Nintendo has confirmed that physical copies of Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games include both the game and its upgrade pack on the game card.
There had been some concern that the upgrade pack would be a digital download code after Nintendo Switch 2 Edition box art images emerged, plastered with the message: “This Nintendo Switch 2 Edition comprises the Nintendo Switch game and the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade pack.”
If it was a digital download code, then this would impact the game’s resale value as much as whether you could lend the full experience to friends and family. Thankfully, it turns out that isn’t the case.
“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),” a Nintendo spokesperson confirmed to Vooks. “Alternatively, some publishers may release Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games as download codes in physical packaging, with no game card.”
Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games are a bundle that includes the original Nintendo Switch game and its upgrade pack, which “enhances the game to take advantage of the capabilities of Nintendo Switch 2.” Nintendo has further outlined them, as below:
- Contents and enhancements of the upgrades differ depending on the game. They can include visual improvements, new features, or additional game modes.
- Features and content of Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games can only be played on Nintendo Switch 2.
- If you already own the original Nintendo Switch game, as either a physical or digital version, you can upgrade to the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition by purchasing the game’s upgrade pack via Nintendo eShop, My Nintendo Store or at retailers. After you upgrade, the original Nintendo Switch game can still be played on Nintendo Switch, though the features and content of the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition can only be played on Nintendo Switch 2.
- Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members can download selected upgrade packs at no additional cost.
Those revealed so far include The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, Super Mario Party Jamboree Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV, Kirby and the Forgotten Land Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World, Pokémon Legends Z-A Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Metroid Prime 4 Beyond Nintendo Switch 2 Edition.
