Minecraft now has a proper Nintendo Switch 2 edition. Mojang released it today, October 27, and it brings the Vibrant Visuals lighting overhaul to a Nintendo console for the first time. It also comes with a reworked Super Mario Mash-Up Pack, and anyone who already owns a digital copy on the original Switch can upgrade for free in most regions until January 31, 2027.
What the Switch 2 edition changes
Until today, Switch 2 owners who played Minecraft were running the original Switch version through backward compatibility. The new release is built for the newer hardware, and its main feature is Vibrant Visuals, the optional graphics mode Mojang has been rolling out across Bedrock platforms. It adds directional lighting, volumetric fog and dynamic shadows, which changes how caves, forests and sunsets look without touching the blocky art style underneath.
Vibrant Visuals also carries over to Marketplace content: any world, skin pack or add-on built to support the mode will render with the upgraded lighting on Switch 2. Mojang does list some exceptions. Vibrant Visuals is not available in split-screen, and some Marketplace worlds and content do not support it, so couch co-op sessions will fall back to the standard look.
The Super Mario Mash-Up Pack, updated
The Nintendo-exclusive Super Mario Mash-Up Pack is included with every edition of the Switch 2 version, and Mojang has updated it to use the new lighting. The pack has been a fixture of Minecraft on Nintendo hardware since the Wii U days. It reskins the game with a Mushroom Kingdom texture set, ships a themed world full of recognisable Mario locations, and includes 15 music tracks and 40 character skins drawn from the series.
The pack isn't installed automatically. Mojang's instructions are to claim it from the Marketplace inside the game and then start a new world with it.
Three digital editions, one boxed release
Minecraft for Switch 2 is available digitally in three tiers: the Standard Edition, the Deluxe Collection and the Ultimate Collection. All three include the Mario pack. The two higher tiers add extra content on top, including add-ons and a bundle of Minecoins, the game's Marketplace currency.
One detail to keep in mind with those coins: any Minecoins bundled with or bought in Minecraft on a Nintendo Switch device can only be spent within the Nintendo ecosystem. If you also play on PC, Xbox or mobile, a coin balance built up on Switch 2 will not follow you to those platforms.
A physical Standard Edition for Switch 2 is also coming to retail. The digital Deluxe and Ultimate Collections are eShop-only.
How the upgrade path works
For most players already on Nintendo hardware, the upgrade matters more than the full price. The offer runs from October 27, 2026 at 9AM PT until January 31, 2027 at 9AM PT, and it works in two ways depending on which version you own.
If you own Minecraft for Switch digitally, you can move to the digital Standard Edition for Switch 2 for free in most regions. The exceptions are Japan, Taiwan and Thailand, where the upgrade costs a token 100 JPY, 30 NTD and 25 THB respectively. Digital owners can also step up to the Deluxe or Ultimate Collection at a discount, through the Nintendo eShop only.
If you own a physical copy, or any version at all, launching the original Switch release on a Switch 2 during the offer window brings up an in-game message. It links to a discounted upgrade to the digital Ultimate Collection for Switch 2. Physical owners don't get the free Standard upgrade, so the discounted Ultimate Collection is their route in.
In both cases, Switch worlds can be carried over to the new version, so years of builds should not have to stay behind. Mojang has published separate help pages on world migration from Switch to Switch 2, on the upgrade path itself, and on Nintendo Account issues on the new console. Anyone with a large or long-running world should read them before moving anything.
Why it matters
Switch hardware has been one of Minecraft's biggest homes for years, and many of those players have since moved to Switch 2 while still running an older build of the game. A free upgrade with save transfer, available for roughly three months, is the simplest way Mojang could have moved that audience over. The January 31 cutoff is the date to remember: after it, the free and discounted routes close and the Switch 2 edition goes back to full price.
Minecraft for Nintendo Switch 2 is available now on the Nintendo eShop, with the physical Standard Edition following at retail.
