Switch 2’s Biggest Flaw: Why Nintendo Won’t Fix It
▼ Summary
– The Nintendo Switch 2 has strong compatibility with original Switch games and is widely available, but many games look blurry in handheld mode due to resolution scaling issues.
– The blurriness occurs because the Switch 2’s 1080p screen stretches unpatched Switch 1 games, which often render at lower resolutions like 540p or 720p.
– Nintendo has released Switch 2 Editions and patches for select games to improve resolution, but most of the Switch 1 library remains unoptimized.
– A proposed solution to run Switch 1 games in docked mode on the Switch 2’s handheld screen is unlikely due to the extensive retesting required by Nintendo.
– The handheld display problem creates uncertainty about future patches and leaves many games looking worse on the new console, especially for frequent handheld players.
Four months after its debut, the Nintendo Switch 2 has largely met expectations with strong game availability, broad backward compatibility, and easy retail access. Yet one persistent drawback continues to frustrate players: many original Switch titles appear blurrier in handheld mode on the new hardware. While docked play preserves visual quality, the handheld experience, central to the console’s appeal, suffers noticeably. This issue stems from the hardware upgrade itself, and it’s unlikely Nintendo will fully resolve it outside of releasing occasional Switch 2 Edition updates.
We’ve previously highlighted games that would benefit greatly from dedicated Switch 2 patches. Titles such as Kirby Star Allies, Mario & Luigi: Brothership, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity struggle with inconsistent performance, while the Xenoblade Chronicles series could see major gains in resolution and frame rate. But it’s not just performance-heavy games that are affected. Even well-optimized original Switch games often look soft or fuzzy on the Switch 2’s display. The reason is straightforward: the original Switch screen maxes out at 720p, but the Switch 2 screen runs at 1080p. Unpatched games are stretched to fill the higher-resolution screen, resulting in a blurry image.
Games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which natively render at 720p, don’t look too bad on the new console. You might notice a slight loss of sharpness, but it remains perfectly playable. The problem becomes far more obvious with games that run below 720p in handheld mode. Xenoblade Chronicles 2, for instance, tops out at 540p on the original hardware. When stretched across the Switch 2’s 1080p screen, the image becomes significantly blurrier than before. Persona 5 Royal is another example, also running at 540p in portable play. These are not isolated cases, many original Switch games used sub-720p resolutions to maintain performance. Releasing Switch 2 Editions could fix the problem, but it’s unclear how many such updates Nintendo plans to produce.
So far, Nintendo has not announced a large number of Switch 2 Edition upgrades. At launch, the company issued performance patches for several titles including Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, and Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. Super Mario Odyssey, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe also received updates, boosting their handheld resolution to 1080p. More recently, Splatoon 3 got a similar patch. Beyond these, full Switch 2 Editions have been confirmed for Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, Super Mario Party Jamboree, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A, with Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Super Mario Bros. Wonder scheduled for next year. Still, the majority of the Switch library remains unoptimized.
Expecting Nintendo to patch every legacy game is unrealistic. Yet the fact that so many titles look worse on the new hardware, especially in handheld mode, remains a significant issue. Some players have proposed a clever workaround: allowing users to run original Switch games in a “docked mode” setting while playing handheld. This would load the higher-resolution docked version of the game directly on the Switch 2 screen, potentially reaching 1080p and eliminating blur. In theory, this could solve the resolution problem, though it may not be a practical solution for Nintendo to implement.
As appealing as this idea sounds, it’s probably not something Nintendo will pursue. The company tested nearly the entire Switch library on the new console before launch, and it continues to release compatibility fixes. Creating a handheld “docked mode” would require retesting every single game to ensure stability, a massive undertaking. Nintendo is unlikely to introduce an experimental feature with potential performance issues. At that point, the effort involved would be comparable to producing more Switch 2 Editions, which returns us to the original dilemma.
Many questions about Nintendo’s update strategy remain unanswered. Will we see more free performance patches beyond the initial wave? Are Switch 2 Editions reserved only for games that can be bundled with new content? Communication from Nintendo has been sparse, making it hard to predict their long-term plans. What’s clear is that numerous original Switch games will never receive official enhancements. This creates an odd situation where certain titles look better on the older hardware but run more smoothly on the new one, leaving players without a definitive best platform.
Do you think a handheld “docked mode” would be a worthwhile solution, or should Nintendo focus on more Switch 2 Editions? Share your thoughts below. It’s impressive that nearly every original Switch game is playable on the new system, and many are still enjoyable, especially in docked mode. But for those who primarily play handheld, seeing beloved games look softer than before remains a noticeable drawback.
(Source: Nintendo Everything)
