Minecraft's Switch 2 Upgrade Is Free, But Only Briefly
Digital Switch owners have until the end of January 2027 to claim the Switch 2 edition at no cost, ahead of its October 27 launch.
Mojang has opened pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch 2 edition of Minecraft ahead of its October 27 launch, and owners of the digital Switch version can claim the new release at no extra cost. The catch is the clock: the free upgrade path is billed as a limited-time offer that quietly ends in late January 2027, after which the newer build has to be bought like any other title. Minecraft originally launched on the first Switch back in 2017, so the newer console's edition is being treated as a fresh purchase rather than a routine patch.
Players who picked up the game physically, or who still rely on a game card, do not automatically qualify, so the promotion really targets digital owners only. Standard pre-orders start at $29.99 on the eShop. The Switch 2 build promises smoother performance and the usual platform extras, and it joins a growing run of releases that charge separately for upgraded hardware versions rather than handing them over automatically. The offer applies to the standard digital edition bought through the eShop, not the physical release.
Tags
- nintendo
- switch
- release-date
Sources
Where this story ran: 2 outlets on 8 October 2026. The summary above is written by GamersGuild; the links go to the original reports.
Games in this post
Minecraft
Minecraft is a block-based sandbox in which players gather resources, build structures and explore generated worlds. A separate survival mode adds hunger, hostile creatures and progress through better tools and armour.