Nintendo just showed off one of its most worthwhile free Switch 2 game upgrades
Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet is getting a nice frame rate boost
💨 Nintendo has unveiled a valuable upgrade for Pokémon Scarlet & Violet in some new gameplay footage
🆕 Shared to the Nintendo Today app, the new footage showcases the game's move to 60fps and a higher resolution
💪 Other titles due for free upgrades on Switch 2 include Super Mario Odyssey, ARMS, and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
💰 Some other games, such as Breath of the Wild and Kirby and the Forgotten Land, are getting paid upgrades
Nintendo has shown off some lovely new footage of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet in their new Nintendo Today app.
You can see the footage for yourself on Bluesky thanks to user OatmealDome or on the Pokémon subreddit, which shows off the game running at its uprated 60fps frame rate.
Having a higher frame rate should lead to a much smoother and more responsive feel against playing the game on the original Switch, especially when combined with Switch 2's increased power.
When originally released on Switch 1 at the back end of 2022, Nintendo had to apologize for its technical issues with problems such as pop-in, low resolution and blurry textures that an update two weeks after launch didn't fix. Hopefully this new, upgraded version finally solves these longstanding problems.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet is one of a number of original Switch games getting free Switch 2 upgrades that take advantage of the new consoles' flagship features, including uprated frame rates and resolutions, HDR support and integration with Switch 2's GameChat social feature. Other titles include Super Mario Odyssey, ARMS, and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury.
Alongside the free upgrades, there are also original Switch games getting upgrades courtesy of a paid upgrade pack that brings everything from visual and performance upgrades in the case of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom for $9.99. Some titles also feature additional content like Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Games that include DLC or an expansion are more expensive at $19.99.
The gameplay shared by Nintendo in the Nintendo Today app comes in the wake of recent changes that blocked the practice in the hope it would protect exclusive content and encourage more users to sign up for Nintendo accounts to see the news themselves.
Switch 2 launches in just a couple of days time, and there is still a chance of getting a pre-order before the June 5 release date. Some customers have also had their Walmart Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order canceled, though there's a chance you can re-order through a "customer reconciliation" link.
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.