Nintendo Switch 2’s “ZELDA NOTES” App Brings Achievements—But Not How You’d Expect

I’ll be honest: when I first heard Nintendo was finally adding an achievements system with the Switch 2, my reaction was equal parts “about time” and “please don’t mess this up.” After all, PlayStation Trophies and Xbox Achievements have been a fixture for years, and even Steam’s had them forever. But trust Nintendo to take the road less traveled-and, in true big N fashion, to do it in a way that’s equal parts clever and confounding.

Nintendo Switch 2: Achievements Arrive, But Only Through ZELDA NOTES

• Nintendo’s take on achievements isn’t built into the Switch 2 OS-it’s exclusive to a separate Zelda mobile app.
• The first “achievements” will track your progress in remastered versions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
• Players need to download the ZELDA NOTES app on mobile to view and compare their in-game accomplishments.
• Launch lineup highlights also include Mario Kart World and long-overdue HDR performance upgrades.

This announcement grabbed my attention for an obvious reason: Nintendo has stubbornly resisted achievements, even as fans have begged for them. Instead of just copying PlayStation’s shiny trophy system, Nintendo’s dropped a curveball. Rather than letting you flex your completed shrines or Korok seed obsession straight from your Switch 2, you’ll need to open a totally separate mobile app-ZELDA NOTES—to track your progress. That’s right, no popping chimes mid-game, no leaderboard on your console. It’s all handled off-device, on your phone or tablet.

Let’s break this down. ZELDA NOTES isn’t just a stat tracker. It promises a feature-rich companion experience: navigation tools, Korok and Shrine finders, storage for your Tears of the Kingdom builds, a photo studio, audio memories “read by Zelda”—and, of course, a full achievements system. But here’s the kicker: it’s only for the Zelda remasters at launch. So, if you’re hoping for a Switch-wide trophy case, you’re out of luck (for now).

Why go app-only? Nintendo’s track record with online services and community features is… well, let’s call it “quirky.” The company’s always been slow—and weirdly cautious—about social connectivity. Remember how voice chat for Splatoon required a phone app? ZELDA NOTES feels like another round of the same: innovative in some ways, but also unnecessarily convoluted. The good news? No Nintendo Switch Online subscription required, but you’ll probably need a Nintendo Account to sync your progress.

The move seems designed to add value for hardcore Zelda fans, giving us more ways to show off our Hyrule exploits. But it also raises some real questions: Will anyone outside the achievement-hungry crowd care enough to juggle another app? Will Nintendo expand this approach to other franchises, or is this a one-off experiment for the Zelda remasters? And, most importantly—why not just build it into the console like everyone else?

Looking at the launch lineup, there’s more than just the Zelda upgrades to talk about. Mario Kart World is poised to draw its usual massive crowd, and the Switch 2’s hardware boost means we finally get HDR support—something the competition’s had for ages. It’s a solid slate, but the lack of a unified, system-wide achievement system still feels like Nintendo holding back on what could be a genuinely engaging feature for the broader Switch community.

As a longtime gamer, I appreciate Nintendo’s focus on creative ways to enhance their classics. But I can’t help but see the ZELDA NOTES app as a mixed bag: it’s a step forward for achievement junkies, but a step sideways in terms of accessibility and integration. There’s a sense that Nintendo’s still not ready to fully embrace the social, competitive layer that achievements bring to modern gaming.

For now, if you’re the kind of player who loves wringing every last secret out of Hyrule, this new app could become your favorite tool. But if you were hoping to finally see a trophy popup every time you slayed a Lynel or found all 900 Korok seeds—well, you’ll need to keep your phone handy. It’s Nintendo doing things their own way, for better or worse—and it’ll be fascinating to see if fans embrace this or just keep asking, “Why not just put it on the Switch?”

TL;DR: Nintendo Switch 2 finally introduces achievements, but only via the ZELDA NOTES app for the Zelda remasters—no system-wide trophy love yet. If you’re all about collecting shrine completions and Korok seeds, this is a welcome (if awkward) upgrade. For everyone else, it’s another reminder that Nintendo marches to the beat of its own drum… sometimes to a fault.

Source: Nintendo via GamesPress