The Switch 2 is now out and about, offering the same fun and portability of the original console, but with beefier hardware. With it, players can now playStreet Fighter 6, theHitmanreboot trilogy,Cyberpunk 2077,Sonic X Shadow Generations, andMario Kart World, among others, all on the go or at home.
It also offers upgraded editions of some classic Switch titles, likeThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and its sequel,Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The Switch 2 is backwards compatible, so players can just use their old Switch 1 cartridges to play the game. But if they get its upgrade, available for a humble $9.99 on the eShop,they’ll get these quality-of-life improvementsalongside it.
6Zelda Notes
Chase Down Those Collectibles With An App
When it comes to tracking down collectibles, chances are some players have ended up checking out an FAQ somewhere to let them know where they were. Especially if there are numerous asTotK’s Korok seeds. Maybe they looked it up using their laptop, PC, or their smartphone. Either way, they were still putting one electronic device on hold to look up more stuff on another.
Nintendo decided to take advantage of this by addingthe Zelda Notes optionto the Nintendo Switch app (formerly Nintendo Switch Online app). With this function, players can track down Korok seed and Shrine locations inBotWandTotKin real time. It’ll mark them on the map and provide directions in text as well if they’re hidden well. So, ifplayers want Hestu’s gift that badly, this function will make it easier to get.
5Item Exchange
Transcend Time and Space With a Smartphone App
Still, the app wouldn’t be exciting if all the app did was track collectibles. Otherwise, Nintendo could just set up their own version of GameFAQs. It’ll also let players help each other out across both titlesby sharing items. Through the app, players can send them weapons, food, gear, and anything that can be stored in the Zelda Notes Item box in the game.
From that box, players can fire up the app, thensend it along to their friends. They can even send items across games, sending some stuff fromTotKtoBotWand back, albeit with some caveats. Players can’t just sendTotK’s new stuff toBotW, as they’re not part of its programming. Instead, they’ll get turned into an equivalent item fromBotWinstead. So, sadly, players can’t send their Autobuilds back to the past to make getting aroundBotW’s Hyrule easier.
4Autobuild Exchange
Get a New Ride at the Push of a Button
But players cansend their Autobuilds to other players, in the form of blueprints. If players add them to the in-game item box, they’ll get converted into a QR code, which can be shared online for others to download. It’s kind of like howStreet Fighter 6and theWWEgames let people upload their avatars and custom characters online for download, but with machines instead of monstrosities. That, and it requires the smartphone app.
It’s nice that people can download pre-made vehicles, weapons, etc., if they just want to get from A to B instead of finding all the parts themselves. Though it’s curious that the function was added to an app instead of being a separate function in the options or the like. Perhaps it was less time-consuming to set it up this way over, say, adding a new menu option, NPCs across Hyrule, or coming up with their own code system at short notice.
3Voice Memories
Getting Audio Logs on the Side
Nintendo also used the app to add audio logs to the game. Kind of. Whenever Link enters certain locations inTotK, the app’sVoice Memoriesfunction will let Zelda herself andother characters in the gameprovide additional insight. For example, if Link checks out Zelda’s Study, she’ll pop up in the lab to let him know what she was researching, etc.
Even if people have visited these locations multiple times in the original Switch ports, these Voice Memories could give them additional tips and hints for progression, lead them to new items, collectibles, or simply get extra lore. It’s a simple feature, but it can come in handy for newbies and diehardZeldafans alike, either by immersing them further in the game or giving them any clues they were missing out on.
A Last-Gen Game Now Runs in Next-Gen
Still, while the Nintendo Switch App doesn’t require a Switch Online account to use, not every player wants to mess around with their smartphone while they’re gaming. WithTotK, they just want to head into Hyrule and play the game. What can the Switch 2 port on its own provide over its Switch 1 incarnation?
Namely,better performance. When the Switch 2 is docked, and depending on the player’s TV/monitor setup, they can experience Hyrule in 4K with HDR support, and all at a steady 60FPS. Possibly more so depending on how tech-savvy the player is. Even when it’s undocked, players will see all the game’s sights in crisper detail, and quicker too, thanks to its improved load times.It’s a much smoother experiencecompared to the original game.
1Save Data Transfer
Turning Old Runs into New Ones
Still, if players got partway through the Switch 1 release, they might not fancy paying $9.99 for a better-looking, better-running reset of their progress. They can’t transfer their old Autobuilds, weapons, items, etc., through the Zelda Notes app as they can only trade items from one Switch 2 User to another. Luckily, they cantransfer their old save datato their new consolewithout too much fuss or muss.
So long as their Switch 1 has all the recent updates, players just need to turn their Switch 2 on, head to Data Management, select Transfer Your Save Data, select their Switch 1 Profile, then pick theirTotKdata. Once it’s downloaded, players will be able to continue where they left off in the new game, complete with access to all of its new features and more. No USB sticks, microSD cards or the like required.
