Pikmin 4 is getting a native Switch 2 edition: Nintendo confirms the rumor

Nintendo has made Pikmin 4: Switch 2 Edition official, a native version for its new console of one of the biggest releases on the original Switch. According to Eurogamer España, the announcement confirms a rumor that had been circulating in the community for some time and that now stops being speculation and becomes a real product in the company's plans.

The news matters for two reasons. The first is obvious: Pikmin 4 has a very loyal fanbase and a competitive mode, the Dandori Battles, which more than one member of our team has used as an excuse to get competitive on free afternoons. The second is more strategic: every new Switch 2 Edition tells us something about how Nintendo intends to handle the transition between generations and how much it will ask in return for replaying what we already owned.

What you need to know

• It's official: Nintendo confirms the native version of Pikmin 4 for Switch 2, just as the earlier rumors suggested.
• Native, not backwards compatible: this is an edition built for the new machine, not the old game running on the new console.
• Key details are missing: the available information does not specify a release date, price or a concrete list of improvements.
• It joins the Switch 2 Edition lineup: Pikmin 4 enters the program through which Nintendo is revisiting part of its catalog for the new generation.

What changes with a native version

It's worth separating two concepts that sometimes get mixed up. One thing is backwards compatibility, which lets you play Switch titles on Switch 2 exactly as they were released; a very different thing is a native edition, built to take advantage of the new hardware. In the case of Pikmin 4, Nintendo has not yet detailed what that translates into, so any list of improvements you see going around is, for now, more wish than fact.

What we can say is that Pikmin 4 is a logical candidate for this treatment. It's a real-time strategy game in which you control dozens of creatures at once, with highly detailed environments and time management that rewards precision. Any gain in smoothness or loading times is felt directly in play, and that makes it one of the titles from the previous catalog where a native version makes more sense than for most others.

Who it affects

Players who already own Pikmin 4 on Switch will mainly want to know whether there will be an upgrade path and on what terms; for those who never tried it, this edition presents itself as the natural entry point on the new console. And for content creators, a re-release of this kind usually brings a second life in views, guides and challenges, especially in a game that invites you to optimize routes and compare times.

Our take

Let's be clear: we like Pikmin 4 and we like the idea of having it on Switch 2 in its best possible version. But we've also grown used to an industry that sells the same game several times over with a facelift, and Nintendo is hardly a stranger to that practice. The edition being native is a good sign; being told how much the jump costs for those who already paid for the original game is what will truly decide whether this is good news or a toll.

From a competitive standpoint, the Dandori Battles are some of the most fun multiplayer Nintendo has made in years, and any technical improvement that makes them cleaner is welcome. We'd like this edition to be the excuse to give that mode more attention, although we have nothing to indicate that will be the case. In the meantime, our recommendation is the usual one: don't buy hype. Wait to see the list of improvements, the price and the upgrade terms before deciding.

For the team's creators, on the other hand, the reading is simpler: any re-release of a beloved game is a content opportunity, and Pikmin 4 has a community that responds well to comparisons, tutorials and efficiency challenges.

What do you think?

Pikmin 4 is back, this time with a Switch 2 badge, and it's time to decide whether the return is worth it or whether it's an indulgence for completionists. Tell us in the team chat or on our Discord: would you pay for a native edition of a game you already own, or are you only interested if the upgrade is free?