Nintendo Switch 2 launched last month, and the system seems to be off to a very good start. Demand has exceeded expectations, which means a lot of existing owners have upgraded to the new platform. However, there are plenty of people that won’t be upgrading anytime soon, and that means there are many new games being made for the original Switch. In fact, 2025 has several high-profile games coming out for Switch 1, including titles like Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
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A lot of the games coming to the original Switch are also getting dedicated versions on the new system, and some publishers are offering upgrade paths. That means if you buy a game on Switch, you can pay a fee to get an improved version on Switch 2. So far, games like Hogwarts Legacy and Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time have both offered cheap upgrade paths that encourage players to take advantage of the superior graphics and processing power of Nintendo Switch 2. Not all publishers are being so generous, though; Sega notably avoided offering any upgrade option for Sonic x Shadow Generations last month. Unfortunately, it seems Square Enix will be following Sega’s example for Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake.
In a newly published FAQ page, Square Enix revealed that it has “no upgrade path currently available or planned” for Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake. This is actually somewhat worse than what Sega did with Sonic x Shadow Generations, as the publisher at least offered save transfers to existing owners willing to pay full price to own the same game on Switch 2. By contrast, save data for the Switch 1 version of Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake won’t work for anyone that later buys the full game a second time on Switch 2.
This is very frustrating for Nintendo Switch fans for multiple reasons. There’s no reason for Square Enix to avoid an upgrade path for Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake when Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is getting a free upgrade. All that does is cause confusion for users, while forcing them to make tough purchasing decisions. The other problem is that the Switch 2 version of Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is a Game-Key Card release, while the Switch 1 version is a true physical copy. Some Switch 2 users that dislike Game-Key Cards were planning to buy the Switch 1 option with the intention of paying for an upgrade. Now it seems that won’t be an option.
Unsurprisingly, reception to the news has been largely negative online. The whole situation is needlessly confusing, and it’s making some people second guess whether they should buy any version of Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake on a Nintendo platform. Nintendo fans are willing to pay the difference to get upgraded versions of games on Switch 2, but whether publishers will let them do so seems to be happening on a case by case basis.
How do you feel about games offering upgrade paths? Should more publishers do so on Nintendo Switch 2? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
