption - Free
The Rumble Fish 2 - $5
Sail Forth - Free
Sayonara Wild Hearts - Free
Shadow Labyrinth - Free
Shuten Order - $2.49
Skyship Quest Story - $4
Soma - Free
Spirit Valor - $1
Stardew Valley - Free
Storm Lancers - Free
Subnautica - Free
Subnautica: Below Zero - Free
System Shock Remake - Free
Tamagotchi Plaza - $10
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered - Free
Touhou Yukkuri Mountain - $1.50
The Touryst - $6
Twofold - Free
Unrailed 2: Back on Track - Free
Wobbly Life - $5
Woodo - Free
Not All Games Have Upgrade Paths
Keep in mind that not all titles will offer upgrade paths. Square Enix, for instance, seems to shy away from making the Switch and Switch 2 versions of their games compatible or upgradeable. Some Sega games do the same. That has also typically meant save data can't be carried over either, so be careful before buying a game on Switch that you plan to upgrade down the road on Switch 2. You'll need to re-buy these games—at full price—to get them on the new console:
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Owners can buy Anniversary Edition for $20
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity - Owners can buy Definitive Edition at a discount
Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening
Raidou Remastered
Sonic X Shadow Generations
Suikoden I & II HD Remaster
Other games may also receive free patches that allow them to take advantage of the new hardware without the need for a true upgrade path.
About Our Expert
As PCMag's editor of how to content, I have to cover a wide variety of topics and also make our stories accessible to everyday users. Considering my history as a technical writer, copywriter, and all-around freelancer covering baseball, comics, and more at various outlets, I am used to making myself into an expert.
I believe tech corporations are bad, but you might as well know how to use technology in everyday life. Want more how to content delivered right to your inbox? Sign up for the tips and tricks newsletter that I curate three times a week.
My job as how-to guru means I use just about every gadget under the sun, so I can figure out how everything works. I work from a Lenovo ThinkPad running Windows 11, but also have a very large Dell Inspiron 17 3000 and Apple silicon MacBook. I have a Google Pixel 6a for personal use and use a Galaxy Z Flip 4 for additional Samsung-related testing. For iOS coverage, an iPhone 13 mini works like a charm, though it's already becoming a little long in the tooth.
My desktop situation includes a dual monitor setup with a modest Acer monitor. I also use a Logitech vertical mouse (who can use these ThinkPad trackpads) and a Havit keyboard (my first mechanical keyboard; I love it but my wife hates it!). I'm a recent convert from wired headphones; I have Anker Soundcore Liberty Air wireless earbuds for personal use and have taken to the Sennheiser HD 450BT headphones for work.
Whenever I have a second to myself, I'm probably gaming on my Nintendo Switch 2, Steam Deck, or Xbox Series S. I also still have a bunch of classic consoles lying around as well.
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