That physical versions of Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games will include the original Nintendo Switch game and its upgrade pack all on the same game card (i.e. they are exclusively Nintendo Switch 2 game cards, with no download code). Alternatively, some publishers may release Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games as download codes in physical packaging, with no game card.
So it’s still up to the publisher, and won’t be any different than it is now.
Yeah there’s no difference here lol
Makes sense. The cards can hold a max of 64GB, so any game below that size should be on the card. Any game bigger will have a download.
That is the maximum size, but it’s also the most expensive size.
Street Fighter 6 is 60GB on Steam, so they probably could put it on the 64GB card if they wanted to. But it’s going to be a download.
Bravely Default is only 11GB, but it’s going to be a download too. Probably because it’s a much more niche game that SE doesn’t expect to sell a lot of units of. It’s probably more comparable to an indie game where the physical release is more of a collector’s item for hardcore fans than the main way they expect people to play the game.
It’s a combination of Nintendo following their tradition of using expensive and obscure formats, publishers being cheap, and some combination of publishers/devs for not optimizing for storage.
Good to have confirmation on this! That’s how I’m getting Metroid Prime 4 then…
I haven’t really been keeping up with this, seen a lot of conflicting info. Can you buy the cart for Metroid Prime 4 for Switch 2 and use it in the original Switch? Or can you only buy the Switch version and then if used in the Switch 2, get the upscaling benefits, but not any extra content?
I’m reading:
- “exclusively Nintendo Switch 2 game cards” as meaning its the new red S2 game card format.
So no, not compatible with S1 consoles
Can you buy the cart for Metroid Prime 4 for Switch 2 and use it in the original Switch?
I’m not sure about this. Maybe? The box says “includes the Nintendo Switch game”, but it’s not clear.
Or can you only buy the Switch version and then if used in the Switch 2, get the upscaling benefits, but not any extra content?
The upgrade pack is also available separately, either buying it or if you have Nintendo Online. The upscaling I guess comes for free for any Switch games.
It’s kinda crazy to me that Nintendo would repeat the same marketing mistakes as the Wii U and release a new console with all this confusion of what games will work with which version.
At least this time around they got the naming right 😅
But yeah, publish a FAQ somewhere. I don’t even want to get started on NSO and digital games for Switch 2…
What confusion? If a box says “Switch” on it, it will run on the Switch and the Switch 2.
If the box says “Switch 2”, it will run on the Switch 2 but not the original Switch.
There are some games that are available for both systems, so make sure to check the system name when buying the game. It has been the same in previous console generations and in consoles from other manufacturers.
The only issues that I foresee are if the eShop makes it hard to understand what system you are buying the game for and if the eShop makes it hard to change the version I am buying.
For me the confusion for a while was the Switch 2 boxes saying “Includes the Nintendo Switch game and the Nintendo Switch upgrade pack.”. Now that I’m reading the statement by Nintendo clarifying things, it’s clear. This article was the first time seeing them saying the games are exclusively Nintendo Switch 2 game cards. The fact there was enough confusion that there have to be articles published clarifying what Nintendo should have said from the start is my concern with Nintendo marketing repeating the confusion from the Wii U era.
That physical versions of Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games will include the original Nintendo Switch game and its upgrade pack all on the same game card (i.e. they are exclusively Nintendo Switch 2 game cards, with no download code). Alternatively, some publishers may release Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games as download codes in physical packaging, with no game card.
I think this statement is not really clear. There is no text about download, we now the original game is on the card. But does upgrade pack mean the updated data is on the card of only the key to get the upgrade pack. Because if have read different things from different sources. The source from this article as well, but still thing this statement is not clear enough.
I’m reading:
- “exclusively Nintendo Switch 2 game cards” as meaning its the new red S2 game card format.
- “include the original Nintendo Switch game and its upgrade pack all on the same game card” as meaning that the base game has been patched with the NS2E upgrade and the result written to disc.
Of course if any post release patches that occur may need to be downloaded but their apparent intent has been to provide a version that is playable from gamecard.
This sounds like the best implementation with the exception that the base game is not playable on S1 consoles (something you could do of you bought it digitally).
At $90 a game, the cartridge better be able to give me a reach-around.
