Nintendo fans have known for some time that Switch 2 is backwards compatible with Switch 1 games. But what happens when you do the reverse and stick a Switch 2 game in a Switch 1?
Insert a Switch 2-only game such as Mario Kart World in a Switch 1 and Nintendo’s last-gen console will simply display an error message, saying that the software is designed for Switch 2.
But pop a Switch 2 Edition cartridge of some games also available on Switch 1, such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and… it works.
What is going on here? Well, Nintendo itself hasn’t gone into detail, but packaging for Switch 2 Edition games does note that cartridges contain both the original game and the Switch 2 upgrade.
“This Nintendo Switch 2 Edition comprises the Nintendo Switch game and the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade pack,” Switch 2 Edition packaging reads. “The upgrade pack is also available separately.”
In other words, when you put a Switch 2 Edition cartridge in a Switch 1, the older console knows to ignore the Switch 2 bit and just play the original game.
Nintendo doesn’t appear to have ever stated in plain English that this is how some Switch 2 Edition cartridges operate, but it’s a useful feature to be aware of. For example, if you’re a Switch 1 owner who plans to buy Switch 2 in future, you could buy a Switch 2 Edition of a game now to play cross-gen when the time comes, without worrying about upgrading your game down the line.
“Huh. Confirmed that this does indeed work on a Switch 1. (As the OG Switch game.) Kinda surprised,” John Ricciardi, founder of Tokyo-based video game localization firm 8-4, wrote on Bluesky today, upon testing his Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 Edition cartridge on a Switch 1.
It’s a system that’s not a million miles away from how Xbox handles ownership of games across its family of consoles. Owning a copy of a game unlocks access to different versions of said game, which the hardware will detect.
One difference, of course, is that Nintendo has decided to charge extra for some Switch 2 Edition versions — such as with Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and (deep breath) Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV.
Of course, just to make everything even more confusing, Nintendo has also provided other updates and upgrades to Nintendo Switch 1 games on Switch 2 for free — and it issued a long list of patch notes for titles such as Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, Zelda: Link’s Awakening and Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom earlier this week.
IGN has contacted Nintendo for more.
Earlier today, IGN reported on the issue of damaged Switch 2 consoles due to retailers puncturing the console’s thin boxes with staples. If you’re buying a console (with or without Welcome Tour), it’s something to be aware of. It has also emerged that Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour — the console’s $10 Switch 2 mini-game collection that many fans believe should have been free — requires you own at least $95 of accessories in order to complete 100%.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social