Switch 2 Might Not Work With Some Switch 1 Games at Launch, According To Patch Notes

In the lead-up to the launch of Switch 2, many older Nintendo Switch 1 games have received last-minute updates to make them compatible with the new system. However, new patch notes have raised concerns that some games might not actually work properly when Switch 2 launches.

Switch 1 Games Might Have Problems Being Played on their successor at Launch

On June 3, many Switch games had special updates pushed out to fix their compatibility with the Switch 2. Titles such as Kirby Star Allies, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and Pikmin 3 received the late-night patches. The updates sparked worry, however, when patch notes described “issues” needing to be fixed in order for some of the games to be able to work properly on Nintendo’s new console.

Prolific dataminer OatmealDome first reported the concerning new patch notes after covering the Switch 2 updates that went out yesterday. Eagle-eyed fans immediately picked up on the wording of the update descriptions, which seemed to indicate that certain games would have issues playing on Switch 2 without a patch. “This Pikmin 3 update partially fixes a problem on the Switch 2 where the screen flickers. Another update will be released at a later date to fully resolve the issue.” This has led some to ask the question: Will there be many Switch games that don’t work well when the Switch 2 launches on June 5, 2025?

To be clear, Nintendo has always been upfront about not every Switch 1 game being compatible on Switch 2. However, I think many assumed that most titles would work right out of the box during the Switch 2 launch. Based on these patch notes, though, it appears that we might have to wait a month or two for some games to work properly. I mean, the Pikmin 3 update literally confirms that it will still have some “flickering” issues at launch. The problem wont be fully fixed until an additional patch later on. So basically, expect some Switch 2 backwards compatibility issues at launch.

How Many Games Have Switch 2 Backwards Compatibility?

Nintendo has actually posted a detailed blog explaining backwards compatibility on the Switch 2. While it’s hard to know an exact number, the Japanese publisher says only 122 first-party games will not be playable on the Switch 2. So, basically, most Switch 1 games should have backwards compatibility on the new console. The site also claims that most Nintendo games were able to run on the new handheld without any issues. But I wonder how many of these games will perform smoothly at launch.

It should be pointed out that just because a game like Pikmin 3 has issues doesn’t mean it will be a widespread problem. It could just be that only a handful of select titles need special patches to fix compatibility problems. Still, the new patch notes should at least prepare players to expect that some Switch 1 games may have performance hiccups when the new console arrives this week. And before anyone shouts at their screen, we are not talking about Switch 2 upgrades for Switch 1 games. That’s a completely different feature.

Many of the games that were patched recently are not a part of the free upgrades that add HDR support. These are Switch 1 games that needed to have patches to fix issues with their compatibility on the new console. The larger question is, how many Switch 1 titles are out there that haven’t received a patch yet but need one? Or how many games will not work properly at launch? This is why Nintendo not having Switch 2 reviews with the press isn’t ideal. It would have been nice to have reviews ready to tell consumers which games work well on the new console.