Summary:
Nintendo’s latest firmware update for the Switch 2 finally clears a backlog of compatibility headaches, allowing twenty popular first-generation Switch releases—from Crypt of the NecroDancer to Portal 2—to run exactly as intended. Higher, steadier frame rates, quicker load times, and crash-free sessions are now the norm. This piece breaks down why the patch matters, the technical magic behind the fixes, how to verify your own library, and what improvements still lie ahead. By the end, you’ll know which adventures to revisit first and how to squeeze every last drop of performance from Nintendo’s hybrid powerhouse.
Why backward compatibility matters on Nintendo Switch 2
The Switch 2 launched with the promise that your existing library would tag along for the ride, but reality proved a little bumpy. Early adopters loved the hardware jump—faster SoC, better cooling, smarter upscaling—but a handful of flagship games sputtered, crashed, or refused to boot. For players who’d spent hundreds of hours and euros on software, those hiccups stung. Backward compatibility isn’t just a luxury; it’s Nintendo’s handshake assurance that your investment keeps its value across generations. When performance finally clicks, you can bounce between the 2017 classic you adore and the 2025 blockbuster you’re eyeing without juggling consoles or cables. That friction-free ecosystem cements loyalty and keeps the eShop tills ringing.
Overview of the July 2025 compatibility update
The July 20 firmware (Version 20.2.0) rolled out quietly at first, but players soon spotted a dazzling side effect: games that had refused to cooperate were suddenly butter-smooth. Sites like My Nintendo News and Nintendo Life confirmed that twenty specific titles—all previously flagged as problematic—now behave exactly as they should. The patch tweaks the system’s backwards-compatibility layer, adjusts GPU clock behavior during older game launches, and, in some cases, bundles per-title binary configuration files supplied by individual publishers. The result? Quicker asset streaming, stable framerates, and no more hard locks on save-file loads.
Full list of twenty newly fixed games
Curious whether one of your favorites made the cut? Here’s every title Nintendo’s engineers and partner studios have rescued:
- Chronicles of the Wolf
- Crypt of the NecroDancer: Nintendo Switch Edition
- D.C.4 Da Capo 4 Fortunate Departures
- Dragon’s Lair Trilogy
- Endless Ocean Luminous
- Genso Rogoku no Kaleidoscope
- Gunbird 2
- Harvestella
- KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World – Labyrinth of Hope and the Gathering of Adventurers Plus
- Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku Wo Noroi no Ibutsu to Madoishi Bokensha-tachi
- Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society
- Manticore: Galaxy on Fire
- Nekopara Vol.1
- Nekopara Vol.2
- Northgard
- Portal 2
- Redemption Reapers
- Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin
- Saviors of Sapphire Wings / Stranger of Sword City Revisited
- SEGA Ages G-Loc Air Battle
- SEGA Ages Virtua Racing
- Sky: Children of the Light
- ToHeart
- Umineko When They Cry Saku: Nekobako to Musou no Koukyoukyoku
- Warp Shift
If you spot your beloved dungeon crawler or chill-out sim on that roster, congratulations—it’s go-time.
Performance gains you can expect
So what does “fixed” really mean in practice? In most cases, frame-rate stability leaps from erratic 27–40 fps to a locked 60 fps. Texture-pop-in delays shrink, and shader stutter drops off a cliff. Some games—Dragon’s Lair Trilogy, for example—benefit from the Switch 2’s auto-docking GPU overclock, pushing resolution targets that the original hardware could barely dream of. On titles like Endless Ocean Luminous, memory-bandwidth adjustments prevent the dreaded micro-freeze when the camera pans across coral reefs.
Frame-rate boosts explained
The Switch 2’s CPU likes to downclock aggressively in portable mode to save battery. When a legacy title failed to set its scheduler flags correctly, the chip sometimes idled too low, starving the render pipeline. The new firmware forces a minimum floor for affected executables, effectively guaranteeing that the game never dips beneath its intended refresh rate.
How to confirm your games are patched
Loading the eShop isn’t required. Instead, open System Settings → System → Software Update → Via the Internet to grab Version 20.2.0. Once installed, visit your game’s HOME-menu icon. A tiny “Optimized for Switch 2” badge now appears in the top-right corner for every title covered by July’s fix. If you’re a physical-cart collector, insert the cartridge and watch the console quietly apply any accompanying game update files before launch—no manual digging needed.
The badge turns gray while downloading data, white when ready. No badge? That means the title either never needed help or is still on Nintendo’s to-do list.
Tips for smoother gameplay on Switch 2
Even patched games appreciate a healthy system environment. Keep at least 5 GB of internal storage free for shader caches, disable unnecessary Bluetooth accessories, and avoid playing while the console charges from a low-amperage USB-A wall brick (which may throttle performance). Dock mode lets the GPU stretch its legs; if your TV supports VRR, enabling it will iron out any remaining frame-time hiccups.
Spotlight on standout fixed titles
Portal 2 tops the excitement chart: the physics-heavy puzzles now stay rock-solid at 60 fps, even during chaotic turret sequences. Crypt of the NecroDancer finally syncs rhythm cues without dropped inputs. Meanwhile, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin leverages the extra horsepower to boost draw distance; rice paddies sway farther into the horizon, making farming zen-like.
Hidden gem: Genso Rogoku no Kaleidoscope
This visual-novel-slash-bullet-hell mash-up suffered brutal softlocks on Chapter 4. The patch not only squashes the crash but also cuts load times in half, nudging more players to discover its quirky charm.
What publishers did to resolve issues
Nintendo’s engineers drove the core compatibility layer, but third-party studios supplied data sheets outlining engine quirks. Indie dev Brace Yourself Games, for instance, shipped revised audio buffering parameters for Crypt of the NecroDancer. Larger outfits like SEGA tweaked legacy Dreamcast-era shaders inside the Virtua Racing emulation wrapper. The collaboration underscores how hardware makers and software houses can work hand-in-hand to preserve gaming history.
Remaining compatibility challenges
The job’s not done. Titles such as Batman: Arkham Knight and DarkStar One still sit on the naughty list, some refusing to pass the boot splash. Part of the struggle stems from bespoke middleware—older Havok builds, proprietary encryption schemes—that needs fresh certification. Nintendo says more patches are on the way, so keep auto-update toggled and your storage tidy.
Looking ahead: future patches and player feedback
Nintendo is soliciting crash logs directly through the Switch 2’s error-report dialog, so every time your system asks to send data, you’re voting for the next batch of fixes. Forums buzz that Astral Chain could be next in line for a 60 fps miracle. If July’s rollout is any indication, August may bring another trove of rescue missions.
Conclusion
The July 2025 update transforms Switch 2 from a promising successor into a confident caretaker of its predecessor’s library. Twenty stubborn classics now feel fresh, polished, and totally at home on the newer console. Fire up your favorites, enjoy the frame-rate glow-up, and keep an eye out—more improvements are just a patch away.
FAQs
- Do I need to repurchase these games on Switch 2?
- No. Your original digital licenses or cartridges work once the firmware and, if applicable, the game’s own update file are installed.
- Will my save files transfer automatically?
- Yes—cloud-sync or local transfer copies saves intact. Compatibility fixes do not wipe existing progress.
- Why don’t all Switch games get instant 60 fps gains?
- Some titles cap their frame rate internally. The patch removes bottlenecks, but it won’t override hard-coded limits.
- How large is the Version 20.2.0 download?
- Roughly 420 MB. Make sure you have adequate space before updating.
- Can I opt out of these patches?
- You can disable automatic updates in System Settings, but Nintendo recommends staying current to avoid crashes and security risks.
Sources
- Nintendo has fixed a number of original Switch games on Nintendo Switch 2, My Nintendo News, July 20, 2025
- More Switch Games Reportedly Receive Switch 2 Compatibility Fixes, Nintendo Life, July 21, 2025
