Latest news with #backwardcompatibility
New York Times
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The Nintendo Switch 2 Is a Huge Upgrade. But It Has Some Annoying Flaws
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Nintendo Although only a few new games are currently available for the Switch 2, we actually enjoy playing the games we already own on the new console, thanks to its backward-compatibility features. Over the past several years, playing games on our original Switch consoles has often been a zen-like exercise in acceptance that games just wouldn't run very well. Even bigger releases such as Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet could be downright painful to struggle through — Wirecutter writer Kimber Streams purchased a copy at launch and couldn't get past the awful performance, so they traded it in to buy other games. However, like a number of other original Switch games, Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet have received an update for the Switch 2 that breathes new life into them, fixing performance and providing a meaningful improvement in image quality. Other games are also seeing major benefits from the Switch 2's more powerful hardware even without official updates, so we're actually considering picking up older games that might finally realize their potential on the new system. And it might just give you the perfect excuse to go back to that Animal Crossing: New Horizons island you've been neglecting (something Wirecutter editor Caitlin McGarry would rather we hadn't told her). It's fast and easy to use The Switch 2 offers a night-and-day difference in responsiveness and navigation speed in comparison with the original Switch. In 2025, almost everything about the original Switch — from maneuvering through its menus to braving the extended stuttering waits of the Nintendo eShop storefront — suffers from a molasses-like sluggishness. We had almost given up hope that this experience would ever get better, but the Switch 2 turns out to be more than capable of gliding through the same hoops, more or less, with ease. It almost makes exploring the eShop a pleasure. The move to fast game storage and microSD Express (mostly; more on that later) also results in much, much faster game-startup speeds and greatly reduced load times for games old and new. The Switch 2's Game Chat feature supports the Switch 2 Camera and uses the microphones in your Joy-Cons or Switch 2 Pro Controller. Connie Park/NYT Wirecutter We also like the promise of the Switch 2's Game Chat feature, which lets you join a party of friends with up to four simultaneous video feeds along the bottom of your screen, through the Switch 2 Camera. It isn't a revolutionary feature, but it does work easily thanks to microphones built into all of the Switch 2's official controllers, and we're excited to see how the feature develops as the Switch 2 platform matures. It feels great to hold, and the build quality is more solid Connie Park/NYT Wirecutter The original version of the Nintendo Switch, and even the offshoot Switch Lite and OLED models, felt a little unstable, but the Switch 2 feels much more solid in comparison. The new system's larger size makes it a bit easier to hold for people with slightly bigger hands, which could be a pro or a con depending on how you feel about the current Switch. But more importantly, the new Joy-Con controllers lock into place far more solidly on the right and left sides of the system courtesy of a new magnetic locking system. As a result, stressful sessions of Mario Kart World don't make us feel like we're going to break the Switch 2 as we grip the controls ever more tightly, which everyone knows makes you take corners more effectively — it's just science. (Not actually science, but it feels true.) Along with the far more useful revised kickstand design on the back of the console, which runs the entire length of the tablet, and the notably improved speaker quality, the more solid build makes the Switch 2 feel much less like a toy than its predecessor. We love the Switch 2 Pro Controller Connie Park/NYT Wirecutter For players who can't tolerate Nintendo's Joy-Con controllers, the $85 Switch 2 Pro Controller is a pricey option. But on the bright side, it's been one of our favorite controllers in our time with it so far. 'I really love the Pro Controller,' said writer Kimber Streams. 'It's comfier than the [original], and the joysticks feel much smoother and responsive.' The Switch 2 Pro Controller also includes a headphone jack and a built-in mic, which you can use with the Switch 2's Game Chat feature. All of that, combined with a much more pleasing surface texture, adds up to an amazing controller, albeit an expensive one in comparison with the original Switch Pro Controller and its $70 price tag. Mario Kart World is the best party game of 2025 (so far) Mario Kart World. Nintendo Mario Kart World takes the manic, goofy energy of previous entries in the series and doubles the player count, resulting in races that can be even more chaotic and unpredictable. It's also gorgeous and full of the kinds of personality and charm we expect from a Nintendo game, with a huge cast of characters and a ton of great tracks. However, the most important thing about Mario Kart World is how consistently it levels the playing field between video game veterans and casual players. World , like previous Mario Kart games, regularly gives the back of the pack a leg up and a way back into the race, and almost no lead is ever safe. The result is a game that families and mixed friend groups can play together without worrying too much about one or two hotshots consistently ruining everyone else's fun. Plus, the new Knockout Mode, which periodically cuts the bottom of a race's leaderboard every so often, is the kind of thing that will cause much shouting and temporarily end friendships (in a good way). And we expect that Nintendo will continue to add tracks and new goodies to Mario Kart World , straining your relationships for years to come.
CNET
27-05-2025
- Business
- CNET
Here Are the Switch Games That Have Problems Running on the Switch 2
The Nintendo Switch 2 launches on June 5, and one of its big selling points is that it will be backward compatible with original Switch games. Nintendo recently updated its database of Switch games that have been tested on the new console, and while most of the games work without any issue, there are hundreds that have some problems. Nintendo's page for the compatibility test for Nintendo Switch games on the Switch 2 was updated on Tuesday. More than 15,000 games have been confirmed as having no issues when playing on the new Switch, but those that haven't been verified will need some additional updates or simply will never work with the Switch 2. According to the list, Nintendo confirms that these games and software will not work on the Switch 2: Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit Niconico ABEMA Hulu Crunchyroll InkyPen Now Playing: It's OK if You Didn't Preorder a Switch 2 00:57 The following list are games and software that have issues when starting up on the Switch 2 that Nintendo is currently investigating: A Boy and His Blob Retro Collection A Time Traveller's Guide To Past Delicacies Abyss Memory Fallen Angel and the Path of Magic Aeterna Noctis Another Crab's Treasure Arcade Archives ASSAULT Arcade Archives Burger Time Arcade Archives Chack'n Pop Arcade Archives CRIME CITY Arcade Archives Dragon Spirit Arcade Archives Dragon Saber Arcade Archives Empire City: 1931 Arcade Archives Flipull Arcade Archives Dig Dug Arcade Archives Galaxian Arcade Archives Gradius III Arcade Archives Metrocross Arcade Archives New Rally-X Arcade Archives Pac Land Arcade Archives Qix Arcade Archives Roller Jammer Arcade Archives Rolling Thunder Arcade Archives Rompers Arcade Archives Space Seeker Arcade Archives The Genji and the Heike Clans Arcade Archives The Tower of Druaga Arcade Archives Xevious Assault Suit Leynos 2 Saturn Tribute Astral Flux Baseball Club Boot Hill Heroes Botany Manor Cats Hidden in Italy Chronicles of 2 Heroes: Amaterasu's Wrath Clock Tower: Rewind Crazy Strike Bowling EX Dadish 2 Darksiders Genesis Dead by Daylight Everdream Valley Felix the Cat fig. Final Fantasy Flan Grid Autosport House Builder I Got Isekai'd Into A Shmup In My Shadow Inferno 2 Gang Beasts Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection Kill la Kill IF Kosmokrats Killing Time: Resurrected Laboratory Rat Escape Simulator Pro Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society Library Of Ruina Little Nightmares Complete Edition Malignant Survivors Manticore Galaxy on Fire Mega Mall Story 2 Monster Loves You Too! NASCAR Rivals NBA 2K18 Nekopara Vol.2 Nelly Cootalot: The Fowl Fleet Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition NieR:Automata The End of YoRHa Edition Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon Nobody Saves the World Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath OK K.O.! Let's Play Heroes Onigo Hunter Palia Pineview Drive Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville Raiden III x Mikado Maniax Remothered: Tormented Fathers Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles RiMS Racing River City Girls Zero Rocket League Roller Champions Saviors of Sapphire Wings / Stranger of Sword City Revisited Senran Kagura Reflexions Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-a-fide Edition Soul Dog TD South of the Circle South Park: The Fractured But Whole Sportitions'24 Star Wars Episode I: Racer Strania The Stella Machina EX Super Neptunia RPG Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival Taito Milestones The Journey Down Trilogy The Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition Tokyo Xanadu eX+ Touhou Gouyoku Ibun: Sunken Fossil World Tricky Towers Trip World DX Trove Trover Saves the Universe TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 3 Under Night in Birth Exe: Late[cl r] Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi V-Rally 4 Warface: Clutch Warframe Warp Shift What the Dub?! Where the Bees Make Honey Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus WRC 9 The Official Game YouTube These are the Switch games Nintendo found to start up fine on the Switch 2, but there are some issues that occur while playing: Alan Wake Remastered Alien: Isolation Asphalt Legends Unite Dadish Dex Dust: An Elysian Tail Elderand Factorio Fall Guys Family Chess Games Advent Calendar 25 Days 25 Surprises Godlike Burger Hitman 3 Cloud Version Hot Wheels Unleashed Just Dance 2019 Klondike Solitaire Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime Matchpoint Tennis Championships Mega Man Legacy Collection MotoGP 21 My Brother Rabbit Noir Chronicles: City of Crime Overcooked! All You Can Eat Pilot Sports Pocoyo Party Port Royale 4 Real Car Driving Simulator & Parking 2022 Games S.N.I.P.E.R. Hunter Scope Saints Row IV: Re Elected Steven Universe: Save The Light Street Fighter™ 30th Anniversary Collection Stumble Guys These are the games with issues, but will receive an update to address the compatibility problem after the launch of the Switch 2: 112 Operator Active Life Outdoor Challenge Airhead Alchemy Garden Baron: Fur Is Gonna Fly Batman: The Enemy Within Beyond the Ice Palace 2 Boot Hill Bounties Bus Simulator 2023: City Driver Death Coming Doom Eternal Eggy Party Everspace Stellar Edition Fables Mosaic: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Fitness Boxing Floor Kids Fortnite FRAMED Collection Gas Guzzlers Extreme Guns, Gore and Cannoli Island Flight Simulator Korean Drone Flying Tour Jeju Island 1 Mexican Train Dominoes Gold Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Videogame Musynx NBA 2K25 Nova 111 OMG Police Car Chase TV Simulator Parents Vs Kids Perseverance: Complete Edition Pizza Tower Slayin 2 STAR WARS: Dark Forces Remaster Super Mega Baseball 3 The Jackbox Party Pack The Jackbox Party Pack 2 Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes Victor Vran Overkill Edition Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? World of Tanks Blitz Xtreme Sports Lastly, the following Switch games can work on the Switch 2 but need to be played with the original Switch Joy-Cons: Ring Fit Adventure 1-2-Switch Everybody 1-2-Switch! Game Builder Garage Nintendo Switch Sports WarioWare: Move It! Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 01: Variety Kit Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 02: Robot Kit Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 03: Vehicle Kit The Switch 2 launches on June 5, starting at $450 for the console and $500 for the Mario Kart World bundle. Retailers have already sold out of Switch 2 preorders, but stores like Best Buy and GameStop say there will be some units on hand at the stores.
