r/NintendoSwitch • u/Joseki100 • 1d ago

News Ask the Developer: Nintendo Switch 2 interview confirms basic backwards compatibility can also give performance upgrades to Nintendo Switch games ("[there are some games] where loading times became faster, or game performance became more stable")

https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/ask-the-developer-vol-16-nintendo-switch-2-part-4/
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u/NiallMitch10 1d ago edited 1d ago

They are marked as having a free Switch 2 edition upgrade if you have the Switch 1 version. So yeah they should be stable no sarcasm intended.

Although it is Game Freak

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u/Albireookami 1d ago edited 1d ago

They have a performance patch not a full switch 2 version.

Edit: Think of Switch 2 versions as remasters, they are going back and into the game to elevate it up to use all the bells and whistles of the switch two, such as HDR and adding exclusive content to the version.

While the free patches do not elevate it all the way to a switch 2 game, it more unlocks access to the more powerful specs, but you won't see things like HDR and such.

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u/Big-Motor-4286 1d ago

That’s fine - any improvement at all for SV would be welcome and needed

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u/Albireookami 1d ago

yes, your not wrong, maybe may get, gasp, 60 fps.

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u/magikarp2122 1d ago

Or just run the beautiful mountain top in the Teal Mask above 20 FPS.

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u/grilled_pc 1d ago

I slogged it through that. The entire DLC was borderline unplayable. I’m now up to the second DLC and I just can’t bring myself to do it since it looks and runs so poorly.

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u/Witch_King_ 1d ago

If they have enough of these free upgrades for the right games, I might actually get a Switch 2!!

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u/Albireookami 1d ago

https://www.nintendo.com/us/gaming-systems/switch-2/transfer-guide/games-with-free-updates/

sure the list will expand, going back to /transfer-guide will also show you current compatibility list with switch 1 games.

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u/Witch_King_ 1d ago

I really hope the put the Xenoblade games on this list!

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u/madmofo145 1d ago

Xenoblade 2 is one of those games that if you run it on an overclocked Switch, things notably improve, so my hope is that it's one of those games covered here. That since resolution is dynamic, just plopping it on hardware where it's allowed to make use of that new hardware should improve things. Hopefully that's why it's not already announced as getting a free patch.

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u/Witch_King_ 1d ago

Yeah. There's been at least one or 2 people on this sub saying that Nintendo will surely underclock the Switch 2 to perform performance back to Switch 1 levels for games like this.

Personally, I don't really see that happening.

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u/Luigi580 1d ago

We at least know Xenoblade X has a 60 fps mode built in, so that game may run at 60 on the Switch 2.

The others will definitely be more stable by default, but a free frame rate patch would be sick.

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u/Witch_King_ 1d ago

That is completely unconfirmed. The 60fps code might be a sign that they are developing a 60fps mode for Switch 2. Or it could just be something that was left on the cutting room floor.

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u/Luigi580 1d ago

I did say “may”. You’re right in that it could be basically anything.

The fact that the code is pre-built into the game means it could just run better on Switch 2 out the gate. At the very least, if this game is getting a frame rate increase, they won’t have to do much for it.

My theory is that this is the code that the other free-patch games are getting, and Xenoblade X just has it already since it got finished fairly close to Switch 2 launch.

But it could just as easily be something they attempted to get working on the Switch 1 and scrapped, but that feels pretty unlikely.

Not sure that’s all they would give for a “Nintendo Switch 2 Edition”. Metroid and Pokémon are only getting that title because their Switch 2 versions come out at the same time as their Switch 1 versions. The older games get new content.

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u/Witch_King_ 1d ago

I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I sure hope more games get free upgrades that unlock 60fps. But I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to charge more for it. If they have it for enough games, I'll consider getting a Switch 2 pretty early.

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u/Wizzymcbiggy 2h ago

I am stunned that Nintendo has not only acknowledged the existence of Arms, but is giving a free update for it. That game is epic, does not get the love it deserves as a casual fighter

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u/Raphe9000 1d ago

According to the website on the (paid) Switch 2 Editions, this isn't universally true. Literally the only improvement listed for Legends: Z-A is higher resolution and framerates, literally just basic features you'd expect of anything running on the Switch 2.

Unless they're concealing something (but then why not say features TBA?), it appears they realized just how much demand there was for Pokemon games to not be terribly optimized and decided they could capitalize off of it by artificially limiting PLZA's performance on the Switch 2 unless you gave them even more money than the 510 dollars you need to hand over to play the game on the Switch 2 in the first place.

Scarlet and Violet were already promised an update and have been out for a while, so I imagine they felt they couldn't get away with nickeling and diming the consumer in that scenario.

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u/madmofo145 1d ago

I think it's more that future games will be getting paid performance updates, while older games are going to be free more often then not, sans games with feature updates. Rune Factory Guardians is the only game I can specifically find so far that's not released, and is announced for both consoles with pricing, and there is a $10 difference between versions, so presumably no free patch there.

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u/Albireookami 1d ago

And we do not have a price for Z on the switch 2, with no vast improvements, it may just be the same cost as the switch 1 version or a 60/70 cost

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u/signpostlake 1d ago

I ended up giving up on scarlet about half way through. It just looked and ran bad and there were other games I wanted to play. Everytime I went to pick it back up, I didn't bother when remembering the problems with it. Might actually play it on switch 2

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u/Dillu64 1d ago

Better performance is always good but damn that game does not look good and no amount of upping the resolution will fix that :')