Report: Physical Switch 2 Edition games will include the game and upgrade pack, no download needed

The Nintendo Switch 2 was announced on April 2 and the company shared a somewhat new system of categorizing games that will run on the new console. One of these categories is Switch 2 Edition games and the physical versions of these games will include the base game and an upgrade page. The company has now reportedly confirmed that the upgrade pack will be present on the card itself and no download will be required. 

Following the console announcement, there was some confusion about what these Switch 2 Edition game cards will include. There were reports suggesting that the physical card would only include the game and the upgrade pack would be in the form of a download code. Now, in a statement to Vooks, a Nintendo spokesperson has reportedly clarified that the physical game card for a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition game 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).” This means users who purchase physical game cards of Switch 2 Edition games will be able to resell or share the complete game with others, and not just a Switch game.

The spokesperson also stated that some third-party publishers may still release Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games as download codes in physical packaging, but without any game cards. 

The Switch 2 will play Switch 2 exclusive games, compatible Switch games, and Switch 2 Edition games. The Switch 2 Edition games are essentially games from the original Switch that have been upgraded to run on the Switch 2, utilizing the improved power and visual capabilities of the console. Currently, only a handful Switch 2 Edition games have been announced, including The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, Kirby and The Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star Crossed World, Super Mario Party Jamboree - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, among a few others.