The release of the Nintendo Switch 2 has been met with a lot of excitement from Nintendo fans. In addition to a number of new games coming out for the console, Switch 2 owners have access to their previous library of titles from the original Nintendo Switch. Luckily for them, playing those games on the newer hardware has yielded some benefits. A number of games on the original Switch have gotten a boost in performance when running on the new console, leading to a better experience for Switch owners. They may have been rocky experiences at first, but the Switch 2 has turned those games into something much better for everyone.

However, not every game that was on the Nintendo Switch was intended to get a big boost on the latest console. Some games were intentionally spotlighted by Nintendo to run better on the new console, but others just happened to receive a boost along the way. Those who managed to pick up a Nintendo Switch 2 and play games they already owned would be surprised to discover the games play better. Because of this, Switch 2 owners will have games they can revisit and explore while they wait for more new Switch 2 titles to come out. Here are all the games that have gotten an unintentional boost moving over to the Nintendo Switch 2.

5 Borderlands 3

Boosting up the action on Switch 2

When it first came out on the original Nintendo Switch, Borderlands 3 had a few glaring issues. Not only did the game have a number of bugs and glitches that were noticeable while playing, but it also suffered from crashes. Some of the biggest problems would occur after resuming gameplay after having the original Switch come out of sleep mode. Things like light flickering, glitches with the game's HUD, and other random problems would get in the way of the core experience. At the same time, Borderlands 3 would have moments where the game drops in frame rate, especially during sections where a lot of action was happening on screen.

Much to everyone's surprise, Borderlands 3 ends up running significantly better on the Nintendo Switch 2. The game itself is still the same as from the original Switch release, but the new hardware is powerful enough to run the game at a more stable pace. Many of the graphical glitches and problems that were so frequent have all but disappeared. Although some people have mentioned the presence of flickering lights and minor glitches with special effects that happen occasionally, the majority of the game seems to have improved greatly on the Switch 2. The crashing issues that the game suffered from were remedied as well, along with an improved frame rate for gameplay that seems to lock everything at a consistent 60 FPS. Cutscenes, on the other hand, are stabilized at 30 FPS.

4 Rush Rally Origins

You can actually play it now

Unfortunately, some games on the original Switch had major problems. In the case of Rush Rally Origins, many felt that the game was completely unplayable. Problems like frequent stuttering, jagged edges on models, and massive drops in the frame rate are among the worst. The game also seemed to have issues with its controls, with things like braking and accelerating being difficult to do on the Switch version. In some cases, Rush Rally Origins has been said to have bugs that cause players to struggle with even starting up the game, indefinitely asking players to select a profile but never advancing to the next screen.

Luckily, Rush Rally Origins is a far better experience when running on the Switch 2. Most of the bugs and glitches mentioned are fixed, or don't occur at all. The frame drops that plagued the original release are gone, with the game running at a smooth and consistent frame rate of 60 FPS. Although not improved by much from the Switch version, Rush Rally Origins has slightly better visuals on the Nintendo Switch 2. The extra boost makes this playable in the way it was intended, without any of the headaches from before.

3 The Witcher 3

Improved presentation for a Witcher

People love playing The Witcher 3 on any platform. It's one of the best Western RPG titles of all time, and has been ported to multiple platforms since its original release. The Nintendo Switch version of The Witcher 3 seemed like an impossible task to most players, but CD Projekt Red somehow managed to make it a reality. However, the Switch version of the game was a far cry from the amazing experience that players had on PC and other consoles. Blurry visuals because of low resolution, long load times, and frame rate drops were a dampener on The Witcher 3, despite all the content for the game being playable on the console. It simply just didn't hold up to the visual quality and expectations that fans had from previous versions.

The Witcher 3 does get a boost for running on the Nintendo Switch 2, which addresses all problems from the original release. The dynamic resolution of the visuals is far better this time around, with a much sharper image on display in both handheld and docked modes. The game also stays consistent at rendering the game at 30 FPS, taking away the frame drops from before and making the experience feel smoother to play. The load times are also drastically reduced in comparison to the game running on the original Switch, which is a very welcome improvement for fans. As of now, no matter where someone plays The Witcher 3, it will look and feel great to play through.

2 Minecraft

Better building blocks

Minecraft isn't a visually intensive game. After all, it's a world full of blocks that can be arranged to one's creative potential and create some truly amazing things. But the Nintendo Switch version of Minecraft did have some minor issues. Load times could drag on, especially within worlds where there are a lot of objects and effects in place, as well as stuttering and frame drops. In addition, the game would suffer from moments where loading sections of the world would take a while, putting the player in an empty white space for a brief period before everything loaded in correctly. Other issues like draw distance, problems when singing into a Microsoft account, and frequent console restarts were also annoyances that would pop up. For some Minecraft players, the original Switch version was the worst among the places where one could play Minecraft.

As people began to play the game on the Nintendo Switch 2, they noticed some improvements that made the experience significantly better. While not every problem from the Switch version was addressed fully, some of the bigger problems were definitely fixed. Load times were much better, the frame rate and loading issues were addressed to make the game run smoother, and some of the visuals got a minor tweak. Unfortunately, the draw distance issue is still present, along with a slight lag when navigating between menus in worlds with a lot of effects. To date, there isn't a native version of Minecraft for the Switch 2, as the original Switch version is the only one available. Should the game be re-released for the new console, or if more updates are uploaded to the original, some of the last lingering problems may go away. The other Minecraft game for the Switch, Minecraft Dungeons, also received a similar boost in performance by running on the Switch 2.

1 Diablo 2: Resurrected

More stable, even with effects

When it comes to action RPGs, few games will ever get any more classic than Diablo. The release of Diablo 2: Resurrected on the Nintendo Switch brought the hellish dungeon-crawling classic to Nintendo's portable console. However, it wasn't a perfect port and suffered from a variety of issues that plagued the Switch version for a long time. Various online connectivity problems were a hurdle for players, especially those coming from other platforms. Certain bugs in the Switch version caused massive concerns when creating new characters wouldn't save, deleting the progress players had when closing the game. On top of performance issues with the frame rate that would drop frequently, the game also suffered from frequent crashing. Many of these problems arise when playing Diablo 2: Resurrected in handheld mode on the original Switch, and even more so if a player has a build for a character that involves a lot of special effects in-game.

When played on the Nintendo Switch 2, Diablo 2: Resurrected was a far more stable and enjoyable game to play. Faster load times were helpful, and the frame drops that would occur were nonexistent. The game would run at a consistent 30 FPS, which was a big improvement from the inconsistent frame rate on the original console. Using a character with many effects tied to their build was no longer an issue, given that the new hardware in the Switch 2 made the game run smoother. Another helpful perk for Switch 2 owners was that any progress they had from the original Switch version could be transferred over, provided that they made the transfer during the initial console setup. One thing that has yet to be implemented in the game on Switch 2 is the console's mouse mode support, which would make the game play more like its PC counterpart. It's still possible that this kind of functionality could come with a future update or patch.

A much-needed Switch 2 boost

As more people continue to play their Switch games on the new Nintendo console, even more improvements to the Switch library will be discovered. The majority of games on the original Switch get minor boosts that improve their overall performance, but some titles will definitely have more perks than others. For games that didn't do so well on the original Switch when they first released, they may get a second wind now that the Nintendo Switch 2 has better hardware to run on. They may not be brand-new games for the Switch 2, but they'll be good secondary games for players to enjoy as they wait for more big additions to the Nintendo Switch 2 library.