The Best Switch RPGs to Play Using Switch 2 Handheld Boost Mode
After testing dozens of games following the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 in my backward compatibility features, I usually lament how most Switch 1 games scale on the Switch 2 screen when playing in handheld mode. Today's system update added handheld boost mode to run Switch 1 games as if in TV mode when playing on Switch 2. This is a massive upgrade for the platform and it also will dramatically improve how many games look on the go when played on Switch 2. With how notable some of the upgrades are, I've put together a list that I will maintain and update over time to cover the best Switch RPGs to play using Switch 2 handheld boost mode. As for the games featured, I've included any relevant games that we have covered on RPG Site so far including the likes of Ace Attorney so it will not be pure RPGs.
Note: Before getting to the actual games, I have to use Switch 2 handheld capture which is still capped to 720p (and does not use PNG images) for Switch 1 games that have not gotten official Switch 2 enhancements. This means the comparison images below will not give you the full picture, but they still showcase some good upgrades, and I will of course detail what changes you will get in text form. In the case of games with 2D art where there is no difference using the system capture (but with a notable difference on the device screen itself), I will use the game's key art or cropped portions of screenshots. I recommend loading the images fully and zooming in to see differences in resolution, clarity, edge smoothness, and in some cases even visual settings that I describe in the text.
The best Switch RPGs to play with handheld boost mode on Switch 2
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim already benefited from the Switch 2 backward compatibility with performance boosts to the combat sequences that had major issues on Switch 1. On Switch 2 using boost mode in handheld, you get a higher resolution experience, but it isn't game-changing outside of select locations. 13 Sentinels has always looked good even on Switch 2 with how its aesthetic scales, but the boost mode's major change is in having all the font and UI elements also crisp now.
Ace Attorney Trilogy
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy on Switch 1 was my favorite version of the game. It unfortunately looked soft when played on Switch 2 through backward compatibility since it was using the 720p Switch 1 handheld profile on Switch 2 with its 1080p screen. With boost mode, you get a full 1080p image, but lose out on touchscreen support. That may or may not be important to you, but I value touchscreen support in the Ace Attorney games a lot (whenever implemented). Touchscreen aside, this is a good boost to playing handheld.
Dragon Quest Builders 2
Dragon Quest Builders 2 notoriously ran poorly on Switch 1. When I covered it via Switch 2 backward compatibility, I noted the performance boost. While it wasn't 60fps locked, it was a huge improvement over the game on Switch 1. When using boost mode, you get a bump in resolution making it look perfectly crisp on the 1080p screen in the areas I tested, but the frame rate takes a hit with noticeable drops even early on. I'm not sure if VRR is enabled and working, but I could tell the frame rate was fluctuating. I would stick to playing this without boost mode in handheld mode right now.
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
Dragon Quest XI S was a great port on Switch despite its image quality and other cuts. It had a subnative resolution both docked and handheld on Switch 1. When played on Switch 2, it didn't suffer from any performance issues, but the handheld Switch profile did not look even close to good on the Switch 2's 1080p screen. Using boost mode, you get quite a big bump in resolution taking it above 720p now. It was quite a bit below 720p when played on Switch 1 and without boost mode on Switch 2. With the higher resolution in boost mode, I also noticed distant objects in the environment resolve better as you can see in the image below.
Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection
The Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection had no real issues on Switch 1, but when playing the remasters on Switch 2 on the go, there were some elements like portraits and other images that weren't as crisp as they should be. When using boost mode, not only is everything crisp, but even the backgrounds look a bit nicer. There is one downside though. When using boost mode here, the touchscreen is disabled. If you played with a stylus for the map, you will not be able to do that when boost mode is enabled.
Fire Emblem Warriors
Fire Emblem Warriors back on Switch 1 offered a 720p 30fps target when handheld and 1080p 30fps or 720p 60fps options when played docked. On Switch 2, it already always ran at the frame rate cap, but now with boost mode, you can get access to the 720p 60fps performance mode while playing handheld or opt for a crisp 1080p 30fps experience. The docked profile for Fire Emblem Warriors was a big upgrade over handheld play back when it debuted, and it is great to see it available now on Switch 2 handheld via boost mode.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes was a subnative resolution release both docked and handheld on the original Switch. It also ran at an uncapped frame rate. With Switch 2 backward compatibility, it was a nice 60fps experience both docked and handheld, but the image quality handheld wasn't great. With boost mode, it looks crisper handheld with 1080p UI, but I noticed some regular dips early on while testing in a few locations. I will revisit this over the coming days and play more to see how it holds up performance wise. The lack of good anti-aliasing is still very noticeable, but the resolution bump is definitely welcome using boost mode. There are also other changes like texture filtering and shadows with some of it being visible below:
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Fire Emblem: Three Houses was a fantastic game that was quite rough technically. Not only did it have performance issues, but the raw image had a lot of jagged edges and shimmering throughout. When played on Switch 2, it ran fine with a 30fps target, but the visuals left a lot to be desired. Using boost mode on Switch 2 handheld, you get a much-nicer image, though it still has jagged edges. It is a big improvement as far as I'm concerned even during conversations let alone in battles.
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate
Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate on Switch had a 720p 30fps target handheld and 1080p 30fps target docked. The UI used lower resolution assets though for some 2D elements. When played on Switch 2, it didn't look bad, but was a bit soft handheld. With boost mode, it is a proper match for the panel screen and is now the best way to play one of the best Monster Hunter games out there.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin
Monster Hunter Stories 2 was not a great experience on Switch 1 with its uncapped and very variable frame rate both docked and handheld. When played on Switch 2, it got a nice boost to hitting its frame rate cap at all times whenever I checked. With boost mode, not only do you get the performance boost via backward compatibility, but also a much crisper experience. The Switch 1 release wasn't a full 1080p throughout, but it does look very good (despite the lack of proper anti-aliasing on Switch 1 docked) when played on Switch 2 handheld using boost mode.
NieR: Automata The End of YoRHa Edition
NieR: Automata on Switch 1 was a very impressive port all things considered. When playing on Switch 2 via backward compatibility, it saw more stable performance, but nothing notable beyond that. Using boost mode, you get a much nicer handheld image with a 1080p target, but there is still a lot of shimmering and the low resolution textures from before are still very visible even when using boost mode handheld. If you do plan on playing this on Switch 2, boost mode is definitely the way to go though.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door was a great-looking remake already, but when playing it handheld on Switch 2, the 720p didn't scale up as well as I had hoped. It didn't look bad, but I kept hoping for a Switch 2 upgrade. With boost mode, not only are the characters crisper, but the UI is now a proper match for the handheld panel. While it isn't the 60fps upgrade I wanted, boost mode is more than enough of an upgrade for me to replay this remake.
Persona 4 Golden
Persona 4 Golden now looks a lot better handheld with it matching the 1080p panel. There is also less shimmering while moving around since it isn't a 720p game running at 1080p anymore, though the lack of good anti-aliasing results in some shimmering even with boost mode enabled. The UI and other 2D elements are also crisp now across the board.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Pokemon Legends: Arceus on Switch 1 ran at a good resolution for Switch 1 games, but it had no anti-aliasing resulting in an experience that had jagged edges and shimmering. When played on Switch 2 handheld, the jagged edges are more noticeable with it running at the Switch 1's 720p profile, but this sees a nice increase using boost mode to the dynamic 1080p experience the game featured docked. It still has jagged edges, but there are less issues than before when playing on the go. There are no other improvements to the game's visuals on Switch 2.
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition
Tales of Vesperia already saw a big boost to performance when played on Switch 2 as I covered in my Tales of series feature. The visuals when played handheld were not great though. With boost mode, you get much better image quality and the same boost to performance making this a fantastic way to play Tales of Vesperia on the go.
The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy-
The Hundred Line has issues with how it scales portraits on both PC and Switch, but it suffered even more when rendered on the Switch 2 handheld screen when it came to portraits. With boost mode using the docked profile while playing on the go, not only do you see stable 30fps, but also portraits and other 2D elements look a lot better than before. It is now a much better handheld experience on Switch 2 and I still hope we see a 60fps official native release in the future.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero and The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure
Both Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure on Switch were already better than the PS4 versions thanks to PH3/Durante handling the Switch ports. These ports had the PC-specific features and visual improvements over PS4. They also rendered at a native resolution on Switch docked and handheld. When played on Switch 2, they were 720p handheld, but are now 1080p with boost mode. This applies to not just the 3D models and effects, but also the UI and portraits that look nicer with crisp fonts.
Unicorn Overlord
Unicorn Overlord was already essentially perfect on Switch OLED with native (or close) resolution with a 60fps target. On Switch 2 with boost mode, Unicorn Overlord gets a similar upgrade as 13 Sentinels with crisper visuals. I've not noticed anything out of the ordinary here and having all the text and UI elements look better when playing handheld is a welcome change.
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition was already a nice upgrade over Xenoblade 2 and Torna when it comes to the image you see on the console both docked and handheld. With boost mode, not only do you get an increase in resolution when playing handheld, but also screen-space reflections from the Switch 1 docked mode while playing handheld on Switch 2 using boost mode.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Torna
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is notorious for how it looked handheld and with boost enabled, you see improvements right from the title screen. While it obviously doesn't look as clean as newer Xenoblade games, boost mode helps a ton with post-processing making characters look less oversharpened as you can see with Mythra in the image below. The UI in Xenoblade 2 is also now properly 1080p when playing handheld. Torna also benefits from boost mode, though it already improved on what Xenoblade Chronicles 2 did visually.
As I said before, this article will be updated when I finish testing more games and will be maintained to cover notable Switch 1 RPGs that don't get Switch 2 native releases.