
The 15 Nintendo Switch games that should get a Switch 2 upgrade
While the Nintendo Switch 2 currently only has a few exclusives to call its own, it has become the new best place for experiencing Switch 1 games.
Aside from the new (paid-for) upgrades for the likes of The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, a range of free updates mean other games, including Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, run much better than they did on the original Switch. Some even have boosted frame rates, just through backwards compatibility and without any need for an update, paid or otherwise.
However, not every game benefits from running on the newer hardware, as we discovered when testing a handful of them. There's no obvious pattern as to what games run better or not, so here's a here's a list of the Switch 1 games that would benefit the most from a free upgrade.
When it comes to PlatinumGames' gameography, it feels like Astral Chain often gets overlooked, which is a crying shame as it's a fantastic action game that revels in its absurd futuristic cop aesthetic.
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While we're always happy to revisit it, we're still disappointed that, unlike Bayonetta 3, its choppy frame rate doesn't automatically bump up to 60 frames per second when running on Switch 2.
If the rumoured Astral Chain 2 is never going to arrive, the least Nintendo could do is imbue the original game with some new life.
As the best-selling entry in Nintendo's medieval tactical role-playing series, we're a little surprised Fire Emblem: Three Houses hasn't even seen a simple update that touches up its visuals on the Switch 2.
There is a notable improvement to the overall performance, but it's still locked to 30fps and while a smoother frame rate isn't entirely necessary for a game with turn-based combat, it could stand to offset Three Houses' low-tech graphics.
The same thing goes for Fire Emblem Engage, which we actually preferred to Three Houses but which only gets faster loading times as a result of being played on the Switch 2. Weirdly, it's the Three Hopes Musou spin-off that benefits the most on Switch 2 with a vastly superior frame rate.
Luigi's Mansion 3 is probably the best-looking game on the original Switch, so much so that it doesn't really need a Switch 2 update. And yet we can't help but want it to look and run even better.
While the graphics certainly don't need touching up, we wouldn't say no to seeing the visuals optimised for the Switch 2's new display, as well as support for HDR and 60fps.
If not, then Nintendo better at least let Next Level Games make a Luigi's Mansion 4 for the new console, which, to be fair, is probably exactly what they are doing, as the developer has not been heard from for a while now.
You may not remember this, but back in 2023, long before the Switch 2 even had an official name, Ubisoft expressed regret about not waiting till Nintendo's next console to launch strategy game sequel Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope. It even indicated it wanted to update the game once the Switch 2 was out.
Whether it meant with a full re-release or a single upgrade, Ubisoft seems to have either forgotten or abandoned those plans, because the strategy sequel runs no better on Switch 2 than it did on Switch 1 – and yet weirdly the first Mario + Rabbids game does, boasting a new frame rate of 60fps.
We certainly hope Ubisoft revisits the idea because Sparks Of Hope is genuinely one of the best strategy games out there and its excellent graphics would benefit from an improved frame rate.
Monster Hunter Wilds is the current hotness, but as it's only available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, Nintendo Switch owners have to make do with the previous entry, Monster Hunter Rise.
That's not necessarily a bad thing since Monster Hunter Rise is still an excellent game on Switch, but it remains locked to 30fps whereas other versions can reach upwards of 120fps.
On Switch 2, the frame rate is certainly more stable and load times are faster, but a dedicated patch to boost the frame rate wouldn't go a miss, until Capcom releases a new Monster Hunter for the console.
Thanks to the 2022 Switch port of NieR:Automata, Nintendo fans finally got to experience not only one of PlatinumGames' best action games, but one of the best modern action role-players.
Unfortunately, it came with an obvious caveat: a frame rate of 30fps. It was probably unavoidable, just to get the game running on Nintendo's hardware, but we had hoped this would be addressed when playing the game on Switch 2, since the low frame rate doesn't do its fast-paced combat justice.
Even if it never gets a 60fps upgrade though, NieR:Automata is one of several games that suffers from progress-blocking issues and crashes when running on Switch 2. At the time of writing, Square Enix is still looking into it, so hopefully those problems are addressed with a patch.
It's still baffling that Nintendo stopped post-launch support for Animal Crossing: New Horizons so quickly, despite it being a prime candidate for the fabled 'forever' game many other companies continue to chase.
Unsurprisingly, it's not seen any real updates to coincide with the Switch 2, although load times are faster. It admittedly doesn't need a smoother frame rate given its status as a slower-paced life simulator, but some enhancements to its graphics and resolution would be appreciated.
Even so, we doubt this is a priority within Nintendo, as it's far more likely to be planning a brand new Animal Crossing tailor-made for Switch 2.
The Switch version of Persona 5 Royal is a perfectly viable way of experiencing one of the best Japanese role-players ever made, but like other ports it came with some graphical compromises.
Aside from being locked to 30fps, some pre-rendered backgrounds and textures are notably of low quality, and the resolution is capped to just over 720p when docked, dropping further in handheld mode and making the whole game look unpleasently blurry.
It's a real shame since Persona 5 Royal is famous for its striking visuals and art style. With the Switch 2 capable of supporting 1080p resolutions and frame rates of 60fps, it's even more of a shame that Persona 5 Royal looks and runs no different on the new console.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet have benefitted tremendously from running on the Switch 2, thanks to the improved performance, earning it a deserved revaluation for the whole game. If only the same could be said for Pokémon Legends: Arceus…
Unfortunately, there's no patch for Arceus, so it runs almost no differently on Switch 2 – with the exception of faster load times.
Admittedly, bumping its frame rate to 60fps wouldn't fix its low-tech graphics, but it would help bring it in line with the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which looks to have a much smoother performance on Switch 2, based on early teaser footage.
It's a genuine miracle that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt runs as well as it does on Switch, even in handheld mode. But it did come at the cost of a graphical downgrade as well as a capped frame rate of 30fps.
On Switch 2, the game loads faster and even looks a little better, but any Witcher fans who only have access to Nintendo hardware would no doubt appreciate a dedicated upgrade for the newer console. More Trending
Honestly, a Switch 2 port of The Witcher 3 would make sense considering the game is a top seller for CD Projekt, at over 50 million sales, saw updated re-releases for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S just a few years ago, and the upcoming The Witcher 4 will likely skip Switch 2 (although you probably would've said that about The Witcher 3 for the Switch 1).
Although Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was amongst those Switch 1 games that received a free Switch 2 patch, it doesn't address the performance issues in the game, with the patch notes only alluding to vague adjustments made to 'improve gameplay on Nintendo Switch 2.'
As Nintendo's premiere Japanese role-playing series, it's surprising that none of the four Xenoblade Chronicles games have received any proper upgrades on Switch 2, only enjoying slightly shorter load times when running on the console.
It could be argued that they don't need any enhancements, since all of the games are already impressive technical achievements, but considering fans found evidence of an optional but inaccessible 60fps mode for Xenoblade Chronicles X, we can't help but wish seeing it was activated across the whole series, along with improved resolutions.
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The best-selling game of 2025 outsold by Devil May Cry games from decades ago
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Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound review - don't rage against the machine
After a long hiatus, the makers of Blasphemous 2 bring back Ninja Gaiden, with a 2D action game that should please both new players and veteran fans. It seems appropriate that the one Japanese-made franchise most closely associated with Xbox (alongside sister series Dead Or Alive) is also one that was largely unknown to European gamers, even in its early days. Ninja Gaiden started off in arcades, as a fairly ordinary scrolling beat 'em-up, which in Europe was known as Shadow Warriors. It was ported to various home computer formats of the day, including the Amiga, but it was the NES game, also from 1988, that defined the franchise for the next four decades. Created in parallel with the arcade game, the NES title was more of an action platformer, noted for its excellent graphics and extreme difficulty. Given the arcade game had a different name and the NES was never very successful in Europe – as a result of arriving years late and with a sky high price tag – most European gamers assumed the 2004 Xbox title was the first game in the franchise. Although versions of the game and its sequel were also released on PlayStation it's still thought of as primarily an Xbox game, although the double whammy of Ninja Gaiden 3 and Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z put the whole franchise on ice for over a decade. But now it's back, with PlatinumGames developing Ninja Gaiden 4 and, ironically, Spanish studio The Game Kitchen making this 2D homage to the original games. The Game Kitchen is best known for the two Blasphemous games, which are an excellent pair of 2D Metroidvanias with a Dark Souls influence. Despite what you might imagine, Ragebound doesn't have much in common with them and it's definitely not a Metroidvania. It's also not that similar to the NES game, although that is clearly the primary influence. Although series protagonist Ryu Hayabusa is in the game you spend the majority of your time playing as his protégé Kenji Mozu, who starts off the game having to protect Hayabusa Village from yet another demon invasion. Thankfully, whether demon or human, most enemies succumb fairly easily to your sword and while the game is never easy the first few hours are certainly less difficult than you might imagine. There are some welcome complications to Kenji's repartee, with the ability to deflect projectiles and make use of enemies with a blue aura, who after you kill them leave you hypercharged so that the next enemy you attack dies in one hit. Although you can also hypercharge yourself at any moment by sacrificing a portion of your health. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. As well as a dodge roll and climbing up walls, and across ceilings, Kenji can also perform a Guillotine boost , which allows him to bounce off projectiles and enemies for a double jump. That feels like something straight out of the NES game, but again it's a lot easier to pull off than you'd think in the early stages. A little way into the story you encounter Kumori, a female member of the Black Spider Clan – the traditional enemies of the series. Both are at death's door when they meet, which results in Kumori fusing with Kenji and he being able to use her long range kunai attacks and the ability to teleport short distances. This opens up the gameplay in various ways, with enemies that have a pink aura, that have to be killed with Kumori's weapons to trigger a hypercharge, and more powerful weapons like a chakram (the circular throwing weapon Xena used to use). On top of this is a smart bomb-like magic attack and various defensive powers, like a shield, as well as timed platform sections where you control Kumori directly, but against a very strict time limit. That's just about the right size of moveset for a 2D action game and for the first several hours it's a lot of fun, even if it's not really doing anything new and the pixel art is a little drab at times. Coming from publisher Dotemu, who's been responsible for Streets Of Rage 4 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, you can't help but wish for 2D animation of that quality but while Ragebound has a few nice flourishes it's never that ostentatious. There's some good mission variety though, considering the limitations, with levels scrolling in different directions, hidden areas and collectables, and vehicle sections, such as Kumori's introduction on the back of a motorbike. More Trending The most surprising thing about the game is that it's not that difficult. It's definitely above average but not the ultra-punishing perversity that previous Ninja Gaiden titles would lead you to expect. There is a hard mode though, and some ultra difficult secret levels, so veteran fans shouldn't feel abanonded. But we found the game's more reasonable challenge to be very refreshing, allowing you to enjoy the mechanics instead of constantly cursing their inflexibility. Things do get harder the further you get, especially with the boss battles, but it's definitely not as spiteful as you'd expect. Ragebound isn't going to change the world, or change anyone's opinion about Ninja Gaiden, but as a prelude to Ninja Gaiden 4 it's very welcome and has a sensibly low price. We always wonder why retro themed games are so obsessed with being overly difficult, since that always seemed the least appealing thing about them, back in the day, and it's nice to see Ragebound confirm that they would be more fun if they were more reasonably minded. Which means that, in actuality, Ragebound is not that rage inducing at all. In Short: A fun restatement of the Ninja Gaiden 2D formula, that is just complex enough to engage both new and old fans, while being surprisingly accessible in terms of its difficulty level. Pros: A neat set of relatively unusual abilities, that requires both skill and forward-thinking to use. Nicely varied level design and some clever boss battles. Great rawk soundtrack. Cons: It's not doing anything very new and the graphics are mostly unremarkable by modern pixel art standards. Later stages are very difficult. Score: 8/10 Formats: PlayStation 5 (reviewed), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PCPrice: £20.99Publisher: DotemuDeveloper: The Game KitchenRelease Date: 31st July 2025 Age Rating: 16 Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Nintendo Direct announced for Thursday but don't expect Metroid Prime 4 MORE: New Switch 2 game leaks ahead of this week's Nintendo Direct MORE: Mario Kart World update makes the game easier but doesn't fix biggest issues