Sonic Frontiers Definitive Edition launches on Switch 2 with all DLC but no upgrade path

Sega announced and immediately released Sonic Frontiers Definitive Edition for Switch 2 during the Sonic the Hedgehog 35th Anniversary livestream. The game is available right now on the eShop for $49.99.

The Definitive Edition bundles the original 2022 open-zone game with every post-launch content drop: The Final Horizon update adds a new story campaign, new challenges, a photo mode, and playable Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. Also included are the Sonic's Birthday Bash update, the Sights, Sounds, and Speeds update, a digital art book, and a mini soundtrack. Sega says the Switch 2 version delivers improved graphics and performance over the original Switch release — but Nintendo Life's early review pushes back hard on that claim, noting the game is still plagued by severe pop-in on foliage, trees, and even puzzle-critical platforms. It looks better than Switch 1, the review concedes, but not by enough to justify the "Definitive" label when other Switch 2 ports from Capcom and Square Enix have set a much higher bar.

The bigger frustration for existing owners: there is no upgrade path from the original Switch version. Players who already own Sonic Frontiers on Switch have to buy the whole thing again at full price to get the Switch 2 version — and all the DLC it includes was previously free on other platforms.

Reaction is mixed at best. The anniversary reveal made for a flashy moment, but the lack of an upgrade option and the underwhelming visual improvements are drawing criticism. Whether Sega addresses either issue post-launch remains to be seen.