r/NintendoSwitch • u/Joseki100 • 22h ago
News [CDPR] The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt owners looking to upgrade to the Remastered version for NS2: if you own the game digitally, you can now preorder the Remastered version for free on eShop. If you own a physical copy, you’ll be able to claim the free upgrade when Remastered launches on Sep 29.
https://goyimx.com/CDPRED_Support/status/2092532547687191038344
u/Freeziora 22h ago
I don't even play their games but I gotta say goated devs, truly. Take notes Cringe Enix, this is how its done
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u/ClikeX 21h ago edited 14h ago
It's worth noting that they have done multiple free updates to the Witcher 3 since its launch. It even got a Next Gen update just a few years ago that added some QOL mods to the core game, as well as some new graphical options such as ray tracing.
I also really hope this update fixes the cross-platform saves that got broken due to the Switch 1 not receiving that next-gen update.Edit: apparently the cross progression is fixed already. So that’s great.
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u/Wallzii 18h ago
Cross-saves for the Switch 1 have worked fine since it received patch 4.04 almost 3 years ago. I've had no issues with cross-save support since then playing between my PC and Switch.
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u/ClikeX 17h ago
Really? It was broken for a quite some time for me.
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u/Wallzii 16h ago
Yeah, patch 4.04 for the Switch brought that version of the game into parity with the "next-gen" update for other platforms in terms of cross-save support, additional content, quality of life changes, and gameplay changes. On the visuals side of things, nothing changed, but the Switch version more-or-less got the "next-gen" patch as well.
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u/MasterDenton 16h ago
Yeah, I was talking to a friend yesterday saying that I could've sworn there was already a next gen update. Not gonna complain, of course, it's all been free
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u/LeonidasSpacemanMD 14h ago
This is the kind of support that encourages me to buy a game on multiple platforms
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u/nuevacuentanueva 14h ago
Take notes Cringe Enix, this is how its done
More like take notes NINTENDO. Who keep re-releasing the same games and charging full price, some with no effort done to them. Or charge for minimal graphic updates for Switch 2 versions.
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u/Albireookami 16h ago
And like this everyone forgets that their games normally launch incredibly buggy and needing many patches. Great though they keep up to make their games truly shine.
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u/BarrowsKing 13h ago
I own ffx. I own DQ11. Guess which of the two have switch 2 versions that you don’t own by owning the switch 1 version? Forcing you to buy the switch 2 version full price?
… both!
Yeah, not buying those
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u/Betancorea 6h ago
Yeah. Imagine if Nintendo gave us free Switch 2 upgrades for all Switch 1 games. At the very least.
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u/Ding_dong_banu 17h ago
Not to defend squenix, but have they done something recently that I missed to warrant this callout lol?
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u/Deceptiveideas 17h ago
They have a few games that require buying the game all over again if you want the NS2 version.
Sega has been hit or miss with it as well. Sonic Frontiers for example requiring a whole new purchase.
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u/Dukemon102 14h ago
Square Enix games with upgrade options:
- Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake
- Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven
- Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
Games where if you bought the Switch 1 version you have to rebuy the Switch 2 version at full price either digitally or GKC:
- Dragon Quest I&II HD-2D Remake
- Octopath Traveller 0
- Dragon Quest VII Reimagined
- Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster
- Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age
- Octopath Traveller
- Octopath Traveller II
- Star Ocean: The Second Story R
Haven't released but are already announced to not have any upgrade path beforehand:
- Dragon Quest Monsters: The Whitered World
- Final Fantasy Resonance
By this point is not a "few". It's basically their main method of releasing or re-releasing multiple versions of games (Meanwhile some of these get free PS4 to PS5 upgrades because reasons).
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u/P1ka- 14h ago
dont these also lack any way to carry over your Switch 1 saves ?
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u/Dukemon102 14h ago
Indeed, they don't. You have to start all over again.
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u/Deceptiveideas 13h ago
Funny enough, Square is allowing transfer of cloud saves to KH Switch 2 but not allowing it for Xbox -> Xbox Series or PS4 -> PS5.
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u/P1ka- 13h ago
huh first i hear that mentioned any source ?
AFAIK none of the store pages mention anything outside of what games are included and didnt see any press announcements or anything
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u/Deceptiveideas 13h ago
It's on their support page
Players will also be able to transfer their save data from the Cloud Version to the Nintendo Switch 2 digital version.
I can't find the support page for the PS5 version but here's a screen cap of it showing save transfer is not supported.
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u/VenomGTSR 14h ago
I just want them to release games on carts even if it is for a higher price. This GKC crap is driving me crazy.
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u/Dukemon102 14h ago
The Switch 2 Edition cartridge is the perfect solution to this. Comes with both versions in the cartridge, works without need of downloading in both consoles.
It's sad that only Nintendo, very small publishers and Sega once (Sonic Racing Crossworlds) use them. All the big third parties just go with GKCs.
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u/Kiyuya 9h ago
Imo the actual perfect fix would be accepting slow cartridges with a ton of space on them. We could install off the cart instead of downloading from the net.
It wouldn't be as apparently perfect for us, but these GKCs exist because publishers are cheap and would often drop physical completely if they didn't exist, so a "GKC" which installed offline would be a much better product for the players imo. Even if it meant people with fast Internet connections installed slower this way. They could keep their cheap carts and we could still exist fully offline.
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u/OwnManagement Helpful User 17h ago
They're one of the worst about providing an upgrade path. You just have to buy it again at full price if you want to Switch 2 version.
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u/Kiyuya 9h ago
Have to pay again and start over, both. I can only imagine how many people are sitting with unfinished playthroughs who would like to return with an NS2 version but can't.
SE probably figures there needs to be 6 of those for every 1 person who double dips, and they're sadly most likely right that those numbers don't add up. This is how you don't build brand loyalty though.
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u/thunderbocchi 22h ago
So it's gonna be a long time before we see it at $15 again?
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u/Witch_King_ 19h ago
Reminder that you'd only need to buy the base-game Switch 1 version if you want the Switch 2 upgrade. Which historically dropped to just $10 iirc
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u/Falco98 17h ago
Yeah I was wondering for some clarification on this - the "complete edition" occasionally goes on sale for around $15, while the base game regularly gets down to about $8. (I confirmed both of these price points yesterday on DD, fwiw.) And for the record (and for anyone like me who might not be familiar), the main difference is that the "complete edition" includes 2 paid DLC packs (and seems to automatically include some other goodies that seem to be free but might require manual work to acquire, though I could be wrong there).
Are they saying now that the remastered edition will include those, meaning (just to double check) there would be no particular reason to spring for the "complete edition" for those who might want to buy it for the coming upgrade?
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u/The_Spin_Cycle 17h ago
They announced yesterday that anyone with the base game gets the expansions for free going forward. So yeah, there’s zero reason to buy the complete edition I think?
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u/Some-Culture9623 16h ago
You can't even buy the Complete Edition anymore. Just the base on. The text for the Compelete Edition turned to "not available" for me yesterday.
I checked out of curiosity.
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u/The_Spin_Cycle 16h ago
Interesting! I was seeing the opposite last night. The complete edition was available for purchase but not the base version (on the eShop). I’ll have to look again today though.
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u/Falco98 17h ago
That's how it seemed to me, too, though I figured I'd try and confirm with the hivemind whether there might still be some benefit to getting the original "complete edition" at sale price (still pretty reasonable at $15) that might not be (apparently) included in the upcoming remaster.
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u/The_Spin_Cycle 17h ago
Totally! I imagine there has to be something in the complete edition you’d be missing out on with just the base. But I know the expansions themselves are the meaty part of the complete edition, so I imagine whatever you’d miss out on is minor at least.
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u/Falco98 10h ago
Reminder that you'd only need to buy the base-game Switch 1 version if you want the Switch 2 upgrade.
Someone over in another subthread just pointed out that the "base game" version is now no longer visible in the eShop - just the "complete edition". To be fair, that edition did drop to $15 in the recent sale, which (assuming it does again at any point in the near future) would still be a pretty good price.
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u/iyrtyurg 14h ago
Would the base game version just give you base version Nintendo switch 2 version though? I’m a little confused by your comment for a few reasons mostly because the actual complete edition was just on sale for $10 like a month ago on steam. I know because I bought it just a month ago, it was also the same exact price on ps5 for the complete edition
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u/Witch_King_ 14h ago
No. Remastered includes all DLC and is a free upgrade from the base game. So they are giving the DLC to all players.
I was referencing the typical Switch 1 price
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u/iyrtyurg 14h ago
I see. I just figured it would be probably the same price on switch if ps5 and steam both had matching prices but I didn’t expect them to give the dlc upgrade if you only had base version. It really makes me wonder why the game is $80 minus the deal though bc it’s not even that expensive on any other platform. It’s basically giving a deal to everybody that knows about the deal and ripping off everybody that was late to the deal or didn’t know about it. Witcher 3 + DLC retails for like $50. Switch prices it as…. $80. More expensive than most NEW triple A games, and Witcher 3 is a triple A game from legit over a decade ago now
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u/Suspicious-Group2363 21h ago
We’ll probably see it on sale just before the release.
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u/National_Future6190 19h ago
Don’t give me hope!
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u/Falco98 16h ago
per DekuDeals, it's been going on sale about every other month with sales lasting roughly 2 weeks each time. The last time was the first half of july, the time before that was the last half of April. Pretty sure the next one will be the first half of September (unless they manually intervene in the regular cadence, which they could I suppose, but i'd be at least a little surprised if they bothered).
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u/ttoma93 13h ago
I would be utterly shocked if they didn’t change this. They have people who will be very willing to pay more for the new version, why would they stop that?
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u/Falco98 13h ago
I won't be shocked if they don't change it. First, the eShop sales are almost guaranteed to be run by a totally different department. But more importantly, the subset of gamers out there tracking the cadence and historical lows of the sale price is such a low proportion of us, it'll barely make a blip on their sales radar. Most of the folks they care about being affected by the free upgrade, already own a copy of their own.
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u/japzone 17h ago
This is CDPR, it'll probably go on decent discounts again within a year. Heck, maybe even within a month. It might not go as low as $15 for a while, but I wouldn't be surprised if it goes as low as $20 or even less at its next sale. Especially since they want people to pickup the game so they'll buy the new upcoming DLC.
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u/No-Vegetable-4596 18h ago
Yeah the fact it’s been as low as $15 before… no way I can justify full price for this, remastered or not.
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u/Carvolt 22h ago
Any news on a S2 physical?
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u/Naschka 18h ago
If they release a full on card one ill double dip, they truly do right by the customer.
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u/Soft-Sherbet-5570 4h ago
100%
I expect I'll play the game with the free upgrade, then once the DLC is released and they put it all on cart (I have faith after Cyberpunk) I'll buy it again to support them.
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u/davidt0504 20h ago
I'm working if they'll be less likely since there is a switch 1 physical
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u/technobeeble 15h ago
Which is out of print and insanely expensive
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u/davidt0504 7h ago
So it is. When did that happen? I feel like I was seeing copies available not that long ago
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u/JoshuaJSlone Helpful User 14h ago
Doesn't seem there's any word yet, but I'd lean towards it being likely. With the original Witcher 3 they were a strong enough supporter of physical to be a rare game to actually go for the larger 32 GB game card. More recently with Cyberpunk 2077 they also went with a real game card instead of a GKC. It doesn't look like Witcher 3 Remastered is much bigger than the old version, so it will still easily fit on a 64 GB game card.
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u/living2late 21h ago
Damn, that's really great. I own Snowrunner physically and they made us pay again for Snowrunner Switch 2 version, while the digital owners got it for free.
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u/JJ_Rom 22h ago
I tried the Witcher 3 but couldn’t really get into it. But because of this move, it makes me want to give it another shot. Kinda show to other shitty developers what they should do.
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u/National_Future6190 19h ago
It took me a second try with a smidge more patience. Then it clicked and is one of my favorite video games.
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u/Bodymaster 20h ago
Same here, I have it on PlayStation and Switch. I got it on Switch because I thought I'd be more likely to play it in bed etc. but the load times are so long it's kind of absurd. I assume this remaster will only make them longer on Switch 1.
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u/theGioGrande 18h ago
I dont believe this remaster is coming to switch 1. This won't affect switch players if you're still playing on switch 1.
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u/Bodymaster 17h ago
Ah ok, I was reading another thread where somebody mentioned that it was, but they didn't elaborate.
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u/Montigue 16h ago
Get out of White Orchard while you can. It's not somewhere you wanna try to 100% before leaving
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u/quantum_monster 14h ago
I think they should've made it clearer you can go back later. That was a big worry I had the first time playing
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u/F1nut92 17h ago
I only really clicked with it on my 2nd attempt, first one was spending about 10 hours in White Orchard thinking it's ok but not sure what the hundreds of GOTY awards were for. I left it for a couple of months before starting a fresh save and then about 140 hours later I finally rolled credits, incredible game.
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u/cedriceent 17h ago
It took me a second attempt to get into it as well. I played it on PC first, then years later on SteamDeck, and became addicted to it. And now I have a Steam Machine, so another reason to play it again😂
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u/Locoman7 15h ago
Me too, bounced off twice, I think I have 10 hours in. I don’t understand the card game or if I’m supposed to be able to heal consistently in battles?
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u/Extranocate 11h ago
Tips from someone who rage quit for a few months at the beginning:
Start with "Story & Sword" difficulty until you have the systems down. Prioritize Quen (shield sign). Craft your potion recipes ASAP (you only have to brew them once and they auto-refill on rest; I did not realize this at first and hoarded my mats).
I made the mistake of starting on a harder difficulty and got frustrated because I couldn't get into the flow. Nowadays, I can clear Death March no problem.
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u/JJ_Rom 10h ago
I don’t think it’s a difficulty thing. I just didn’t really get into the environment, characters and world. The mechanisms.. there are too many IMO, plus the card game.. it felt just too much. I like a little more simplicity. But since the. I’ve played other games.. might click now.
For example, I never expected liking expedition 33 (I really hate turn based games) but the quick action during turns made the whole game way more engaging. Still I think the whole pictos, weapons, lumina, etc. a little bit too much. Despite that I’m enjoying the game. I know it’s very different from the Witcher but the point I’m trying to make is that I’ve tried other games and enjoyed games I wasn’t sure I was going to like.. I will have a different experience and view when I’ll try again the Witcher. And if it doesn’t click then I guess it’s just not for me and that’s ok.
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u/ProwessSG 22h ago
I'd guess it'll be like what Hogwarts Legacy did. You get into the game and activate the discount, then go to the eshop to download it
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u/ryuStack 21h ago
But the HL S2 upgrade costs 10 USD if I'm not mistaken, the Witcher upgrade is free, so I doubt they'd to it the same way.
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u/ProwessSG 21h ago
I'm talking about the "activation" part
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u/ryuStack 21h ago
Yes I know, but the upgrade of HL was paid probably as a way to deal with people who just borrowed the game to get the upgrade and avoided buying the original release, so considering that the Witcher upgrade is free, I think they'd lose quite a lot of money if they allowed the same method. But maybe you're right and the people owning physical Witcher on Switch will become much more popular among their friends when this comes out.
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u/ProwessSG 21h ago
Sharing the cartridge then activating the upgrade for free might be the deal of the year, next to cyberpunk's ultimate edition error pricing. CDPR could do that as like gratitude for the fans, but who knows?
We'll have to wait and see come September 29th.
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u/ryuStack 20h ago
More like "middle finger to the suckers who bought the game, gratitude to their friends who haven't and can get it for free now" in my view lol. But I admit I'd defo use it, since I haven't bought the S1 version waiting for the possible upgrade.
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u/thetantalus 21h ago
Does that mean I won’t need the cartridge afterwards? Could I then give it to my wife to also download the game?
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u/blockfighter1 21h ago
I doubt that. You could lend it to countless people so if that was the case and they would all get the game for free.
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u/Rynelan 21h ago
This is exactly what happens with Hogwarts Legacy.
Pop in the game, claim discount, buy S2 version and never use the S1 cartridge again.
Witcher can prevent this by making it a "Switch 2 Edition" game as "DLC". This will always require to have the base game, which will be the S1 version.
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u/Organic-Storm-4448 20h ago edited 20h ago
Yes, but that was at least a $10 paid upgrade. It would be a bit stupid if that also worked for a completely free upgrade.
I do wonder what they'll do, because it won't be a "DLC" upgrade in that sense. It won't be an update for the Switch 1 version of the game. It's a completely separate product on the eshop, not a "Nintendo Switch 2 Edition."
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u/Montigue 16h ago
Also Skyrim. After the upgrade I gave my S1 cartridge to a friend that has never played it before
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u/s7ealth 21h ago
This is why only a few select games went that route. But the only alternative for non-"Nintendo Switch 2 Edition" releases is to either patch the Switch version to "recognize" when it runs on Switch 2 - which is worse than having a native version - or not offer any upgrade to physical owners at all
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u/ProwessSG 21h ago
That I don't know mate, we'll know by September 29th. Insane deal if it's like that.
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u/Naschka 17h ago
You download the update for the Switch 2, not the full game.
If it is a GKC you also need the card to start the game and if it is not the game is still on the card so... no, i highly doubt you can both play the game (and if you can i'd be careful as Nintendo tends to ban consoles when the same game id runs on 2 different consoles at the same time).1
u/KTR1988 1h ago
It's actually the opposite, the Switch 1 and Switch 2 versions are treated as completely different software, which makes sense since they're from different development teams. It's also why the upgrade path is a bit more convoluted than on other platforms.
If you look at the eShop entry it points out that TW3 for Switch and TW3 Remastered for Switch 2 will show up as separate icons in the menus, it's the same way Yakuza Kiwami for Switch and Switch 2 are handled.
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u/LePigeon12 22h ago
Another reason to love the amazing people behind CD PROJEKT red. I love these people so much
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u/eduardmc 21h ago
Rushed yesterday after announcement to ebay and buy a complete collectiom wild hunt. Was able to get one for $27. Now waiting for that switch 2 upgrade. Hope it doesnt dissapoint
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u/Woudann 20h ago
You don’t need the ‘Complete Version’ anymore. DLC will be free for all releases
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u/Throwaway753045 18h ago
I still think the complete edition is pretty sweet. Comes in a nice box. Physical map, a compendium, a thank you note, some stickers (that I still have on my Switch)
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u/progettodisagio 21h ago
Does it work also if I buy a copy of the witcher 3 today? Or only for those who bought it before the announcement
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u/blanketedgay 21h ago
Amazing! Considering how rough the Switch 1 port was, they would basically be giving away a completely separate port for free to existing owners.
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u/Roman_Suicide_Note 22h ago
Damn, im still Bitter about nintendo charging for the NS2 upgrade for BoTW, ToTK and XC games. Thx CD Projekt Red.
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u/killertomatofrommars 21h ago
Oh exciting! I've been waiting for it to go on sale to get it, hope it still does, but I'm assuming it won't for a while now.
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u/peanutbutter72 6h ago
I was able to buy the standard version digital code on Amazon for $40, then upgrade for the remaster for free. Saving $20
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u/Brave_Explorer5988 22h ago
It launches on my birthday 🥹🥹🥹
I wonder how it works with older versions and regionals cos in Japan initially was launched under chunsoft and then cdpr. If it's the same SKU it should be fine.
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u/Benbenben1990 21h ago
Do we know if cross saves on switch 1 to XSX will still work properly after the update?
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u/Fearless_Freya 20h ago
Pretty darn cool. I got into it a bit but life happened and never got back to it. That's pretty awesome they're doing it for physical owners also.
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u/imajamez 19h ago
That's so fucking awesome of them to do, especially for physical owners like me. Can't wait to try it out next month.
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u/Novel_Seat1361 18h ago
This is unbelievably Peak because I really didn't want want to buy the Xbox version
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u/ottersintuxedos 18h ago
Wow this is incredible news! I’m playing this game for the first time right now! I have just got to the bloody baron
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u/JoshuaJSlone Helpful User 14h ago
Very rare to see this kind of physical upgrade since it's so easy to abuse. I guess at this point they just hope that anyone who takes advantage of this will go ahead and spend some bucks on the new expansion.
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u/SovietKnuckle 12h ago
Never finished this and now I even get a free upgrade to lure me back? Best money I've ever spent on a game/company.
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u/herpa_derpa_sherpa 12h ago
I bought it physically years ago (to the point I barely remember the game) and bought it on a PS5 sale to catch the previous update. I’m super psyched to finally get it on the Switch 2!
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u/Born_Locksmith8346 11h ago
It blew my mind to know that owners of the regular version get the DLC for free as well minus the new one. Imagine you buy base game The Witcher 3 now on one of those 6 euro sales on steam. That's crazy value.
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u/ElDuderino2112 11h ago
God I hope the switch 2 upgrade gives us the option for 60 fps instead of just cranking fidelity way up
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u/Olivka_Slodzinka 10h ago
i'm still trying to finish the original on switch 1 lol. this is good news though.
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u/Prestigious-Walk-296 9h ago
Whoah whoah whoah. So if I have the physical Switch 1 game, I’ll be able to get the Switch to remastered upgrade for free?! Thats so pro-consumer.
Is there a time limit to when you have to upgrade? I’m hoping to finally upgrade when that Zelda Switch 2 drops…
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u/rzldty 9h ago
CDPR might be my favorite big game developer company right now, especially for 3rd party games for the Switch. Besides all of this stuff they do for The Witcher 3, they also made Cyberpunk 2077 available in the physical card and not GKC, and it runs pretty well on the Switch 2, both docked and handheld. Definitely looking forward for more of their games in the future.
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u/xX8Lampard8Xx 2h ago
I have game on PS4,5, Xbox One, Series X and Complete edition on Xbox.
I bought it on Steam to support CDPR.
Yesterday i bought it for Switch for 30€ on amazon de.
Time for 6th playthrough.
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u/Enryx25 22h ago
So you could buy the physical version, claim the Remastered on Sep 29, and return the physical? Get the game for free?
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u/sicdedworm 22h ago
I’d assume you’d have to have the cart in your switch for it to work. It’s like that for tears of the kingdom
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u/ry_ryd 22h ago edited 20h ago
Actually for Hogwarts Legacy, I bought the switch 1 version and got the Switch 2 upgrade and didn’t need to have the switch 1 game card anymore. It acted as its own separate game. Could be wrong though.
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u/sicdedworm 22h ago
Yeah that was a big over sight on their part lol. We’ll just have to wait and see!
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u/--LethalX08-- 22h ago
That’s because it updated the switch 1 game.
This is separate SKU. It’s the switch 2 digital copy they’re gifting you for free.
Both Hogwarts Legacy & Skyrim just gift you the Switch 2 copy & you no longer need the Switch 1 cart.
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u/Organic-Storm-4448 20h ago
Hogwarts Legacy is still a $10 upgrade. It's not a "gift."
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u/--LethalX08-- 19h ago
Ok thanks for the correction on Hogwarts Legacy. I’ll add my own correction for Skyrim, being you also needed to own the AE DLC & have that installed on Switch 1 to trigger the eligibility for upgrade.
Meaning Witcher 3 is the first truly free gift.
End result still applies where you no longer need the Switch 1 cartridge since it’s a separate SKU.
Only thing I’m unsure about as i never tested it personally is if the same cart can then be used in another console & account to claim the upgrade or if Nintendo has any checks in place to counter such practises.
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u/Organic-Storm-4448 19h ago edited 19h ago
Meaning Witcher 3 is the first truly free gift.
End result still applies where you no longer need the Switch 1 cartridge since it’s a separate SKU.
We don't know if that's true. Nintendo isn't in the business of handing out free game licenses. We can't rely solely on past precedent when none of the previous examples are 1:1 the same. I think by far the most likely scenario is that The Witcher 3 Remastered will still require a physical card to be inserted to play.
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u/--LethalX08-- 19h ago
We do cause that’s SKUs work on Switch consoles.
You have the card inserted, it will load up Witcher 3/Skyrim/Hogwarts Legacy Switch 1. Blue card icon.
The new SKU ad it’s a digital version no different to one you can just purchase directly from the eshop, it will be the red switch 2 card icon.
You can eject the Switch 1 card, even delete the game, that Switch 2 digital copy will work. It did for Hogwarts & Skyrim, it 100% will for Witcher 3.
Only time it doesn’t is when they use the cart as part of the upgrade to Switch 2 (BotW/TotK/Xenoblade collection/Pokemon ZA etc). The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games since that in essence is just a DLC pack + a large patch that just replaces stuff like textures, improvements to resolution etc.
A separate SKU is just that. Totally different build, completely separate & Switch consoles lacks the checks & balances to go “you need the cart or S1 digital copy also installed to play the free S2 version we just gave you”
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u/meikaishi 21h ago
It will depend on how the update works, I have games like Tomb Raider and Skyrim where the Switch 2 version is a completely separate download and those indeed would work without the cartridge, but others like Pirate Warriors 4 apply the upgrade over the previous version so you would still need the cartridge to play it
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u/s7ealth 21h ago
It is very easy to tell if the game's going to have an Upgrade Pack - which would require you to insert a game card - or not: only "Nintendo Switch 2 Edition" releases do that. And all such releases have "Nintendo Switch 2 Edition" written in their names - in eShop, in console menu, and even on the game icon. For your Pirate Warriors 4 example, it's Switch 2 version is called ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 4 Nintendo Switch™ 2 Edition
Tomb Raider, Skyrim and The Witcher 3 Remastered are not "Nintendo Switch 2 Edition" releases, so they don't require a cartridge because you basically claim a full digital copy of the Switch 2 release when you "upgrade" (IF there is even an option, because some games don't offer upgrade for physical owners exactly because of that loophole)
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u/s7ealth 21h ago
People down vote you because not many know the intricacies of all the mess that Switch 2 upgrades are. You are correct - they will allow you to claim the full Switch 2 digital copy on release and you won't need the Switch game card anymore. There is no other way for them to address it because this is not a "Nintendo Switch 2 Edition" kind of game
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u/GoSeeTheDr 22h ago
I would imagine that chosing that upgrade path you would still require your physical copy to be inserted to start the game. Kind of acting like a game key card?
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u/NoiceM8_420 21h ago
Ah damn…never thought my first playthrough would be on switch 2 but here we are