Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are getting Switch 2 editions for the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2. Today I’m going to round up all the info we have so far including the graphics, DLC, how much they cost plus cloud save support.

Improved performance

Both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 Editions will have enhanced graphics and improved framerates, plus support for HDR. Load times will be reduced also, meaning teleporting around Hyrule will be much quicker.

On the original Nintendo Switch, the loading screen between Lanaryu Tower and the Shrine lasted 29.85 seconds. On the Nintendo Switch 2, the load time has been cut down to 19.2 seconds. That’s roughly a 35% improvement. The wait is noticeably shorter than it used to be. The performance improves previously laggy areas in tthe game. For example, Korok Forest maintains a perfect 60fps throughout gameplay.

• Nintendo executive Nate Bihldorff said Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom will not have as many frame rate problems on Switch 2.
• The Switch versions of both Zelda titles experienced FPS drops in foliage-intense areas like the Korok Forest.
• The Switch 2’s enhanced graphical capabilities will smooth things out in both games, though player-made Autobuild creations could push things.
• The Switch 2 Editions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom will launch on June 5 alongside the Switch 2 console.

Nate Bihldorff, of Nintendo of America said:

“The first thing I did when I booted up the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Breath of the Wild is I went to the Korok Forest, because I knew the area previously had been the heaviest processing load. And as I walked around, all this foliage is finally being able to get rendered. I still think it’s an absolute wizardry that the Switch hardware was able to still run it well. But there’s no question that that was the area that saw the biggest performance hit. I saw no dips.

“I will say, nothing’s perfect, I think, especially with Tears of the Kingdom. The amount of stuff that you can do in that game is impossible to predict because of the access they’ve given you to building things. I mean, the mechs that people build that go striding through the environment and launching a gazillion missiles. There probably are still gonna be ways that you can go beyond the stress of the system, but I haven’t found any.”

Additional save slot

With two save files, you can start a brand new adventure or continue a previous one with your existing save data. Save data created in the second save data slot in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition cannot be transferred to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on Nintendo Switch.

Cost

The stand alone Switch 2 Edition of Breath of the Wild will be $70 and Tears of the Kingdom will be $80. However, if you already have the games then you’ll be able to buy an Switch 2 upgrade pack for $10 each. If you have Nintendo Switch Online with the Expansion Pack then you’ll get both upgrades included, for no additional cost.

Zelda Notes

You will be able to use the new Zelda Notes feature in the Nintendo mobile app for both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 Editions. I have done a deep dive on the channel recently about Zelda Notes, so check out the full vido there. This app will help you navigate the environment like google maps, plus there will be voice memories, autobuild and item sharing, plus daaily bonuses.

Breath of the Wild DLC

The DLC for Breath of the Wild is not included in the Switch 2 Edition, if you want to play that then that’s a separate purchase. There had been reports that all data for the game would be included with the Switch 2 Edition, however, Nintendo later clarified their position and said this

“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition does not include The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass DLC. That DLC is available as a separate purchase.”

Cloud saves

The Switch 2 Editions wont’ support cloud saves, and at the time of writing it’s not clear why this is the case.

On the store pages for both Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on Switch 2, a disclaimer says: “Please note: this software does not support the Nintendo Switch Online paid membership’s Save Data Cloud backup feature.”

This same disclaimer is not there for other Switch 2 Edition games – Super Mario Party Jamboree, Metroid Prime 4, or Kirby and the Forgotten Land – so it’s unclear why this is only impacting Zelda games.

Why does this matter? Well, players can import their save file from the original Switch to continue using the Switch 2 Edition of the game, but then won’t be able to create a new cloud save file as they continue.

What’s more, it seems even if players start a fresh save using the Switch 2 Edition, they still won’t be able to backup their save file. But why exactly would this only be the case for Zelda and not other games? For now, the reason is unknown. While it’s unclear at the moment, hopefully Nintendo will clarify before launcn.

All data on the cart

Nintendo have confirmed all data is going to be on the game card without a download. First party Nintendo titles will conttain the full game data, but it may be a different story for third party titles.

Nintendo spokesperson said: “Physical versions of Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games will include the original Nintendo Switch game and its upgrade pack all on the same game card (ie. they are exclusively Nintendo Switch 2 game cards, with no download code).”

They added: “Alternatively, some publishers may release Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games as download codes in physical packaging, with no game card.”

New amiibo

Ninttendo has revealed new Tears of the Kingdom amiibo which will be ready to launch on 5th June. This includes all the sages from Tears of the Kingdom including Tulin, Yunobo, Riju and Sidon. When scanned in the game they will unlock new glider fabrics as well as weapons and materials. With Zelda Notes, you can now use each amiibo figure an extra time each day. A Mineru’s Construct is also in development, but that is coming soon aftter launch.

Let me know what you think in the comments.