Nintendo is adding a trio of new features to the Switch Online versions of N64 games, but you’ll need a Switch 2 to get the full benefit. N64 titles on the new console will support the Rewind feature and CRT Filter, but the only upgrade coming to the original Switch is the option to customize controls.
The three new features all arrive on June 5th, the same day the Switch 2 launches. Buyers of the new console will have the option to rewind gameplay after making a mistake or activate a CRT filter that adds a lined effect replicating the visuals of older TVs. Both of those features are already available for the Switch Online’s library of NES and SNES games.
Both the Switch and Switch 2 will also gain the option to view and fully customize controls across N64 titles, but Nintendo hasn’t explained why that’s the only new feature coming to Nintendo’s older hardware. It seems unlikely that even the Switch’s relatively basic hardware is incapable of powering a simple CRT filter on games that are nearly 30 years old, making this look like a ploy to get fans to buy the new $449.99 console.
The N64 library launched in 2021, and the games are only available as part of Nintendo’s premium Switch Online Expansion Pack subscription, which costs $49.99 per year, more than double the regular Switch Online plan.
