Minecraft is now available on Nintendo Switch 2. Mojang’s pre-order announcement set the launch for 27 October, and Nintendo’s launch page says the game “is now available on the Nintendo Switch 2 system”. Every version includes the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack with Vibrant Visuals, according to Mojang. The visual upgrade adds directional lighting, volumetric fog and dynamic shadows, according to Nintendo.
The differences between versions are the add-ons, the Character Creator items and the Minecoins, according to Mojang’s pre-order announcement. Standard is the base game with the Mario Mash-Up Pack. Deluxe adds three add-ons, and Ultimate adds five. Here is how they compare:
| Edition | Add-ons | Character Creator items | Minecoins | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Super Mario Mash-Up Pack | None | None | $29.99 |
| Deluxe | Celebration Food, Rescue Dogs, Plenty O’Blocks | 3 exclusive | 700 | $39.99 |
| Ultimate | Celebration Food, Rescue Dogs, Plenty O’Blocks, Decocraft, Weapons + Tools | 5 exclusive | 1000 | $49.99 |
Prices are for buyers who are not eligible for the upgrade offer. The $29.99 Standard price comes from Nintendo Life, while the $39.99 and $49.99 figures come from US eShop listings as reported by Nintendo Wire and others. Mojang’s own announcement states no prices. Included Minecoins must be used in the Nintendo ecosystem, according to Mojang. A physical Nintendo Switch 2 version is sold at retail, according to Mojang.
Is Minecraft Switch 2 free if I already own it on Switch?
It depends on which version you own. If you own a digital copy of Minecraft on the original Switch, the Switch 2 Standard Edition is free through Nintendo eShop until the end of January 2027, according to Mojang, in most territories. You can also choose to upgrade to a Deluxe or Ultimate Collection for discounted fees, though Mojang does not state the size of those discounts.
Physical owners do not get the free Standard Edition. But they are not left with nothing, despite what early pre-order coverage suggested. Nintendo says that when you launch Minecraft for Switch on a Switch 2 between 27 October 2026 at 9 a.m. PT and 31 January 2027 at 9 a.m. PT, you receive an in-game message inviting you to upgrade to the digital Ultimate Collection at a discount. The size of that discount is not stated. Nintendo Life’s review puts the base-game position plainly: physical owners “will have to stump up full price for the base game”. Nintendo Life’s pre-order coverage describes the physical version as a Game-Key Card release. As of 8 October, Nintendo Life had no upgrade path to report for physical owners, so the in-game Ultimate offer came later and supersedes that early position.
How much is Minecraft on Nintendo Switch 2?
For buyers who are not eligible for the upgrade offer, Standard costs $29.99, according to Nintendo Life. Deluxe costs $39.99 and Ultimate costs $49.99, according to US eShop listings as reported by Nintendo Wire and others. Those two higher prices are secondary reports, not Mojang’s announcement, so treat them as reported listings rather than official pricing.
Our analysis of those reported prices shows a ladder that moves in $10 steps: $29.99 to $39.99 to $49.99, a $20 gap from Standard to Ultimate. The Deluxe-to-Ultimate $10 step adds 300 Minecoins, from 700 to 1000. That is arithmetic on stated prices, not a judgement about which edition is worth it.
How long do I have to claim the free Switch 2 upgrade?
Our analysis puts the claim window at 96 days: from 27 October 2026 at 9 a.m. PT to 31 January 2027 at 9 a.m. PT, which is 4 remaining days of October plus 30 in November, 31 in December and 31 in January. A digital owner who waits past that window loses the free upgrade. Mojang calls it a limited time offer and urges owners not to tarry. Three territories are exceptions to the free offer, according to a Mojang footnote: Japan pays 100 JPY, Taiwan pays 30 NTD and Thailand pays 25 THB.
Can I carry my Minecraft worlds from Switch to Switch 2?
Yes. Nintendo says all previous Switch players can carry their worlds over to Switch 2, “picking up where they left off”. Save data and worlds can be carried forward, according to Nintendo Life’s review. Cross-platform play needs a Microsoft account, and online multiplayer needs a Nintendo Switch Online membership sold separately, according to Pixel Herald and iGameMag reports.
What is Vibrant Visuals, and does it work in split-screen?
Vibrant Visuals is the visual upgrade bundled with every version: improved elements such as directional lighting, volumetric fog and dynamic shadows, according to Nintendo, including the Nintendo-exclusive Super Mario Mash-Up Pack and other Vibrant Visuals-enabled Marketplace content. It does not work everywhere. Mojang says Vibrant Visuals is not available in some gameplay, including split-screen and when using certain Marketplace Worlds and content.
The one number still missing is the size of the physical owners’ Ultimate discount. Nintendo states the offer but not the discount, and no verified figure exists in the sources reviewed for this article. If you own the digital Switch version, the free claim costs nothing but attention to the date. If you own the physical version, the decision is whether the discounted Ultimate bundle beats paying full price for Standard. The deadline that matters is 31 January 2027: the free digital upgrade window closes then, and Nintendo’s in-game Ultimate offer window ends at the same date.
