Nintendo Switch 2: Backwards Compatible Guide – What Switch can’t be played?

Tuffcub 18/04/25 No Comments

Nintendo Switch 2 is backwards compatible with most older Switch titles, but not all of them. Nintendo have categorised all the games they have tested into three groups: ‘Games with start up issues on Nintendo Switch 2’, ‘Games that are playable, but have some in-game compatibility issues’, and ‘Games with issues that are planned to be addressed’. Additionally there is a small number of games that will work but not with the Switch 2 Joy-Con 2 controllers, you will need a Switch 1 Joy-Con to play them.

Why are there any issues here? Well, it comes down to a few different reasons. The Switch 2 Joy-Con no longer have an IR sensor, which means games that use this won’t work for those select minigames and modes, and the physical size is different for attachments like the Ring Fit controller. More fundamentally, the Switch 2 is using a translation layer to run original Switch games, and this can cause issues if certain CPU and GPU functions are changed or were used in unusual ways.

Here is a full list of the games that have been tested and their category, but please be aware this list may change as Nintendo continue to test games and work with developers to resolve issues. Check the Nintendo Site for the latest updates.

Games that cannot be played on Nintendo Switch 2

Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit – the Switch 2 cannot be inserted into the Toy-Con VR Goggles, so this cannot be played.

Games that require Nintendo Switch Joy-Con to play

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

Nintendo Switch games with issues that are planned to be addressed

The issues with the following games have been found and the developers are busy working on a patch or new version. You will note that Fortnite is one of them, one the games used to promote Switch 2! We believe this is down to the Switch 1 build having issues, while a Switch 2 native version of the game will be the recommended way to play.

Fortnite
Fitness Boxing

Games with start up issues on Nintendo Switch 2

These games have been tested and currently are not booting correctly on Switch 2 and therefore cannot be played. However, for all of the titles Nintendo state that “This issue is being investigated” so they may be patched at a later date.

112 Operator
A Boy and His Blob Retro Collection
Abyss Memory Fallen Angel and the Path of Magic
ACA Neogeo Art of Fighting 2
ACA Neogeo Samurai Shodown II
ACA Neogeo the King of Fighters ’95
ACA Neogeo the King of Fighters ’96
Airhead
Alchemy Garden
Another Crab’s Treasure
Arcade Archives Burger Time
Arcade Archives Crime City
Arcade Archives Dig Dug
Arcade Archives Gradius III
Arcade Archives New Rally-X
Arcade Archives Pac-Land
Arcade Archives Xevious
Assault Suit Leynos 2 Saturn Tribute
Astral Flux
Baron: Fur Is Gonna Fly
Batman: The Enemy Within
Beyond the Ice Palace II
Boot Hill Bounties
Boot Hill Heroes
Botany Manor
Bus Simulator 2023: City Driver
Cats Hidden in Italy
キャッツ・オン・デューティー (Cats On Duty)
Crazy Strike Bowling EX
Dadish 2
Darksiders Genesis
Dead by Daylight
Death Coming
Doom: Eternal
Eggy Party
Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist
Everdream Valley Untold Tales
Everspace
Fables Mosaic: Snow White
Felix the Cat
Final Fantasy
Floor Kids
Framed Collection
Gal Guardians: Demon Purge
Gang Beasts
Gas Guzzlers Extreme
Grid Autosport
Guns Gore and Cannoli
I Got Isekai’d into a Shmup
Inferno 2
Island Flight Simulator
Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection
Kids Vs Parents
KILL la KILL – IF
Korean Drone Flying Tour Jeju Island-1
Kosmokrats
Library of Ruina
Little Nightmares Complete Edition
Manticore – Galaxy on Fire
Mexican Train Dominoes Gold
Model Debut #Nicola
Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame
Monster Loves You Too!
Musynx
Nascar Rivals
NBA 2K18
NBA 2K25
Nelly Cootalot: The Fowl Fleet
Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition
Nights of Azure 2: Bride of the New Moon
Nobody Saves the World
Nova-111
Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath
OK K.O.! Let’s Play Heroes
OMG Police – Car Chase TV Simulator
Onigo Hunter
Palia
Perseverance: Complete Edition
Pineview Drive
Pizza Tower
Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville
Process of Elimination
Raiden III X Mikado Maniax
Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles
Rims Racing
River City Girls Zero
Rocket League
Roller Champions
Saviors of Sapphire Wings / Stranger of Sword City Revisited
Senran Kagura Reflexions
Skulls of the Shogun: Bone-a-fide Edition
Slayin 2
Soul Dog TD
South of the Circle
South Park: The Fractured but Whole
Sportitions’24
Star Melody Yumemi Dreamer
Star Wars Episode I: Racer Aspyr
Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster
Strania -The Stella Machina- EX
Summer Pockets
Super Mega Baseball 3
Super Neptunia RPG
Taiko No Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival
Taito Milestones
The Cube
The Jackbox Party Pack
The Jackbox Party Pack 2
The Journey Down Trilogy
The Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition
Tokyo Xanadu EX+
Touhou Gouyoku Ibun ～ Sunken Fossil World
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes
Tricky Towers
Trip World DX
トラブル☆ウィッチズ　ふぁいなる！株式会社ロケットエンジン
Trove
Trover Saves the Universe
Tt Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 3
Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r]
Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi
V-Rally 4 Nacon
Victor Vran Overkill Edition
ガレリアの地下迷宮と魔女ノ旅団日本一ソフトウェア
クロズド・ナイトメア
この素晴らしい世界に祝福を！～希望の迷宮と
集いし冒険者たち～
ベイブレドバストバトルゼロフリュー株式会社 /
Warface: Clutch
Warframe
Warp Shift Kyrkudden
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Wolfenstein II: the New Colossus
World of Tanks Blitz
Xtreme Sports

Nintendo Switch games that start up on Nintendo Switch 2, but include some in-game compatibility issues

These games have been tested and will load up but you may encounter problems when playing them. Again, for all of the titles Nintendo state that “This issue is being investigated” so they may be patched.