Today, I’m adding more games to the list of games that have seen improvements when played on Nintendo Switch 2. Let’s have a look!

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Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition (Nintendo Switch 2)

Genre: Turn-Based JRPG

Players: 1

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Review:

Earlier this year in a Nintendo Switch 2 Difference article, I looked to see how well the Nintendo Switch version of Dragon Quest XI fared on Nintendo Switch 2, what sort of improvements it received, and the answer was… not much. It was pretty much just an improvement to loading times, that’s it.

In the time since, Square Enix has released a Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game, but unfortunately there’s no upgrade path, so owners of the Nintendo Switch version of the game looking to upgrade will have to buy the entire game all over again, with no ability to even transfer over save data.

So then of course the question then becomes… is it worth it?

The main improvement you’re getting in this version of the game over the Nintendo Switch version is the inclusion of new graphics and performance modes. No matter which mode you choose, you’ll be getting improved resolution here, going from the Nintendo Switch version’s dynamic 720p resolution in docked mode and 540p in handheld mode to the Nintendo Switch 2 version’s 1080p in performance mode and docked 1440p in graphics mode (hitting the hybrid console’s max 1080p in handheld mode). Also, performance mode boosts the game’s framerates from 30FPS to 60FPS.

In either case, it’s an instantly-noticeable improvement, one that makes a dramatic difference, and I felt the boost to 60FPS framerates was particularly wonderful. That said, this boost doesn’t clear up all the game’s visual issues – there’s still a fair amount of aliasing (especially in the game’s plentiful grass), and you will see shadow pop-in on occasion. However, on the whole this is a dramatic improvement over the Nintendo Switch version of the game.

Also dramatically-improved are the loading times, though there does seem to be something odd going on here. When I tested the Nintendo Switch version earlier this year, I clocked the time to the loading screen at 25 seconds, with an additional 16 seconds to load a save file. Testing it again, those times are now 55 seconds and 55 seconds. Did this game get some sort of update to make its loading times worse on Nintendo Switch over the last half-year or so? Well, in any case, the Nintendo Switch 2’s loading times are much swifter, coming in at 14 seconds and 12 seconds, respectively.

The end result of this is that Dragon Quest XI on Nintendo Switch 2 is much-improved over the Nintendo Switch version thanks to the boost to graphics and performance… but I’m not sure if I would argue in favor of buying it a second time. To be fair, if you’ve never gotten this game previously, you should consider it a must-have in the JRPG genre, and the Nintendo Switch 2 version should be considered a no-brainer. But if you already got this game on Nintendo Switch before, I would only suggest buying this if you absolutely love the game and need the best version.

tl;dr – Dragon Quest XI S has aged somewhat since its release on Nintendo Switch, but the Nintendo Switch 2 version gives the game a noticeable boost in graphics and performance. The JRPG gameplay remains firmly-rooted in the past, but it’s still still a must-play for JRPG fans.

Grade: A

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Minecraft (Nintendo Switch 2)

Genre: Open-World Action-RPG / Misc.

Players: 1-4 Co-Op (Local Split-Screen), 2-8 Co-Op (Online)

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Review:

I often start these Nintendo Switch 2 Difference articles by talking about the upgrade path from Nintendo Switch to Nintendo Switch 2, but Minecraft’s upgrade path is a bit unusual because whether or not one exists depends on when you read this. Until January 31, 2027, the separate version of Minecraft released on Nintendo Switch 2 is discounted 100% for owners of the digital version of the Nintendo Switch game. After that point, you’ll be paying full price to upgrade. Personally, I think it’s kinda’ gross that an upgrade path would be a limited-time offer, but I suppose it’s better than no upgrade path. In any case, owners of both versions of the game can transfer save data from the Nintendo Switch version of the game to the Nintendo Switch 2 version.

Possibly the biggest change in this release compared to the original Nintendo Switch version is the use of “Vibrant Visuals”, Minecraft’s suite of updated graphics additions that include improved lighting and reflections. This doesn’t change the basic fundamental blocky look of the game, but it does do some wonderful things for the overall atmosphere of the game. In addition, the Nintendo Switch 2 version features improved framerates and resolution, making for an overall smoother experience. The voxel draw distance of the game is also improved here – you’ll still see sections of the world pop into existence from time to time, but it won’t happen as close to you and as such won’t be as jarring.

Another improvement here is seen in the loading times – on Nintendo Switch, it took me 1 minute 12 seconds to load to the main menu and 34 seconds to load a game save, with those times cut down to 16 seconds and 16 seconds on Nintendo Switch 2.

There’s a lot to appreciate in this upgrade for Nintendo-centric Minecraft players, but I can’t help but feel like it’s also tinged with a bit of disappointment. Touchscreen is still supported in this version, but there’s no Mouse Mode. This version still provides access to the Nintendo-exclusive Mario Mashup content, and it looks like other user-created mods are accessible too, but of course this still isn’t going to have quite the same adaptability as the PC version. What’s more, like the Nintendo Switch version, the Nintendo Switch 2 version still apparently has a hard 2GB per user save file size limit, meaning players who do a lot of exploration or use numerous save files in Minecraft may find themselves receiving errors once they bump into this limit. And my overall complaints about every version of Minecraft having problems due to bugginess and a lack of polish still hold true here.

In short, Minecraft on Nintendo Switch 2 is still far from perfect. But I cannot deny that booting this game up again reminded me why I absolutely fell in love with it years ago when it first came out, and still love it deeply to this day. If you own a digital copy of the Nintendo Switch version of this game, please be sure to make use of the free upgrade now while you still can, because it is absolutely worth it. If you don’t own the digital version of the game on Nintendo Switch, I still recommend you get this version – it is the best version of Minecraft to ever appear on a Nintendo platform, and Minecraft remains an absolutely must-have game. Not a perfect game, but a wonderful one that everyone should play.

tl;dr – Minecraft is a family-friendly Open-World sandbox game with Action-RPG elements that has you deconstructing and rebuilding the world at your whim, with endless possibilities for those looking to create or explore. The Nintendo Switch 2 version improves on the Nintendo Switch version with the Vibrant Visuals improvements to lighting and atmosphere along with other performance improvements, and while this version also still bears the bugs that every version of the game seems to have, it is still a must-play game that’s absolutely worth playing. If you somehow missed this game before now, make it a point to pick it up!

Grade: A+

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Shinobi: Art of Vengeance (Nintendo Switch 2)

Genre: Action-Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

In 2026, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance received a Nintendo Switch 2 version, which sadly has no upgrade path for those who previously got the game on the original Nintendo Switch. What’s the difference? Is it worth an upgrade? Read on…

In docked mode, I noticed no difference in resolution or framerates between Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 versions of the game. In handheld mode, the Nintendo Switch 2 version supports 1080p resolution, but… so does the Nintendo Switch version if you play the game in handheld boost mode (and you might as well – there’s no benefit to playing this game in standard handheld mode on Nintendo Switch 2). In other words, any improvement the visuals receive in the Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game is rendered essentially disposable.

That’s not to say there’s no improvement here – the loading times are tremendously improved. On the Nintendo Switch version of the game, it took me 1 minute 58 seconds to load to the title screen, an additional 10 seconds to load a save file, and 32 seconds to load into a level. In the Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game, those same times are reduced to 14 seconds, 7 seconds, and 9 seconds.

While I do think those are good improvements, it’s absolutely not enough for me to recommend buying this game a second time. And if you haven’t previously bought Shinobi: Art of Vengeance and you’re considering getting it now, don’t expect a significant difference if you get the Nintendo Switch 2 version.

tl;dr – Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is an Action-Platformer where players battle a cartoonishly evil organization as the survivor of an attack on your ninja village. This game definitely has its rough spots, but overall this is a beautiful, fun, and varied Action-Platformer that’s sure to please fans of the genre and especially fans of the Shinobi series.

Grade: B+

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I hope you enjoyed this latest batch of Nintendo Switch 2 Difference Mini-Reviews, and found them to be helpful! Want to see all Nintendo Switch 2 Difference comparisons? Check out this page for links to every article where I’ve included these comparisons!

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