Legend Of Zelda Switch 2 Editions Test The Limits Of What Players Will Pay For
Everything has a price.
When Nintendo finally unveiled the Switch 2 in early April, we learned how the console will handle upgrades to games first released on the original Switch. While some games will get minor graphical enhancements, a selection will also receive Switch 2 Editions, which add new features. Unsurprisingly, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are both on that list, and both will cost $10 more than their Switch 1 editions. Now, another video has revealed the strange and sometimes questionable mix of features both Zelda games will get.
As announced at the recent Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, these games’ upgrades mostly come from Zelda Notes, a new feature in the Nintendo Switch app set to launch alongside the console. Zelda-focused YouTuber Zeltik recently shared a video showing what players will be able to do with Zelda Notes, and the list is quite extensive.
Nintendo already revealed a strange, GPS-like navigation feature that guides players to map locations, and voice notes featuring Princess Zelda’s thoughts on important sites throughout Hyrule. Players can also use the app to share their autobuild structures with other players in Tears of the Kingdom, as well as other items in both games. A photo studio feature lets players easily edit and share screenshots as well.
One subject that’s had some players up in arms since the Switch 2 was announced is its lack of console-level achievements. Unlike Sony, Microsoft, and Steam, Nintendo won’t be implementing a system that tracks achievements across all its games, but the Zelda Notes app actually adds them for these two titles. Zeltik shows off achievements like running a certain distance or collecting a certain amount of money. In addition to tracking a huge number of stats, players will receive medals for hitting these achievements. Players can also see global stats, which lets them compare their playthrough with other users.
Nintendo showed off Zelda Notes features like autobuild sharing in a recent Treehouse stream.
Zelda Notes’ strangest feature is the daily bonus. Zeltik spotted several potential bonuses in a Nintendo Treehouse stream of Tears of the Kingdom, including the ability to recharge energy cells or get a free meal. The most eye-catching bonus is equipment repair, which will let players fix their gear on the go, slightly alleviating the much-maligned (but actually good) weapon degradation featured in both Tears and Breath of the Wild.
There are plenty of players who will probably get lots of use out of the Zelda Notes app, but I can’t help but be miffed that it’s locked behind a paywall. Nothing new is technically being added to the games, since the new features are all on a separate app, and charging a premium just feels like one more way Nintendo is nickel-and-diming players with the Switch 2. Features like autobuild sharing, as Zeltik calls out, should have been included in Tears of the Kingdom in the first place, and added bonuses like achievements are a strange thing to charge for.
Zelda Notes offers a mix of features, some of which seem like they should be free.
Plenty of Zelda fans will probably disagree and happily spend the money, but this still shows just how uneven Nintendo’s implementation of Switch 2 Editions is. While both Zelda games get a grab bag of somewhat useful features, games like Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Mario Party Jamboree get what amounts to full-blown DLC. Nintendo will charge different prices for these upgrades to reflect how much you’re getting, but paying for a companion app feels harder to justify than paying for in-game content.
The silver lining here is that Switch 2 Editions for both Zelda games are included with a Switch Online subscription at the Expansion Pass tier, so players who are already subscribed essentially get them for free. With GameCube games also being added at that tier, it will be easier than ever for players to justify the price. But as with so many other decisions about the Switch 2, Nintendo seems to be testing the boundaries of exactly what players will pay for, when simply giving free access to the app would makes its sharing features more useful and keep all Zelda fans — including those who don’t want to shell out even more money for the game — happy.
