Certain free game upgrades on the Switch 2's more powerful specs, which will allow it to play big, triple-A releases like Elden Ring and Cyberpunk 2077 in addition to first-party Nintendo games and less-demanding indies.

As of yesterday, you can now browse the list of games receiving Switch 2 upgrades on Nintendo's official website. However, you may note that certain games - in particular, LInk's Awakening and Echoes of Wisdom - don't have frame rate improvements among the changes listed. These two games notoriously experienced frequent frame rate dips on the original Switch, a problem that doesn't seem to have been addressed in the free updates, and players are concerned.

Pokémon And Zelda Fans Are Skeptical

Switch 2 Upgrades May Miss The Mark

Browsing the list of Switch 2 upgrades, there are a couple of clear trends: for one thing, almost every game on the list will be getting a visual update so that it looks better on the Switch 2's higher resolution display, or when plugged into high-resolution TVs. Some games are getting Game Share so you can more easily share them with friends who don't own the game - Super Mario Odyssey, New Super Mario Bros. U, and Super Mario 3D World are listed among them. A few games are getting frame rate improvements, too, including Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.

But notably, frame rate improvements aren't listed under Link's Awakening or Echoes of Wisdom, both of which could use them. With their unlocked 60 FPS by default, they tend to dip quite a bit, especially when exploring areas with lots of enemies wandering around. It's not exactly a dealbreaker, as these were excellent games that players enjoyed even in their original Switch versions, but it does make one wonder why they were upgraded if not to address this issue.

In addition, some fans have expressed concern that Pokémon Scarlet and Violet don't look all that different on the Switch 2. A post on X (formerly Twitter) by Serebii.net shares two screenshots of Scarlet and Violet taken from the Switch 2 version, and frankly, beyond the 4K resolution (click through to see the high-res versions in the replies), it's hard to tell the difference. One , Entire-Assistance842, responding to the same screenshots on Reddit, joked:

(In other words, the frame rate of the original games was so poor that even static screenshots look better, even if the assets haven't been updated at all.) Pokémon Scarlet and Violet were famously lambasted for their graphics and performance upon their initial release. Thankfully, frame rate improvements are listed for these two Pokémon games, but the visual difference is apparently negligible.

Our Take: Lackluster Visuals Are One Thing, Frame Rates Are Another

Switch 2 Upgrades Are A Mixed Bag

Honestly, I think it's a little unrealistic for fans to expect upgraded assets in Switch 2 upgrades. The most you can hope for is a little upscaling; anything more is just too much of a demand on resources for what is ultimately a free . However, improved performance is an entirely reasonable demand. I see no reason why, based on the Switch 2's specs, games like Link's Awakening and Echoes of Wisdom can't have slightly better frame rates.

And while I understand the distinction between free updates like these and the paid ones to Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, I'm not necessarily convinced that the new content added to those games will justify their prices. It remains to be seen how these upgrades turn out when the Switch 2 is finally released.

Sources: Nintendo, Serebii.net/YouTube, Entire-Assistance842/Reddit