With Nintendo Switch 2 launching June 5 and pre-orders in the US and Canada beginning on April 24, questions are swirling around cartridge compatibility—specifically, whether Switch 2 cartridges will run on the original Switch. The answer? Only if the publisher includes the Nintendo Switch version on the card.
Thanks to a recent update from Marvelous Games, we now know that at least one Nintendo Switch 2 cartridge is designed this way. Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma will ship on a 64GB game card that includes both versions of the game: one for Switch 2 and one for the original Switch.
Insert it into a Switch 2, and you’ll get upgraded visuals, smoother performance, and support for new Joy-Con 2 features like mouse-style input. Insert that same cartridge into a regular Switch, and it boots the Nintendo Switch version—no downloads or conversions needed.
We covered the game’s visual improvements and upgrade path in our Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma upgrade guide, but this new confirmation reveals something more: physical Switch 2 cartridges can work on older hardware—if they’re built with cross-compatibility in mind.
How It Works—and Why It’s Not Guaranteed For All Games
Marvelous confirmed that the Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma Nintendo Switch 2 Edition includes the entire original Switch game. It also comes with the Switch 2 Upgrade Pack on a single 64GB cartridge. That’s the only reason it works on both consoles. The game detects which system it’s inserted into and launches the correct version automatically.
This setup is possible because Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma uses what’s essentially a dual-format cartridge. It’s compatible with the original Switch because it includes software that system can run. However, it also has the higher-resolution assets and new control features Switch 2 supports.
Not every Switch 2 game will be built this way. Publishers would need to deliberately package both versions on one cartridge, and in some cases, that might not be feasible due to file size, platform-specific features, or licensing constraints.
Nintendo hasn’t formally announced a policy or standard around this, which means each publisher may handle things differently. Some Switch 2 cartridges may only contain the newer version, making them unreadable by the original Switch.
The Catch Behind Switch 2 Game Card Support on Original Switch
Some fans have started asking whether Nintendo Switch 2 game cards will work on the original Nintendo Switch. The short answer: only if the card also contains the Nintendo Switch version of the game.
So far, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma is the only confirmed example. Marvelous packaged both versions onto one cartridge, making it compatible with both consoles right out of the box.
Nintendo hasn’t officially said whether this will be standard practice. Support will likely vary depending on how publishers approach future releases.
Would you like to see more publishers offer both versions on the same cartridge? Join the discussion below.
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