The Nintendo Switch 2 isn’t exactly drowning in new exclusive games right now, unless you are an absolute sucker for Pokemon Pokopia. So why not play some old games on it? Right, you already finished them years ago. Well, what if I said they looked amazing in portable mode now? See? I thought that would change your mind.
Nintendo has just released a new firmware update for its hybrid console that fundamentally improves how original Switch games look and perform on the platform, and it has me rather keen to check out some gems I’ve otherwise ignored. Previously, they didn’t take advantage of the new hardware unless there was a specific Switch 2 version. Yes, framerates now drop less while dynamic resolutions often hang out at the higher end, but otherwise its take on backward compatibility is quite pedestrian. It plays the majority of your existing games, but doesn’t always improve them.
What Does The Nintendo Switch 2 Boost Mode Do?
Even when it launched way back in 2017, the Nintendo Switch wasn’t the most powerful console in the world. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a flagship launch title that looked incredible when wandering fields, but when the action heated up would often fail to reach its target framerate.
And this was in docked mode, with portable play even worse and often forced to drop both the resolution and framerate in order to deliver a solid experience. The 720p display meant it could only push things so far anyway, and up to this point, the Switch 2 hasn’t been able to naturally improve things courtesy of its more powerful hardware. That is, until now…
To activate Boost Mode, you will need to activate it in the Settings menu under the ominous ‘Nintendo Switch Software Handling’ option. It will be turned off by default, which feels silly.
This firmware update takes advantage of the Switch 2’s superior horsepower and now allows all games for the original console to output at 1080p while in handheld play, essentially using the visuals and performance that were once exclusive to docked play in portable situations. I have taken a handful of games for a test run already, as have outlets like Nintendo Life, and many of the comparisons are night and day.
One of the first games I tried was Xenoblade 2, an infamously blurry experience in portable play that was forced to nuke its resolution, so the ambitious open world created by Monolith Soft had a chance at running well. I stomached its 368p handheld resolution at the time, but going back to it would be achingly difficult without a major update of some description. This is the closest we’re going to get, and I was won over instantly.
Iconic characters that were once blurry messes on the original console’s screen now have significantly more clarity as aggressive aliasing is smoothed over thanks to the resolution now being triple what it used to be. Environments allegedly filled with luscious foliage and dozens of enemies who resembled a grainy mess that was impossible to distinguish now enjoy increased clarity. It makes this firmware update feel like a bonafide remaster. I’m still crossing my fingers for an official Switch 2 upgrade, but this is the next best thing.
And Why Is It A Big Deal?
This new upscaling seems to work exceptionally well with games that lack anti-aliasing, like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, in which the character select screen is now crystal clear and has jagged edges. Other games that shine with Boost Mode activated include Astral Chain, Metroid Prime Remastered, Luigi’s Mansion 3 and many more. My advice is to get this puppy switched on and try out some of your favourite games to see how they might compare. The Switch has such an excellent library, and it feels so Nintendo to drop a big update like this that completely redefines their presence on its successor.
I previously believed that Nintendo was going to continue releasing free updates alongside Switch 2 Editions of certain titles on the downlow over the next several years, but with this new update now in our laps it complicates things somewhat. Those updates will likely still emerge in some form, but now so much of the Switch back catalogue has been improved while in handheld mode to the point that countless games feel like pseudo remasters. Like how the PS5 Pro breathed new life into the existing PS4 library, this feels like the start of something incredibly exciting.
- Brand
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Nintendo
- Original Release Date
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June 5, 2025
- Original MSRP (USD)
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$449.99
- Operating System
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Proprietary
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