Which Nintendo Switch 1 Games Currently Have Issues on Switch 2?

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home April 8, 2025 14 Views 7 Min Read
Which Nintendo Switch 1 Games Currently Have Issues on Switch 2?



The Nintendo Switch 2 is more robust in features and offers stronger performance than its predecessors thanks to a fresh hardware architecture, which also promises backward compatibility with the original Nintendo Switch library. However, the Switch 2’s official launch is on June 5, 2025, and owing to a few problems at hand, the transition from Switch 1 to Switch 2 might not be entirely smooth for everybody. Nintendo’s April 2025 compatibility update reveals that certain Switch 1 classics simply won’t boot, while other titles suffer jarring in-game glitches. A select few titles also unfortunately butt heads with new controller constraints.

These hurdles stem from design differences between Switch 2 and its predecessor. Although Nintendo has sought to preserve as much of the existing game catalog as possible, physical accessory conflicts, missing Joy-Con features, and occasional engine incompatibilities mean certain titles either demand workarounds or remain entirely unsupported. This is tragic but understandable, as advancements in hardware can sometimes necessitate trade-offs in backward compatibility.

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Nintendo Has Divided the Switch 1 Games Into Four Categories

To offer clarity and streamline troubleshooting, Nintendo has classified older Switch titles based on how they behave on the Switch 2. Interestingly, when compared with the vast majority of Nintendo’s 122 first-party titles and partner games numbering over 15,000, only a fraction have any problems on Switch 2. Nearly all of Nintendo’s own games run smoothly, while a minor sliver faces start-up hiccups or outright incompatibility.

Meanwhile, Nintendo’s third-party titles show a slightly broader spread of issues, ranging from mild in-game glitches to full-on boot failures. Still, most of those partner games are mostly playable with fixes mainly required for start-up. Nintendo has also reported that fixes for most of these games are currently being investigated.

Games That Can’t Be Played At All

One Switch 1 release, Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit, relies so heavily on physical constructions or console dimensions that playing it on Switch 2 is outright incompatible. The VR Goggles demand that the Switch 1 console be slotted into the cardboard shell, and the slightly altered size and design of the Switch 2 render that impossible.

Games That Require Nintendo Switch Joy-Con to Play

A second group of games hinges on capabilities found only in the original Joy-Con, such as the IR Motion Camera or specialized attachments. Titles like Ring Fit Adventure mandate sliding a Joy-Con into a Ring-Con accessory and leg strap, which is an impossible task with Joy-Con 2’s revised shape.

Meanwhile, WarioWare: Move It! or 1-2-Switch! need the IR Motion Camera to detect hand gestures, and Nintendo Switch Sports uses a leg strap that Joy-Con 2 doesn’t support. Players who still own original Joy-Con controllers, however, can wirelessly pair them with the Switch 2 and maintain full functionality. The games included in this category are:

  • Ring Fit Adventure
  • 1-2-Switch
  • Everybody 1-2-Switch!
  • Game Builder Garage
  • Nintendo Switch Sports
  • WarioWare: Move It!
  • Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 01: Variety Kit
  • Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 02: Robot Kit
  • Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 03: Vehicle Kit

Games That Have Start-Up Issues

Nintendo’s third category covers games with immediate boot-up failures on Switch 2. According to official statements, 141 games exhibit start-up issues, including major third-party hits like Doom Eternal and Dead by Daylight. Because these errors typically stem from core engine dependencies that clash with Switch 2’s updated OS and performance libraries, developers must update or rebuild specific code segments before the games will run.

Nintendo, since then, is regularly updating its PDF listings to reflect which studios have managed to patch problems and which games remain in limbo. While many updates are underway, no universal deadline has been set. The most important titles on this list include but aren’t limited to:

  • Fortnite (A Nintendo Switch 2 version is already planned)
  • NBA 2K25
  • DOOM: Eternal
  • Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
  • Warframe
  • Dead by Daylight

Games That Start But Have Incompatibility Issues

Finally, there’s a relatively smaller subset of games out of those 140+ titles that boot normally on Switch 2, yet the games have subtle or pronounced in-game glitches. These might range from control inputs failing to register in certain mini-games to incomplete haptic feedback for events that previously utilized HD Rumble. The PDF listing for these issues states that the issues are being investigated. Some of the prominent titles from this list include but aren’t limited to:

  • Street Fighter™ 30th Anniversary Collection
  • Fall Guys
  • Mega Man Legacy Collection

There Are Reportedly Some Games Also Being Tested

Nintendo emphasizes that its classification system remains a work in progress, with additional testing ongoing for titles not yet officially categorized. Therefore, there’s a chance that if any issues are found, the compatibility status of some other games might also change moving forward. Fortnite developer Epic Games, on the other hand, is already working on completing a tailor-made Switch 2 edition that leverages the new console’s improved performance and online features.

In fact, Fortnite is the only game in the third category to have an updated status — dozens of other games are just marked as “the issue is being investigated.” Reports also indicate that other third-party blockbusters are undergoing deeper architecture reviews before receiving official Switch 2 updates.

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