PikaPhantom

@sethfranum Can you explain what exactly you have to do to fix the display and VRR issues?

@SpacedDuck Not even the most premium PC handhelds can offer OLED screens with variable refresh rate because there are apparently major issues with flickering that result from combining the two, from everything I've heard. Nintendo prioritized game performance over the vibrancy of the screen, and I think that's a fair enough tradeoff. If by some chance they were able to procure 120fps OLED screens with VRR support for the Switch 2, the console would be far more expensive than the $50 difference between Switch 1 and OLED

Does seem like digital sales are being largely excluded from this assessment, so I wonder how much they'd change things. It is fairly telling to me that Cyberpunk is charting well on the eShop, and the games doing well alongside it are the recently released Fantasy Life i and Deltarune, as well as No Man's Sky, all of which don't have a Switch 2 retail release yet (and since the charts are now based on revenue, I assume that they're not factoring in people upgrading from Switch 1 versions of games at all). It's also telling that Sega's games are not charting at all anymore. Turns out people aren't interested in paying full price for game upgrades or $50 for Yakuza 0. I only got Sonic x Shadow Generations because when I bought the Switch version, it was specifically for my little brother, and I intended to wait and see how it ran on Switch 2 if it got a version for it.

I do think this has less to do with game-key cards and is more a result of poor economic conditions. I didn't skimp out on games myself, but that's mainly because I didn't go out and buy many accessories for my Switch 2, and 3 of my picks were still $40 or less

I do enjoy the actual missions, but the movement can be very fiddly, especially with how Rewind always takes you back a certain amount regardless of your speed. But I also really haven't dipped my toes into open world much at all, so some of the faults other people have with it probably aren't registering with me. I do really enjoy getting to engage with the tracks themselves in a new light, but some of the P-Switches and Peach Medallions are in really barren areas, and I already know I'll need a guide to track down some stragglers once I finish going through all the main courses and whatnot.

@Zeeba It is.

I don't fully get why Knockout Tour gets singled out for praise when it takes place all across the in-between routes that have been criticized. It's not like it's immune to some of the other gripes people have with the game, either, like how easily you can end up falling behind. I like having the more intricately designed courses interspersed with the connecting track over staying solely on them until the final stretch. But I also don't mind the routes as much in general. Plenty of tracks in the series are filled with relatively straight sections; it doesn't matter as much to me that the turns keep you going forward instead of closing the loop. And mechanically, I've been enjoying the driving so much that I think it makes every part of the game at least somewhat fun (and it's mostly been very fun). I didn't even hate playing Desert Hills like 8 times because the Flower Cup was weirdly brutal for me compared to what came after. I do think there should be options to play a Grand Prix or online without having to take the routes, but I'm gonna be trying to go through every single one and enjoy piecing together more of what makes the world tick. Even the stretches between two tracks can differ in notable ways depending on which one you're traveling to, and that scratches a similar itch to why I stuck with Tour for so long (different variants of the same track).

@Toastmaster Microsoft is abandoning physical on their own platform. They're almost certainly not going to try and fit their games on Switch 2 carts.

Wouldn't this also make it the fastest-selling console launch, period? It took other recent systems like the PS5 around a month to put up these numbers

I hope Shin'en's willing to give League some love post-launch. Its tracks would need some adjustments, given the lack of switching colors to flip onto upside-down panels, but it isn't quite as interesting seeing RMX tracks return even if they've been visually updated because its content is still accessible on Switch 2. I'm still happy to see Alpine Trust return, though, since Fusion just feels better to play.

@Vyacheslav333 Shadow Generations didn't even have an option for 60fps on PS4 Pro. We're fortunate to even have one on Switch 2 in handheld

"Performance remains impressive undocked" I don't know about that. I gave the game a quick try in handheld mode and the framerate was extremely uneven, but in docked it held up better. Maybe it gets better after the opening area?

@NatiaAdamo Switch 2 Edition games apparently can't be Game-Key Cards. Ken Berry from Marvelous mentioned that part of why they decided to go for full physical releases on Switch 2 was because it enabled having cross-generation physical releases that also worked on Switch, and...well, not a single Switch 2 Edition is a Game-Key Card. We've seen the boxart, so the only question that remains is whether or not it's a code in a box like Civilization VII or Shadow Labyrinth, since it's not digital-only like Fantasy Life i (even in Japan). Again, Berry said Rune Factory and Story of Seasons cost $10 more because it made releasing the games physically possible without them being "fiscally irresponsible." And none of Sega's Switch 2 releases have been $70 before CrossWorlds, so it is entirely possible that they made the call to opt for Game-Key Cards only for games under $70.

For the sake of clarity, this is explicitly a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition release, as the banner and QR code appear on the Switch 2 boxart in the trailer. We unfortunately don't know for sure if it'll release on cartridge or adopt a code in a box format like Civilization VII and Shadow Labyrinth, but given it's priced at $70 like Marvelous's games and they specifically cited the $10 upgrade as making proper physicals viable for them, there's some reason to be optimistic. Either way, I'm glad that I can shave off some GBs worth of storage from the release even if that means just buying the Switch version and upgrading. And with Shadow Generations having a 60fps performance mode, I imagine they'll target that on Switch 2 as well.

@IronMan30 To be fair, Fantasy Life is only 1/14th farming. My understanding is that it's closer to Animal Crossing than a farming sim

I really hope other games get this treatment going forward. I don't know if they'd want to put in the work for any 30fps game where the game logic is tied to the framerate, but it would be wonderful if they try and bump every 30fps first-party Switch game up to 60fps. Maybe they'll even bring a few 60fps games up to 120fps? The wording on the website detailing each game's patch suggests ARMS and Super Mario 3D World are receiving boosts beyond ironing out instances where they'd run at 30fps, so if those do receive 120fps support, then I imagine games like Metroid Dread and Super Mario Bros. Wonder could be on the table for it as well, alongside any Wii U port that ran at 60fps.

@SillyG "WarioWare: Snapped! This Time It Functions"

If they had a mode where you eat the Puyos or Tetriminos, maybe it'd be worth...$15 instead of the $10 upgrade this should be

Almost certainly a bogus rumor because of one relatively overlooked tidbit we already have about the movie: they're apparently looking to cast a young adult actor (or younger) as Link.

https://youtu.be/kajXJrqSkJU

Wes Ball, the director of the Zelda movie, told the lead actor from his last film (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), Owen Teague, that it was a shame he was too old to play Link. Teague's only 26...as is Hunter Schafer. And if they're presumably looking for a Link actor who's 18-21, it stands to reason they would take a comparable approach for Zelda with how frequently they're depicted as around the same in terms of age. I think DanielRPK is already a dubious source in the first place as well?

@Spider-Kev $20 upgrades are only for games with extensive new content as Switch 2 Editions. Prime 4 is getting new functionality and a performance boost with higher quality textures and lighting. That's in the same ballpark as the $10 Zelda upgrades with their Zelda Notes support. Prime 4 will be $70, guaranteed. Especially because of how bad the optics of the game being double the price of Prime Remastered would be.

@PikminMarioKirby I believe the gigaleak confirmed Scarlet/Violet only had roughly 2 and a half years of active development. Z-A is getting an additional year over that based on the general timeline from when Arceus wrapped to when the game will probably go gold sometime in July-August

Pipistrello should be my swan song purchase for Switch 1, unless Nintendo decides to take a page out of the Switch 1 launch buildup playbook and drops an Indie World this week that, while focused on Switch 2, also has a compelling Switch shadowdrop

@MrDocena This game was originally planned as a Switch exclusive set for release in 2023. It was 100% meant for Switch

@silver-crescent There's a physical release in Japan. Did you consider importing that, or are you not interested?

I appreciate that they're doing mass-market physical releases. I'll definitely keep an eye on what they bring to Switch 2, especially because it seems like they're picking up some fairly high-profile releases between Immortality and Thank Goodness You're Here!

@darkswabber @Axecon Nothing in the leaks points to Hotel Dusk. What leaked were 2 Nintendo-exclusive projects, with one called Project Watari (Cross) being built in Unreal Engine 5 that is slated as a Switch/Switch 2 release, and one called Project Life, which is intended as a small hour-long story experience designed as a showcase for the Switch 2's features, is apparently dialogue-less, and seems to be from the Recollection team

Well, see you all when Uprising gets added in 2032

@Moonlessky Echoes of Wisdom targets 60fps. It runs at 30fps a lot of the time in the overworld, which is something that the Switch 2 should be able to resolve natively through its approach to backwards compatibility (things like load times and adaptive resolution) should also be better by default, as shown with Yoshi's Crafted World in the Direct.

@mariomaster96
The phrasing of "including Bowser's Fury" implies that base 3D World is also seeing some improvements, which kind of has to mean 120fps. I think Bowser's Fury will stay at 60fps, at least in handheld, especially because it's the only part of the package that is HDR-enabled.

Xenoblade X also had an unfinished 60fps mode uncovered in its files on Switch, so I think it's safe to say it's going to be enhanced on Switch 2 at a later date.

@Captain_Kirk All of Sega's games except for Yakuza, Survival Kids, Kunitsu-Gami in Japan, Hogwarts Legacy, and Suikoden as well

@Captain_Kirk There are a ton of Game-Key Card games under 32 GB?

@Discostew That's fair. The thing here is that this information is coming from a data breach Arc System Works was hit with, which also revealed 2 apparently Nintendo-exclusive projects they're working on for release this year. Having that in the picture overrides my general skepticism of Necrofelipe. Unfortunately, while I was able to find quite a bit about said projects, I haven't been able to find as much on the source documentation for the game-key card claim, aside from them being referred to as "0GB cards." Seeing sites like NintendoEverything run the story just had me a bit overzealous to see Nintendo Life pick it up, since I know I and many others here are not very happy about the situation. It's unfortunate, even though the root cause may genuinely be Nintendo's flash supplier Macronix trying to pivot away from that side of their business, instead of the blame lying with them or the companies adopting game-key cards.
https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20250213PD231/3d-inventory-macronix-international-rom-2026.html

Not trying to create a fuss, and my apologies if I came off like I was, but I feel like the context of the limited options is something that would be worthwhile to have in this article.

@Tayrailbridge It's not my leak. I bring it up because other Nintendo outlets have picked up on it, and allegedly developers at PAX were talking about it as well.

Not gonna talk about the Arc System Works leaks confirming that it's only 64GB cartridges or game-key carts on Switch 2 for physicals?

Nintendo has FORGOTTEN about Pikmin...

I can't believe you left off Mr. Eraser, the Baby Face, the Skeleton Key, an entire Flagpole, George Washingtoad, Paper Mistake Buzzy Beetle, a cartridge of Wario Blast Featuring Bomberman, Dr. Goomba Tower, Mr. I, and the Tar Man. Clearly you guys didn't look deep enough

@babybilly Arc System Works suffered a data breach, and apparently internal documentation emerged from that confirming it's game-key cards or 64GB for cartridges

Shame that, for the first time since the DS, we're getting dedicated art on the spines on a system where 90% of boxed releases won't be true physicals (it's been confirmed 64GB cartridges are the only option for physicals aside from the Game-Key Cart size, which does seem to be what Tamagotchi Plaza is using).

@VoidofLight It might only be the case for Japan. Toby Fox just confirmed Deltarune will need to be a paid upgrade from Switch to Switch 2 (or vice versa) exclusively in Japan, with it being free in all other regions (due to some local law, apparently), and the asking price is the same as the one for Fantasy Life's upgrade. So perhaps it'll be free elsewhere?

@Olmectron Isn't their lifespan increased as long as they're actually inserted into the cartridge slot every so often?

@Ulysses Of course not, because Upgrade Packs both include some degree of new content (at least for existing titles) and improve the visuals to a greater extent. At the very least, both Zelda games and Prime 4 appear to have improved texture quality. But there's no reason for them to issue patches to games like Link's Awakening and Echoes of Wisdom if the point isn't improving performance.

@AussieMcBucket Nothing's been confirmed yet. Nintendo's just started listing filesizes across Switch and Switch 2 for games, but for some reason it's not being used for actual cross-gen releaaes because (as we've already seen) their messaging going into the Switch 2 era has been extremely confusing and poor. I imagine it's likely just because Inazuma Eleven and Professor Layton are already confirmed to be getting dedicated releases on both, though?

@Ulysses
https://www.nintendo.com/us/gaming-systems/switch-2/transfer-guide/games-with-free-updates/?srsltid=AfmBOoqpmipJ6pf4gD9kHQIWtX061_KKEhaqsztHVSmO6gygqWXoITg5
"Improve performance"

I hope they keep this up. I would love to get to play Astral Chain, Pikmin 3 Deluxe, Brothership, Luigi's Mansion 2+3, Xenoblade X, Pokemon Legends Arceus, and Kirby Star Allies (well...maybe not the main game again, but Heroes in Another Dimension would be worth revisiting) at 60fps or more. Of those, Brothership is the only one that seems viable for a Switch 2 Edition (and I intentionally left out Pikmin 4 because it feels inevitable).

Is the early access the same as the one they've put in place for their Switch 2 preorders?

Only reason why I might get any game-key cards is if they're discounted heavily and by more than the digital equivalent. I may opt for some games digitally at launch, but for many, I will wait for sales or potential reprints, since VideoGamesPlus in Canada has expressed interest in doing all-on-cart releases for game-key cards.

Definitely have my fingers crossed for a Switch 2 version. Having a joystick to move but a mouse to aim my jumps sounds heavenly, and I wouldn't be surprised if it could manage 120fps on there, too. Devolver also seems to have devkits already.

...Cranky already namedrops Rambi, complete with a little emblem next to his name like what Mario Odyssey did fot characters. That already indicated he was in the game with a proper role to play

"Great work, buddy...but let me give it to ya straight. You owe us $10 now for finishing this version of the game before anyone else could buy it"

Give me Titanic Scion running at 40fps (or higher) and I just might be there at launch, honestly. I want to support the publishers who are still willing to give us proper physical releases.

So thrilled that there won't be true physical options for most of this, seemingly because Nintendo's skimping out big time and offering far less options for cartridge sizes on Switch 2. 64GB or next to nothing is genuinely absurd (and Rune Factory needing a 64GB cartridge all but confirms that rumor).