The Nintendo Switch was on the back foot in terms of hardware power from day one. The game’s big launch title, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, felt like it just barely fit within the confines of the system, running at an inconsistent 30fps and a less-than-optimal pixel count. Six years later, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom pushed the Switch even closer to its limits (and arguably beyond).

Given the struggles the games had on the OG Switch, it feels appropriate that the significantly more technically-adept Switch 2 is launching with updated versions of both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, which promise sharper visuals, better performance, and more. So, do these upgrades truly transform these Switch-era epics? Or are they less than legendary? Venture forth for my thoughts…

Note: This is an opinion piece and, thus, not as detailed as a full, scored review would be.

The original Switch versions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom certainly delivered in terms of style, mood, and sense of scale, but you usually weren’t rewarded for examining anything too closely, with an unflattering combination of soft details and jagged edges affecting many environments and objects.

The new versions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom sharpen things up considerably, bumping the resolution to a native 1440p docked and 1080p in handheld mode. That resolution is likely somewhat dynamic, but to my eye, it looked to occupy the higher end of the scale most of the time. Combined with HDR, the resolution bump results in an overall more vibrant, engaging presentation. Individual blades of grass can now be seen and environmental details are no longer lost in a sea of bleary textures and jagged edges. That said, I’d be lying if I said the difference is completely transformational. Underlying assets haven’t really changed, they’re just rendered at a more appealing resolution. The visual update is nice, but I can’t say it completely bowled me over.

More significant, is the boost in performance. On the OG Switch, you only got a shaky 30fps which could drop as low as 20fps (particularly in TotK) but on Switch 2, you’re looking at a rock-solid 60fps. Even delving into TotK’s most problematic areas, like the Fire Temple, didn’t result in any particularly noticeable hiccups, and I have to say, it felt damn good to finally wander around Kakariko Village without any chug.

Ultimately though, the thing that impressed me most about the Switch 2 versions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom was something I wasn’t expecting – Zelda Notes. If you download the Switch 2 updates you can now pair with a mobile app that provides the player with on-the-fly guidance and other handy-dandy features. Honestly, I’m not really a big phone guy – I own one, but I don’t do much with it, only downloading the apps I absolutely need. The idea of playing Zelda with my phone on my lap didn’t sound particularly appealing and Nintendo’s history when it comes to these kinds of mobile companion apps wasn’t terribly encouraging. Consider my surprise when I actually found the app quite useful!

The core feature of Zelda Notes is an interactive map, which syncs with your Switch 2, tracks your current coordinates, and allows you to mark the location of pretty much anything you want, whether you’ve found that thing previously or not – landmarks, key items, crafting materials, enemies, whatever. The map even provides GPS-like directions to marked destinations. Of course, discovering things for yourself is part of the fun in Zelda games, but for someone like me who’s already sunk many hours into beating BotW and TotK, but still far from 100 percent completion due to a lack of time and patience for searching out every trinket, Zelda Notes is kind of a godsend.

For example, I’ve wanted to acquire the “Depths Armor” set in TotK for some time, as it gives you some immunity to the game’s annoying Gloom, but getting it requires the player to locate a series of difficult-to-find “Bargainer Statues” in the game’s murky underworld. I’d pretty much given up the task, but Zelda Notes allowed me to easily locate the Bargainer Statues using the map and in around 90 minutes I finally had my Depths Armor set, something that previously would have required countless, possibly fruitless, hours searching in-game or through poorly-written online guides.

Zelda Notes also offers other features, including the ability to save and share Autobuild creations and items, “Voice Memories” that provide new insights about the world from Zelda and other characters, and yes, even the limited ability to fix broken weapons! Zelda Notes feels like an promising template for the future, and I’d like to see other Nintendo games, particularly those with lots of secrets, get similar guides.

Come for the Polish, Stay for the Pro-Tips

The Switch 2 versions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom offer a nice visual spit-shine and performance boost, although I’m not sure what you get is more impressive than some of the free updates Nintendo is offering for other Switch 1 games. In my opinion, what really justifies the BotW and TotK updates being paid products is Zelda Notes, which is a surprisingly useful and technically-savvy tool. Of course, not everyone will be interested in something like Zelda Notes, but if you’re looking for a bit of guidance, this is an upgrade path worth exploring, adventurer.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch 2 Edition updates are available now for $10 apiece or for “free” with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription.