Last November, we ran an op/ed speculating about the performance improvements the Nintendo Switch 2 could bring to the vast library of Switch 1 games. While some have gotten native ports or Switch 2-specific updates, it would be impossible for Nintendo and every other publisher to update all 5,987 games currently available on Nintendo’s hybrid console. Would the newer, better hardware of the next console simply solve some issues without updates? Turns out the answer is yes, and in some cases resoundingly so.
Reports have been flooding in from users testing out older Switch games on the newest device and in some cases, games with truly horrendous performance issues have suddenly become playable. Batman: Arkham Knight is maybe the most extreme example, as Digital Foundry has run some tests and discovered that the game now runs at a near constant 30 fps. On the original Switch, it struggled to even load and was mostly unplayable, sitting in the teens for frame rates and sometimes dipping into single digits. The Witcher 3 also shows improvement, though that game was playable enough on the original console.
One first-party game that needed some help was Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, and while you won’t suddenly find a 60 fps experience, the game no longer becomes a slideshow in demanding sequences. It would be nice to see tests of its split-screen mode, but otherwise the game is now “fixed” and should prove much more enjoyable since you’ll be able to properly time dodges.
Other games that had no performance issues, but could take forever to load, have also seen dramatic improvements. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate had some problems displaying costumes on the character select screen, but they all load instantaneously now. Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ startup load times, once fiendishly long, are now cut in half, or even more. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl also benefit from the system’s faster memory clock speeds, improving loading to a tremendous degree.
Classic Mode load times (seems like loading overall is just faster) pic.twitter.com/ycWf6RhLrG
— LittleMacMain (@LittleMacMainKO) June 5, 2025
There are bound to be even more results in the coming days and weeks, but for now, it’s safe to say that any poorly performing Switch 1 games should benefit from the new hardware even without updates. It would be nice to see 4K and HDR support in every previous game, but simply being able to jump into an experience faster is already a nice enough upgrade by itself.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
