Nintendo’s newest batch of backwards compatibility fixes for Nintendo Switch 2 clears up problems in big hitters like Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe, DOOM (2016) and Final Fantasy XII. Here is what was fixed, which games still have issues, and how Nintendo’s post‑launch cadence is reshaping confidence in the Switch 2 ecosystem.
Nintendo has quietly rolled out another significant wave of backwards compatibility fixes for Nintendo Switch games running on Switch 2, and this one does more than just tick a few boxes on a long support list. It hits recognizable favorites, cleans up some of the platform’s most visible rough edges, and offers a clearer picture of how committed the company is to making the transition from Switch to Switch 2 as painless as possible.
The headline: big-name Switch titles are finally behaving
The latest batch of fixes, tied largely to the most recent Switch 2 system update, confirms a handful of previously problematic Switch games as “fully compatible” on Nintendo’s official list.
Newly fixed games include A Hat in Time, Botany Manor, Dadish, Dariusburst: Another Chronicle EX+, Dariusburst SC Core + Taito/SEGA Pack, Doom (2016), Earnest Evans Collection, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe and Limbo.
Most of these titles technically booted on Switch 2 before this update, but they showed issues ranging from audio glitches and control quirks to performance hitches that made them poor ambassadors for Nintendo’s backwards compatibility promise. With this update, Nintendo is effectively turning several “it runs, but…” experiences into the seamless drop-in play people expected on day one.
Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe is the most visible win. The game already worked on Switch 2, but it suffered from audio problems that were jarring in a title so dependent on lively music and sound feedback. Nintendo now lists those issues as resolved, which means Kirby’s latest 2D outing is once again a showcase platformer instead of a cautionary tale about day-one compatibility.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age and Doom (2016) are also key gets. These are the types of third-party titles that helped anchor the original Switch library as a serious platform for core players. When flagship ports like these behave unpredictably on new hardware, it undermines the idea that your digital library is safe. Their promotion to fully compatible status sends a much better message to anyone weighing an upgrade.
What still is not quite right on Switch 2
While the latest fixes are welcome, Nintendo’s own documentation and update notes still flag a group of titles that need work, which is important context for anyone with a deep Switch library.
A small set of games remain on the list for progression-blocking problems. Hoop Shoot, Roman Rumble in Las Vegum – Asterix & Obelix XXL 2, Summer Games Challenge: Jumping & Shooting, Summer Games Challenge: Running and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed are all still called out for issues that can prevent normal advancement.
Alongside those are titles that technically work, but with caveats. Pizza Tower may show graphical problems in specific areas, Laysara: Summit Kingdom has known touchscreen-control issues and the Japan-only Model Debut #nicola can exhibit screen distortion in some scenes. These games are playable, yet clearly not “done” from a compatibility perspective.
The important takeaway for early adopters is that the list of severely affected games is shrinking, and that most of the remaining problem titles are now either niche, regional or relatively small in scope compared to the big names that made up early compatibility headlines.
How the support cadence is evolving
Looking beyond this single batch, the more interesting story is how often Nintendo is revisiting backwards compatibility and how it is structuring those efforts.
Through 2025 and early 2026, Nintendo has consistently tied compatibility improvements to system firmware updates, pushing out batches of fixes instead of drip-feeding single-game patches. Previous updates in late 2025 pulled a double-digit number of games off the “issues” list at once, and third-party publishers like Limited Run Games have highlighted when their own titles quietly moved from broken to fully playable after a firmware bump.
This latest March update follows that pattern. Compatibility tuning is happening at the system layer more than through individual game updates, which is likely why entire sub-groups of games that share engines or middleware improve together. For players, it means one console update can transform a long stretch of your backlog overnight.
Equally important is how Nintendo communicates these changes. The company now maintains a regularly updated compatibility page that clearly labels games as fully functional, playable with issues or affected by progression problems. Each new round of fixes has been accompanied by a refreshed list, including new warnings when fresh problem cases are discovered.
That transparency was missing at launch, when information was scattered across support posts and community testing threads. The current cadence of “firmware drop plus official list update” has turned what initially felt like a moving target into a more predictable service.
What this means for early adopters
For anyone who jumped to Switch 2 on day one, the question is not just whether this batch of games now works, but whether it changes the overall tone of the ecosystem.
On a practical level, the answer is yes. If you own several of the newly fixed titles, the value proposition of Switch 2 improves immediately. Finding out that a game like Doom (2016) or Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age now runs as expected can be the difference between keeping your original Switch docked and finally letting the newer system become your only everyday machine.
Even if your own collection does not include these specific games, each batch of recognizable names has a small but meaningful psychological impact. When the compatibility headlines shift from “over 100 games have problems” to “here’s another wave of fixes for high-profile releases,” it becomes easier to trust that any remaining rough spots will be temporary.
There is also a performance angle. While Nintendo’s notes tend to focus on functionality and progression, community testing has shown that compatibility updates often go hand-in-hand with better stability and fewer crashes. That is vital for early adopters who bought Switch 2 partly to smooth out frame rates and loading times in their existing library, not just to play new exclusives.
Is confidence in Switch 2’s library future improving?
Backwards compatibility is not just a convenience feature for Switch 2. It is the backbone of Nintendo’s argument that your investment in digital purchases will survive generational shifts.
Early in the system’s life, communication gaps and long problem lists cast doubt on that promise. High-profile articles and community trackers that highlighted more than a hundred affected titles made it easy to believe that backward compatibility was half-baked.
A year later, that narrative is shifting. The fully nonfunctional list has dwindled, most remaining games are flagged as “playable with issues” rather than broken, and every major system update is now expected to remove at least a few more stragglers from the compatibility watchlist.
Nintendo still has work to do. A handful of games continue to suffer progression issues, and the company will need to keep pacing compatibility updates alongside new software launches instead of letting the backlog grow stale. Players with very specific niche favorites may still feel left behind until their particular title receives attention.
Yet taken as a whole, the latest wave of fixes is exactly what nervous buyers wanted to see. Big first-party and marquee third-party Switch releases are stabilizing on Switch 2 rather than lingering in limbo, and Nintendo is gradually building a track record of post-launch follow-through.
For early adopters who hesitated to migrate fully to Switch 2, this update is another nudge in the same direction. The odds are steadily improving that when you dock the newer system, almost everything in your existing library will simply work, and will keep working better over time.
If Nintendo can maintain this cadence through the rest of 2026 and continue to communicate clearly when issues are discovered and resolved, confidence in the Switch 2 ecosystem will not just recover from its rocky start. It will be one of the system’s quiet strengths, giving players a rare sense of continuity as Nintendo moves into its next era of hardware and software.