Ranking all of Nintendo’s Switch 2 upgrade packs from worst to best

Today, we’re ranking all of Nintendo’s major upgrade packs for Switch 2 Edition games. Mainly, we’re ranking the ones that cost money – many titles, like Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Super Mario Odyssey, and ARMS, received free patches that boost performance… but don’t count as a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, for some reason or another. We’re starting off with the worst upgrade packs, leading all the way up to the best.

Super Mario Party Jamboree

In last place, we have Super Mario Party Jamboree, whose full Nintendo Switch 2 Edition game title requires more than a mouthful of words every time you talk about it. To be quite honest, we’re not sure why this even exists. At launch, this Nintendo Switch 2 Edition wasn’t done well – on the title screen, the game was split into two versions: the Switch 1 game, which was completely unchanged (and remained blurry in handheld mode), and the Switch 2 Edition game, which fixed the blurriness but made it so you couldn’t play online with Switch 1 users. Eventually, an update was released that bumps up the Switch 1 resolution to 1080p in docked and handheld, which was a welcome change. But as for the additional content, it’s extremely gimmicky. There are new mouse control minigames as well as games that involve the microphone and camera, but let’s be real – how many people are taking advantage of all of those features – specifically the camera? I’d venture to guess that most players with the upgrade pack haven’t touched Jamboree TV, which leaves this whole package feeling rather pointless for the $20 asking price.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A

Many other Nintendo Switch 2 Editions feature the same frame rate and performance boosts as Pokemon Legends: Z-A does. This one costs $10, but all it’s got are those performance improvements – Scarlet and Violet received the same boosts for free, along with many other Nintendo Switch 1 games that saw patches but no dedicated Switch 2 Edition. At the end of the day, Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s upgrade pack doesn’t have enough (or any) unique features to even be considered a separate Nintendo Switch 2 Edition rather than a background patch like Super Mario Odyssey or Link’s Awakening got. As we’ll soon discuss, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is in a similar situation, but its respective Nintendo Switch 2 Edition at least includes new features exclusive to the Switch 2.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition

We have to take a second to acknowledge that this game’s full title is now Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Okay, acknowledged. Anyway, this is a $5 upgrade that boosts the game’s performance to 60 frames per second and upscales the graphics to 4K in docked mode and 1080p in handheld. Strangely enough, the upscaling used in handheld mode has been noted to be… a little bit off, to say the least. Many times, characters’ faces are contorted, obscured, or straight up deleted by the upscaling software. So while the performance boosts are definitely great, the higher resolution could’ve been implemented better. Maybe it’ll be fixed with an update.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

Somehow, the wizards at Retro Studio made Metroid Prime 4 look way too good for a Nintendo Switch 1 game – and it runs at 60 frames per second, too. But if you want some extra functionality for the game on your new system, the dedicated Nintendo Switch 2 Edition includes mouse mode, increased resolution, and up to 120 frames per second. For a Nintendo fan, 120 FPS is so smooth it might make your eyes water! As mentioned earlier, this one’s a step above Pokemon Legends: Z-A because it features more than just performance and resolution boosts.

Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom

These are two of Nintendo Switch’s flagship games, and they almost ran well on the console – but at 30 frames per second and with lag at times. On Nintendo Switch 2, both of these titles feel completely new at 60 frames per second, making this the definitive way to play. The upgrade packs are free if you have the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, and they also include the Zelda Notes feature on the mobile Nintendo Switch Online app. Using your phone as a GPS companion does kind of break the immersion, but the voice notes add a tiny reason to explore Hyrule some more. Plus, Tears of the Kingdom lets you share Zonai builds, which can get you some cool contraptions in a pinch.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

At only $5, this is one of the cheaper upgrade packs, alongside Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition. Unfortunately, it doesn’t make Animal Crossing run at 60 frames per second, but it does drastically decrease loading times and boost the resolution on handheld and in docked. Moreover, it includes helpful features like the megaphone, which lets you locate villagers just by yelling into the Nintendo Switch 2’s microphone. Mouse mode also makes decorating homes easier, especially if you’re playing in docked mode. This is well worth an upgrade.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

At first glance, Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s own upgrade pack seems like it only adds multiplayer content. While that’s mostly true, it also addresses my biggest complaint with the base game – a lack of unique bosses. Indeed, even though the seven Koopalings are back – and we’ve fought them numerous times before in New Super Mario Bros. titles – they use Wonder Flowers this time around, which makes their battles much more memorable. These aren’t your typical “jump on their heads three times” battles, either – many of them take five or six hits and have multiple phases. Furthermore, the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition adds Training Missions, and while these are mostly inessential, the later ones actually get really tough and present challenges in the same difficulty category as the Final Badge Test from the base game. I’d recommend starting a new save file and playing Wonder all the way through with the new content – this way, you get one new boss per world and can chip away at the training missions over time.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land

And here we are with the best upgrade pack so far! Kirby and the Forgotten Land was an amazing game on Nintendo Switch 1, but the Switch 2 upgrade pack takes it to the next level with boosted performance and resolution – and like 30 new levels plus a new final boss. This is one of the more expensive upgrade packs at $20, but when you look at the other $20 upgrade packs (Super Mario Party Jamboree) you’ll see that Kirby’s features much more meaningful content. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a joy to revisit with the upgrade pack, making it essential for all Kirby fans.

What’s your favorite Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade pack? Which of them do you feel are unnecessary or could have been better? Let us know in the comments down below.