Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma FAQ Suggests Some Physical Switch 2 Cartridges Will Be Playable on Switch 1

To cap off two weeks of questions, confusion, and occasional answers about Nintendo Switch 2 pricing, pre-orders, DLC, Switch 2 Edition upgrades, controllers, and more, here’s another weird scenario to add to the pile. According to an FAQ from Marvelous on the upcoming game Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, at least some Nintendo Switch 2 physical cartridges will be compatible with the Nintendo Switch 1.

This comes from this Marvelous FAQ, which includes the following:

What is the physical “Nintendo Switch 2 Edition”?

The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is a red 64GB game card that includes, in full, the Nintendo Switch game and the Upgrade Pack.

There’s no need to download the full game: simply insert the card into either a Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2 console, and the correct version will launch automatically.

Like most modern titles, there may be small updates or patches available at launch to provide minor fixes and improvements, but rest assured: the complete game is on the game card, ready to play from day one.

This suggests you can purchase the Nintendo Switch 2 edition of Guardians of Azuma, and slot it into a Nintendo Switch 1 to play the Nintendo Switch 1 edition of the game if you so choose. If this is indeed the case, this is the first time we’re hearing of the ability to play certain Switch 2 cartridges on the Switch 1.

We’ve known for a while that most Switch 1 games will be compatible with Switch 2. We also know that games that are exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 (Mario Kart World, for instance), or Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of Switch 1 games (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Switch 2 Edition, with all the upgrades), won’t be playable on the Switch 1. But the question of whether you can just take Switch 2 cartridges and plug them into the Switch 1 to get the Switch 1 version of the same game has been up in the air so far. Some players have spotted an image in the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour that suggested a tiny “notch” in the plastic of Switch 2 cartridges might prevent that from being the case, but whether that notch is preventative or not remains to be seen.

It’s also unclear as to how exactly many games this will apply to. We know that first-party and some third-party physical Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games will include both the base game and the Switch 2 Edition upgrades on the cartridge, while other third-parties may choose to release Switch 2 Edition games as download codes in physical packaging. Additionally, some boxed Nintendo Switch 2 games will not actually have the game on the cartridge, but instead will contain a game-key card that will allow you to download the game once you insert it.

So essentially, when you purchase a Nintendo Switch 2 boxed game at retail, you might be getting any of the following:

• A physical Nintendo Switch 2-exclusive game cartridge that only works on the Switch 2
• A Nintendo Switch 2 Edition game that has a Nintendo Switch 1 version on the cartridge, as well as a Switch 2 upgrade, that may or may not be playable on both Switch 2 and in its base version on the Switch 1
• A game-key card that doesn’t have the game on it, but allows you to download the game in question (and may or may not also be usable on the Switch 1 as well)
• A physical box with a download key for the Switch 2 that may or may not work on the Switch 1 as well

If all this has your head spinning, you’re not alone. It’s been a confusing ride trying to sort out what, exactly, you’ll be purchasing when you buy boxed Nintendo Switch 2 games, and Nintendo has been hesitant to step in and clarify things just far. We reached out to Nintendo for comment on Marvelous’ FAQ, specifically asking if it’s true that some Switch 2 cartridges will be playable on Switch 1 and if so, which. We’ll update this story if more information surfaces.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.