A next gen version of Metroid Prime 4 just became much more likely, as an official Nintendo web page says Switch 2 Edition games will be a thing.
While the Nintendo Switch 2 is confirmed to have backwards compatibility, ensuring most Switch 1 games can run on the new hardware, it’s suspected that some Switch games could see enhanced Switch 2 versions as well.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is at the centre of this theory. Despite only being confirmed for Switch 1, the graphics seen in the newest trailer seem to be too good for it not to be running on more powerful hardware.
Nintendo will hopefully provide a more concrete answer soon (probably at next week’s Switch 2 showcase) but, in the meantime, it has let slip that enhanced versions of certain games are indeed in the pipeline.
The information comes courtesy of the web page for the virtual game cards announced in Thursday’s Nintendo Direct, which are designed to allow Switch owners to more easily share their digital games with Nintendo Account family group members and other Switch consoles.
Tucked away at the very bottom is some fine print that mentions how Switch 2 exclusive games will only work on Switch 2, effectively confirming that they’ll be getting these virtual game cards too.
All that is as you’d expect, but Nintendo says this also applies to ‘Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games.’ You can see it for yourself on the web page but, just in case, we’ve included a screenshot should Nintendo delete that text by the time you read this.
We struggle to think what else a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition game could be, except an enhanced port of a Switch 1 game, designed exclusively for the Switch 2. And if Nintendo has an official name for it, that points to there being multiple examples of it.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is the most obvious example. Aside from the graphics, Nintendo remains coy about giving it an exact release date, which could point to the company wanting to wait until it confirms the game’s presence on Switch 2, making it a cross-gen title.
The same could be said for Pokémon Legends Z-A, which is due for Switch 1 in late 2025. But then again, it’s also been claimed that there are no plans to bring any Pokémon games to Switch 2 this year.
It is possible that some Switch 1 games will simply run better when played on Switch 2. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, for example, was discovered to have a hidden 60fps mode that doesn’t work on such, but may well do so on Switch 2.
But Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games (complete with a capital E) sounds like something Nintendo intends to put in promotional material, highlighting how such games aren’t simple re-releases but dedicated Switch 2 versions with new bells and whistles.
Considering how Nintendo has treated Wii U ports over the last eight years it must seem very tempting for them to create Switch 2 Editions for many of their most prominent Switch 1 titles.
How this will work if you own an original copy of the game remains to be seen but, rather than being free, it’s much more likely it involves some kind of fee.
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