The Switch 2 has near-complete backward compatibility with Switch 1 games, including both cards and digital downloads. However, that compatibility comes with a few caveats, which Nintendo revealed on its Switch 2 game compatibility page.
More than 15,000 Switch games, including 122 first-party Nintendo games, have been tested on the Switch 2. Of those, only a single game (more on that below) won’t work on the new console. However, according to Nintendo, other Switch 1 titles have “start-up issues” (114), suffer “in-game compatibility issues” (46), or have unspecified “issues that are planned to be addressed by launch or shortly after” (49).
Those vague descriptions don’t address the individual games’ problems. Maybe some are slow to boot or have lower frame rates than expected; others may crash on the main menu screen. In this guide, I’ll detail the Switch 1 games that run fine, don’t work at all, play under special circumstances, and boot, albeit with problems. But first, I’ll start with the games you can play as soon as you fire up your Switch 2.
How to Play Compatible Switch 1 Games on the Switch 2
It should be easy to run the 15,000 Switch 1 games that are supposed to work perfectly on the Switch 2. You pop physical titles, whether they’re game cards or game-key cards, into the Switch 2’s card slot and begin playing. For digital games, re-download them from the Nintendo eShop.
Assuming the stated compatibility is accurate, that’s a huge number of releases you can play as soon as you get your Switch 2, including Kirby and the Forgotten Land and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. In fact, some titles will benefit from improved performance on the new system. But, as stated, you may encounter a few problem games.
Nintendo Labo VR Kit (Credit: Nintendo)
Which Switch 1 Games Won’t Work on Switch 2?
Six titles are classified as “software that cannot be used on Nintendo Switch 2,” and five of them are apps. They are AbemaTV (a Japanese streaming service), Crunchyroll, Hulu, InkyPen, and Niconico. The Switch isn’t exactly a major media streaming platform, so that isn’t the biggest loss.
As for the single game that won’t work, the title in question is Nintendo Labo VR Kit. This is a big surprise because other Labo kits are Switch 2 compatible. This appears more of a physical limitation than a hardware or software one. The Labo VR Kit is a cardboard holder for the Switch 1 that turns the console into a VR headset. However, the Switch 2’s larger screen means it won’t fit into the cardboard shell, and the lenses won’t properly align.
That leaves a few hundred other games with various problems, which may or may not be fixed with updates after the system hits stores. I’ll explain that soon, but first, there’s another issue to be aware of: the Joy-Con.
Ring-Fit Adventure (Credit: Nintendo)
Will Switch 1 Games Requiring the Joy-Con Work on Switch 2?
You’d think the Switch 2 incompatibility list would be filled with releases that require separate accessories or the more esoteric Joy-Con features, such as the infrared camera. You know, Labo, Ring-Fit Adventure, and WarioWare: Move. It turns out that’s half-right; those titles do need the original Joy-Con, but you can still play them on the Switch 2. You just need to pair the Switch 1 Joy-Con instead of the Switch 2 Joy-Con.
So, yes, if you keep your old Joy-Con, you can continue your Ring Fit Adventure workouts, Labo cardboard craft activities, and Game Builder Garage projects on the Switch 2. That said, not all games will run so effortlessly.
A breakdown of compatible titles (Credit: Nintendo)
10 Hot Switch 1 Games With Switch 2 Compatibility Issues
As mentioned above, the Switch 2 incompatibility list is broken into three sections. You can check to see if your favorite titles have problems on the Switch 2, but they probably won’t unless you have very specific tastes. More than 200 games with issues might sound like a lot, but many of them are retro titles (the Arcade Archives and ACA NEOGEO releases), not-quite-as-ancient-but-still-dated games (Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath), or downright obscure releases (Korean Drone Flying Tour Jeju Island-1). However, there are a few notable titles that you should be aware of if you plan to buy a Switch 2.
Fortnite (Credit: Epic Games)
1. Fortnite
Status: Planned to be addressed by or shortly after launch
Fortnite is a generation-defining title that currently has issues on the Switch 2. The battle royale game runs on basically every system and mobile device, so it would be surprising if it doesn’t receive a fix shortly after Nintendo’s new system debuts. In fact, the Nintendo eShop lists Fortnite as a Switch 2 launch game scheduled to come out June 5.
Rocket League (Credit: Epic Games)
2. Rocket League
Status: Start-up issues
Rocket League is a big deal, and not just because it’s a popular, multiplayer, vehicular soccer/rugby game. It’s a decade-old title that’s still a blast, and the Switch 2 could be yet another convenient place to play it.
Warframe (Credit: Digital Extremes)
3. Warframe
Status: Start-up issues
Yes, it’s another multiplayer title, and one even older than Fortnite and Rocket League. Warframe has a loyal fanbase and fills the very specific niche of a Destiny-like shooter you can play on the Switch.
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Doom: Eternal (Credit: Bethesda Softworks)
4. Doom Eternal
Status: Planned to be addressed by or shortly after launch
Doom: The Dark Ages just came out, but you can’t play it on the Switch like you can on its much more frantic predecessor, Doom Eternal. It isn’t free-to-play like the previously mentioned games, but it’s beefy enough to justify its $40 price.
Pizza Tower (Credit: Tour de Pizza)
5. Pizza Tower
Status: Planned to be addressed by or shortly after launch
This 2023 indie platformer is a loving homage to the Wario Land games (specifically Wario Land 4), with charming, cartoon-like graphics and an incredible soundtrack.
Dead By Daylight (Credit: Behaviour Interactive)
6. Dead by Daylight
Status: Start-up issues
Recommended by Our Editors
Dead by Daylight remains the biggest asymmetrical multiplayer horror game. It also has a massive roster that includes characters from Alien, Castlevania, and Five Nights at Freddie’s. Nic Cage even makes an appearance. As himself, naturally.
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection (Credit: Capcom)
7. Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection
Status: In-game compatibility issues
Yes, Street Fighter 6 is headed to the Switch 2, but you need the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection if you want to mix it up in classic Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. So here’s hoping a fix comes swiftly.
Mega Man Legacy Collection (Credit: Capcom)
8. Mega Man Legacy Collection
Status: In-game compatibility issues
Capcom has a pretty good backward-compatibility track record with its collections, considering how many of them will run on Switch 2. Still, just like the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, the original Mega Man Legacy Collection has unspecified compatibility issues.
Nier Automata: The End of YoRHa Edition (Credit: Square-Enix)
9. Nier Automata: The End of YoRHa Edition
Status: Start-up issues
Nier Automata is one of my favorite games due to its provocative story, engaging action, and incredible soundtrack. The Switch 1 version might not give you the smoothest frame rate or sharpest resolution, but it lets you play on the go and comes with all of the game’s DLC and extra costumes. Perhaps the performance issues will be smoothed out if the game can get up and running on the Switch 2
The Jackbox Party Pack/Party Pack 2 (Credit: Jackbox Games)
10. The Jackbox Party Pack/Party Pack 2
Status: Planned to be addressed by or shortly after launch
These terrific Switch 1 party games currently have issues running on Switch 2. The good news You can play Party Packs 3 through 10 and the Jackbox Naughty Pack on your Switch 2 in the meantime.
You’ll have no shortage of Switch 1 games to play on the new system. Still, here’s hoping that Nintendo and its third-party partners quickly get these notable Switch 1 games up and running on Switch 2. For more on Nintendo’s upcoming console, check out I Got to Play the Nintendo Switch 2: Big Screen, High Frame Rates, Finally 4K!
About Will Greenwald
Lead Analyst, Consumer Electronics
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