Zelda Switch 2 upgrade review: worth another trip to Hyrule?

The best reason to pay for this upgrade is simple: you want to spend more time in Hyrule. A sharper view is nice. Less waiting each time you travel is useful. Neither matters much if your next visit will last ten minutes.

For an owner who plans to replay either game, the small upgrade fee makes sense. For someone buying a whole new console just to revisit a finished save, the case is weaker. Keep those two costs separate. A good deal on an upgrade does not make the hardware cheap.

This Zelda Switch 2 upgrade review covers Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. They share the main changes. Their value depends on which game you own and how you play. Your membership may also include access.

What does the upgrade pack cost?

Each upgrade pack costs $9.99 in the US. You need the matching Nintendo Switch game and a Nintendo Switch 2. The pack alone is not the full game. Buying one pack does not upgrade both games.

For Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo's purchase and membership rules also explain an important choice. Active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members can use the upgrade at no extra cost. The basic Nintendo Switch Online plan does not give you the same benefit.

If you already have that plan, check your included access before you pay. If you do not, compare the cost of one upgrade with the full membership fee. A subscription may suit you for its other games and features. If you do not want those extras, it is a poor way to save ten dollars.

Choose the route that fits what you own

Your situation	What makes sense
You own the Switch game	Buy its $9.99 upgrade pack if you plan to keep playing.
You own the game and have Expansion Pack access	Check the included upgrade before buying it again.
You do not own the game	Compare a full Switch 2 Edition with the Switch game plus its upgrade.
You only own the original Switch	Keep playing your current version. These packs need Switch 2.

A full Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is a different purchase. It bundles the game with its upgrade. Do not pay full price again just because the newer box looks like the simplest route. Compare the cost of a used copy plus an upgrade. Check the total price, shipping, and return terms.

What changes on Nintendo Switch 2?

The main gains are a higher resolution, a smoother frame rate, and faster load times. Both games also support HDR. On a TV, that last feature needs a display that supports it. These are changes to how the games look and run, rather than a new main adventure.

Higher resolution can help distant shapes look cleaner. A smoother frame rate matters when the camera moves or you turn to face an enemy. Faster load times reduce the pause between the place you leave and the place you want to reach. None of those gains requires you to learn a new way to play.

The appeal is steady comfort. If you often jump from shrine to shrine, shorter waits may matter more than a sharper mountain. If you roam on foot for long stretches, you may care more about motion and the view. Think about the parts of a normal session you notice most.

Nintendo lists the upgrades for Tears of the Kingdom on Switch 2. Faster loads and a clearer view give you a reason to return. They do not change the puzzles, fights, or building tools.

Do not expect a new game

If you disliked the basic rhythm before, better performance is unlikely to change your mind. You still choose your route, gather supplies, and work out what to do next. Buying a new edition cannot make an open-ended game feel like a tightly guided one.

That is also why a finished save is worth keeping. You do not need to begin again to find value in the upgrade pack. A few quests may still need work. That is a better reason to return than a vague plan to repeat the whole story.

Load times are useful, but context matters

Do not judge the purchase by one dramatic loading comparison. An upgrade should help the way you play over many sessions. Faster loads help when you travel often or retry a hard fight. They also save time when you switch tasks in a short evening.

If you tend to stay in one area, the gain is less central. You may still enjoy the clearer view. But a small perk need not be a must-have. Ten dollars is a fair price only if you want what it buys.

Performance upgrades in handheld play

Playing in handheld mode still gives you the new features. You do not need a large TV to enjoy improved loading times or a smoother view. Image quality matters on the small screen too, though the visual improvements will feel different from a large display.

HDR support is one part of the change, not the whole reason to buy an upgrade pack. Your Nintendo Switch 2 Edition also keeps its faster load times when you play away from the TV. Choose based on the two games you want to revisit, not just the screen you use.

These are not free upgrades for everyone. Included membership access needs the right paid plan and the base game. Buying an upgrade pack gives you a separate route. Check both before spending money.

Which Zelda game should you upgrade first?

Choose the one you are ready to play. That sounds plain, but it beats buying both packs on the strength of the same feature list.

For Breath of the Wild, the draw is a cleaner way to return to a world built around discovery. A fresh save makes sense if you want to find your own route again. An old save suits a return to places you passed by. The upgrade does not need to be an excuse for a full restart.

For Tears of the Kingdom, think about whether you still want to build, explore, or finish a quest. If your last session ended because you had seen enough, leave it there. Did you stop while still full of ideas? The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition gives you a reason to come back.

If you have played neither, our Breath of the Wild vs. Tears of the Kingdom guide deals with the bigger decision: which adventure fits you. Choose the game first, then the edition. You can also compare them with the shorter, more focused choices in our best Zelda games guide.

Zelda Notes is useful if you want company on the journey

Zelda Notes lives inside the free Nintendo Switch app on your phone. It works with these Nintendo Switch 2 Editions. You do not need a Nintendo Switch Online membership just to use Zelda Notes.

Its navigation can guide you toward shrines and Koroks. Voice Memories add spoken stories at certain places. In Tears of the Kingdom, you can share and receive building blueprints through QR codes. Nintendo's Zelda Notes feature guide explains the supported tools.

The choice is less about the number of features than the kind of help you want. A voice that points the way can turn a long hunt into a pleasant last step. It can also take away the joy of noticing something on your own. Use navigation when the search stops being fun, rather than leaving it on out of habit.

The audio stories offer a different reason to return. In a player discussion about Zelda Notes, some readers singled out Voice Memories as a welcome addition. That is one small group of views, not a verdict for every player. Still, it points to the feature's clearest strength: giving familiar places a little more context.

Calling it a Zelda Notes app can be confusing when you search your phone's store. Look for the Nintendo Switch app, then the game service inside it. Keep the phone nearby if you want to use those features. Want to put your phone away while you play? The main console changes still help.

Check save files and household access before paying

The upgraded editions offer two separate manual save files. That makes it easier to keep an old adventure and start a fresh one. Before moving between systems or starting over, check that the save you want is present. Do not delete your old data as a shortcut.

There is also a difference between buying an upgrade and using one through membership. A separately bought Tears of the Kingdom upgrade is a virtual game card. Other users can play it on the system where that card is loaded. The base game must be present too. Membership access is limited to eligible members.

For a shared console, this can change which route is best. One person having the right plan does not mean every profile has the same rights. Check the account that will actually play, not just the account that downloaded the pack.

A physical base game still needs its game card. A digital version needs the right digital access. Keep the game, the upgrade pack, and the save file separate in your mind. Owning one does not prove that the other two are ready.

Worth ten dollars, if you have a reason to return

Already own a Nintendo Switch 2 and the matching game? Buy the pack if you want to spend more time with it. The frame rate is smoother, loads are faster, and the view is clearer. That is a useful boost to a game you enjoy.

Use included membership access first if you have it. Compare the full game bundles if you are starting from nothing. Skip the purchase if your only reason is that a newer version exists.

My pick is to upgrade one game now. Leave the other until you are ready for it. Hyrule will still be there.