In Switch 2 Direct on Wednesday, Nintendo revealed that some of the initial switch games can be upgraded to high -end versions by buying upgraded packages. This is not surprising, from a company that has long loved to pack old games for new gaming devices and sell them to fans a second (or third or fourth). But it makes some observers feel that Nintendo is its fans-and it is a strategy that comes with risk.
When launching a control interface is fully compatible with the games of its predecessor, console manufacturers have some difficult options to perform. One of the most difficult things related to price processing and upgrading when there are versions of the same game for both platforms – especially if the owner is the rising platform of games on the new system (like Nintendo).
Both Sony and Microsoft faced this difficult question when they launched their most recent gaming devices and they made very different options. Microsoft’s policy is both generous and simple: Any Xbox One game is automatically upgraded to the Xbox Series X Editions and has no extra cost. If you own a newer control panel, you can easily play the best version of the game without thinking about it, and no need to get rid of it.
Sony’s policy is less generous and much more confusing. Some upgrades from PlayStation 4 to the PlayStation 5 version of the game are free. (Quite a lot, fair to say.) Many people don’t; It costs $ 10 to upgrade a copy of Spider -Man of Marvel or Grand Theft Auto 5 To the PS5 version for example. Sometimes this upgrade path is only available for a limited time. Sometimes it’s absolutely not available and your only option, if you already own the game on PS4, is to buy it all on the PS5.
It can be understood, this messy and expensive system did not go down well with the PlayStation Player. When Horizon is banned to the west Having been announced without the upgrade path, fans are very sad when Sony is forced to back down, offer a free upgrade and commit to always provide future upgrades (although the price). This is the mines that Nintendo is currently entering.
There are a few warnings, however. First, Nintendo did not announce the price for their upgrades and how the player felt about the upgrade will depend on a major extent on where this price lands. In addition, will upgrade to the Switch 2 version of Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildHelp improve performance and accompany some features of the companion application, the same cost as upgrading Switch 2 for Kirby and the forgotten landWhich one adds a completely new expansion for the game? Perhaps, perhaps not. To complicate everything further, the upgrades of the conversion version 2 for The breath of the wild And Tears of the kingdom Will be included in the Nintendo Switch +expansion package, but others will not.
That is not all. Nintendo is also providing a second layer of free transitions 2 for games like Super Mario Odyssey And Pokémon Scarlet And Violet. They are not counted as Full Switch 2 version, but they will improve the ability to play and can improve performance or add support for features like GameShare, depending on the game.
As with PS5, it is a fairly confusing picture-especially because we do not know the price or way the third party publishers will choose to handle the Switch 2 versions.
The only improvements provided by many PS5 upgrades are images and performance: higher resolution and frame speed, ray monitoring or new quality and performance mode. The player feels they are asked to spend $ 10 per game to unlock the power of the control panel they bought.
Nintendo seems to have a policy that the visual upgrade is not enough for the Switch 2 version. Zelda games come with Zelda’s companion features (acknowledging not attractive). Super Mario Party Jamboreee There is a new game mode and widely used Switch 2 features such as mouse control and camera. Kirby and the forgotten land There is a completely new story. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Mouse control. It seems clear that Nintendo always wants to add value in the Switch 2 version, through the additional content, using the unique features of Switch 2 (beyond the increase in processing capacity) or both. Some of these releases – especially Kirby and Mario Party – seem to be on par with the luxurious versions of Wii U games like Mario Kart 8 And Super Mario Bros. new. (There is an exception to this rule: the conversion version 2 of Legend of Pokémon: Za There is no upgrade but an image, at least now.)
That will make the cost of upgrade, but it can be easier. . But Xbox owners – and PC gamers, for that problem, those who never have to worry about such things – will be proven when they feel quite complacent when compared.
