If you’re going to upgrade your Nintendo Switch games to the new Switch 2 Edition versions, you’ll pay $9.99 for each upgrade. Nintendo has confirmed the price of these paid upgrades, which will essentially turn your old Switch games into new, better-looking, enhanced games.
While we don’t have the South African Rand price for these paid upgrades yet, $9.99 is pretty much in line with the expected R200 upgrade I guessed last week when Nintendo announced the upgrade programme. This means that supported games such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Mario Party Jamboree, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and other titles will cost around R200 to upgrade to the Switch 2 Edition.
These new game versions come with various enhancements, including higher frame rates, increased resolutions, and visual changes. Some games, such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, now include support for the Nintendo App. The app can link to the game and act as a map companion, sharing tool, and even keep track of some in-game achievements. This is a feature not available on the original game. I actually think this app is going to be a real game-changer.
Keep in mind that some upgrades are also free when you’re subscibed to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service.
In addition to the $9.99 Switch 2 Edition upgrades, Nintendo has also confirmed that the Switch 2 Welcome Tour will also be priced at $9.99. The mini-game has come under fire from fans for being a paid game when they believe it should be free. However, the $9.99 price tag might make them a bit more forgiving now.
The Switch 2 Welcome Tour is a virtual tour of the hardware with various mini-games and designer insights into the tech behind the console. According to people who have played the game, it is actually quite fun.
It is nice to see all these tidbits of information coming out from the Switch 2 ahead of its launch on 5 June. We also learnt today that the console’s Joy-Con 2 controllers don’t include Hall Effect sensors.
We will be spending the next few days getting hands-on with the Switch 2 console at an experience event in London. Stay tuned for more information shortly. In the meantime, catch up on the full Switch 2 pre-order guide here and check out all the confirmed games coming to the console here.
