Beware of hoaxes: Many of the graphical comparisons between Switch console versions are deliberately false

Comparing an early build of Mario Odyssey to the upcoming Switch 2 Update is misinformation.

We don't need to explain here that nowadays finding the truth on the internet is a bit tricky. Sure, the real and true information is on the web, but in recent years we have seen a growth in fake news, hoaxes, and fragmented information deliberately twisted to suit certain discourses that it is now difficult to take almost anything seriously. And yet many still do.

The Nintendo Switch 2 pre-launch situation is being a perfect storm of traditional critics with Nintendo, with the pricing of peripherals and games, and also with decisions about backwards compatibility and upgrades of classics from the first Switch. And while some marvel at the leap between Breath of the Wild at higher resolution and 60fps, others only seek to denigrate the current generation, criticising that it was weak hardware. And for proof, a recent comparison between supposed versions of Super Mario Odyssey.

In a post on X, user Croc O'clock shows an apparent comparison between versions of the latest 3D Mario title, which will be getting a free update on Nintendo Switch 2. Obviously, we all expect such a big game to have a visual leap that's visible to the naked eye, but the comparison he makes here isn't real, because the image he uses of Super Mario Odyssey isn't part of the Nintendo Switch 2 version, or even the original Switch. It's a promotional image from Nintendo that corresponds to a pre-release version of the game, and therefore shouldn't be used as a representation of what the new version of the game will offer.

While we're confident that Nintendo will continue to reveal more information about its new titles as well as its reviews of Nintendo Switch hits, rest assured that we at Gamereactor will be bringing you full coverage on the launch of Nintendo Switch 2, answering this and many other questions that we, as gamers, have about the new hardware. And if you have any, drop us a line in the comments, and we'll answer them when the time comes.