During the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, Lords of Gaming covered several games that received free and paid upgrades. Nintendo’s stable of first-party titles had a few Switch 2 Editions, but a few like Super Mario Odyssey and Legend of Zelda: Echos of Wisdom got free updates.
These added visual and performance boosts to the games for Switch 2 owners, with this continuing into 2026. The evergreen Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and beloved Pikmin 3 Deluxe both got updates benefiting Switch 2 owners. Here’s what they offer.
The Endless Rainbow Road – Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe now features a new multiplayer mode and several performance boosts for Switch 2 owners. Nintendo detailed the following on the new features coming to Switch 1’s premier kart racer.
- Added support for the Nintendo Switch 2 display and high-resolution TVs
- Shortened the loading time before races and battles begin.
- Added support for 5–8 players in Multiplayer.
- Added CameraPlay support.
When the Switch 2 launched, many thought the lack of a free update was to give additional spotlight to Mario Kart World, being the pack-in title for many buyers. But Mario Kart 8 offers a more traditional Mario Kart experience, and with a 96-track selection (considering the Booster Course Pass), it’s the party racing game for Nintendo fans.
And leveraging the Switch 2 hardware to offer 5-8 player multiplayer is impressive. Rendering 8 unique screens for chaotic racing fun is demanding, and early reports indicate a rock-solid 30 FPS frame rate for each player.
Lastly, Mario Kart World’s Switch 2 Camera support back-ported to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is welcomed, giving the accessory additional use outside of World and Star Fox (2026). However, Mario Kart wasn’t the only game to get a major update for Switch 2 owners.
Ripe Fruit – Pikmin 3 Deluxe
Pikmin 3 Deluxe receives a major Switch 2 update, boosting the resolution in both handheld and docked modes for Switch 2 owners.
It also supports GameShare, which can be used for the game’s co-op and multiplayer modes. It’s amazing to see these legacy Nintendo games get native Switch 2 support years later. But does this mean anything?
What’s Next? – Other Possible Updates for Switch 1 Games
Considering other major first-party Nintendo games still don’t have Switch 2 patches, I’m curious if more are on the way. We’ve discussed games that could benefit from Switch 2 Editions or updates in the past.
The ones I would love to include are Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Both games would benefit nicely from higher resolution and frame rate targets.
