Minecraft is officially launching October 27 for Nintendo Switch 2, bringing with it what developer Mojang calls “Vibrant Visuals” as well as an upgrade path for original Switch owners.
While Minecraft has been playable on the Switch 2 thanks to backwards compatibility, the Switch 2 version will bring some improvements that take advantage of Nintendo’s latest hardware. In a blog post, Mojang labeled the Switch 2 version’s graphical improvements as a new “Vibrant Visuals” experience that will offer enhanced lighting, shadows, and more.
Not everything will support “Vibrant Visuals,” according to Mojang. Playing in split-screen or using certain worlds or content from the marketplace will not feature the visual upgrades. One piece of content that will, however, is the Super Mario Mash-Up pack that is exclusive to the Nintendo versions of Minecraft, which is being updated to support the improvements.
Mojang confirmed there will be a digital upgrade path available for those who purchased Minecraft on the original Switch. Whether that upgrade will be free or cost a fee remains to be seen, with Mojang simply stating there will be “more details to follow.”
For those worried about losing their worlds and progress, Mojang has previously confirmed save data from the original Switch version of Minecraft will carry over to the Switch 2.
In other Minecraft news, Mojang recently added the ability to sit. A sequel to Minecraft Dungeons is releasing in September, with the A Minecraft Movie sequel slated for 2027.
Minecraft itself looks like it’s becoming an even bigger focus for parent company Microsoft amidst recent organizational changes (and mass layoffs). Mojang, as well as Candy Crush developer King, now report directly to new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, something that has been a cause for concern among fans who worry Microsoft meddling may ruin Minecraft.