10 Games That Still Won't Work Right on Switch 2
These games have confirmed backward compatibility problems on Nintendo Switch 2, from boot failures to progression-blocking bugs. Here is what is broken and what Nintendo is doing about it.
The Nintendo Switch 2 plays the vast majority of original Switch games without a hitch. But backward compatibility is not perfect. Nintendo maintains an official list of games with startup or progression issues on the new hardware, and some well-known titles are still stuck in limbo. These are not minor frame rate complaints or texture gripes. In most cases, these games simply refuse to boot, crash on launch, or hit progression-blocking bugs that make them unplayable.
Here are 10 games (and a few DLCs) that still have confirmed backward compatibility problems on Switch 2, based on Nintendo's official compatibility list and community reports on SwitchDB.
10. Transistor
Transistor, Supergiant Games' acclaimed action RPG from 2014, is the mildest case on this list. The game does boot and run on Switch 2. However, Nintendo's official compatibility notes confirm that it may stop functioning correctly if the console is inserted into or removed from the dock during certain gameplay sections. This dock/undock bug can force a restart and potentially lose progress. It is a narrow issue, but one worth knowing about if you play in both handheld and docked modes. For a game built around fluid combat and careful planning, an unexpected crash mid-run is more than a minor inconvenience.
9. Little Nightmares: Complete Edition
Little Nightmares: Complete Edition
Bandai Namco Entertainment
Little Nightmares: Complete Edition bundles the original horror-puzzle platformer with all its DLC chapters. On the original Switch, it was a solid port that ran without major problems. On Switch 2, however, the game has confirmed startup issues. It simply will not boot on the new hardware. Nintendo lists the issue as "being investigated," but no fix has been released yet. If you own the Complete Edition digitally and upgrade to Switch 2, this one stays on the shelf until a compatibility patch arrives.
8. Dead by Daylight
Dead by Daylight, the asymmetric multiplayer horror game from Behaviour Interactive, is another title that will not start on Switch 2. The game had a dedicated player base on the original Switch despite its technical limitations. On the new hardware, it hits a wall at launch. Nintendo's compatibility list confirms the startup failure, and the issue remains under investigation. For an online-only game that depends on an active player base, every day without a fix means players are forced to other platforms or simply cannot play.
7. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus was considered a technical showcase when it launched on Switch, proving that a demanding id Tech 6 shooter could run on portable hardware. Panic Button's port made significant visual compromises but delivered a playable experience. On Switch 2, none of that matters because the game will not boot at all. It appears on Nintendo's official startup issues list with the status "being investigated." The irony is hard to miss: a game celebrated for pushing the original Switch to its limits now cannot even get past the loading screen on more powerful hardware.
6. Warface
Warface
Tencent Holdings
Warface, the free-to-play FPS from MY.GAMES, has startup issues on Switch 2. The game (listed as Warface/Warface: Clutch on Nintendo's compatibility list) will not load on the new hardware. Nintendo confirms the issue is under investigation. While the game was never a technical showpiece on the original Switch, having it completely fail to start on Switch 2 is a step backward. Players who invested time and money into the free-to-play ecosystem are locked out entirely until a fix arrives.
5. Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition
Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition is a classic RPG from 2002, remastered by Beamdog for modern platforms. On Switch 2, the game has confirmed startup and progression issues. Some players report that the game will not boot, while others encounter progression-blocking bugs that prevent advancing through the campaign. For a game with a lengthy story and community-created modules, losing progress or being unable to start at all is especially frustrating. The issue is listed as under investigation by Nintendo, with no timeline for a fix.
4. Megaton Rainfall
Megaton Rainfall is a first-person superhero game where you defend cities from alien attacks at a planetary scale. On the original Switch, the game's ambitious scope already pushed the hardware hard. On Switch 2, the game will not boot at all. It appears on Nintendo's official compatibility issues list as having startup failures. The developer, Pentadimensional Games, is a small studio, and it is unclear whether a backward compatibility patch is being actively worked on. For now, this one is completely unplayable on the new hardware.
3. Borderlands 3 DLCs
Multiple Borderlands 3 add-ons have confirmed issues on Switch 2. Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck, Guns, Love and Tentacles, Bounty of Blood, and Moxxi's Heist of the Handsome Jackpot all appear on Nintendo's list with startup and progression problems. Players report that the DLCs either fail to launch or encounter bugs that block campaign progress. The base game and its entire DLC lineup on Switch 2 are affected, making the full Borderlands 3 experience unreliable on the new hardware. These issues are listed as under investigation.
2. Doom Eternal
Doom Eternal was another Panic Button triumph on the original Switch, delivering id Software's intense FPS in portable form. Like Wolfenstein II, the game will not start on Switch 2. It appears on Nintendo's official startup issues list alongside its DLC expansions (The Ancient Gods - Part One and Part Two). Given that both major id Tech ports on Switch share the same backward compatibility failure, the issue may be engine-level rather than game-specific. The status remains "being investigated," and Panic Button has not publicly commented on a timeline for fixes.
1. South Park: The Fractured But Whole
South Park: The Fractured But Whole takes the top spot because its Switch 2 issues compound an already troubled port history. The game will not boot on Switch 2, confirmed on Nintendo's official compatibility list as having startup issues under investigation. But even on the original Switch, the port had a reputation for bugs: save file corruption near the end of the game, infinite loading screens on certain missions, and disappearing character models. The backward compatibility failure means players cannot even get to the point where those older bugs would appear. With Ubisoft showing limited interest in patching legacy Switch titles, this one is unlikely to see a fix anytime soon.
A success story: Crypt of the NecroDancer
Not every compatibility issue is permanent. Crypt of the NecroDancer originally appeared on Nintendo's startup issues list, with the rhythm-based dungeon crawler crashing on Switch 2 hardware. But developer Brace Yourself Games responded quickly, releasing a compatibility patch in December 2025 that resolved the problem. The game now runs on Switch 2 without issues. It is proof that these problems can be fixed when developers actively support their titles, and a reminder that Nintendo's "under investigation" status does lead to real solutions.
What can you do?
If you own any of these games and plan to upgrade to Switch 2, keep your original Switch handy. These titles still work fine on the older hardware. Nintendo updates its compatibility list regularly, and some games have already been patched. Before purchasing any older Switch title for play on Switch 2, check Nintendo's official compatibility page and the SwitchDB games directory for the latest community ratings.
Have you run into backward compatibility problems with a game not on this list? Submit a compatibility report on SwitchDB to help other players make informed decisions.
