Nintendo Confirms Switch 2 Will Support Backward Compatibility with Switch Games

Following Nintendo’s recent Corporate Management Policy Briefing, they officially announced on Twitter that games from the Nintendo Switch will be compatible with its upcoming console, often referred to as the Switch 2.

In the detailed briefing, which you can explore on Nintendo’s website, the company outlines its strong position in the console market. They proudly highlight that the Nintendo Switch has sold a whopping 146 million units and state that more games have been played on the Switch than on any other Nintendo device. This comprehensive 59-page document goes deep into sales figures and historical insights, confirming that services like Nintendo Switch Online will continue with the release of the next console.

For those familiar with Sony and Microsoft’s approach to console compatibility, this announcement from Nintendo might not come as a surprise. Microsoft’s Xbox, for instance, excels at backward compatibility, complete with features that enhance FPS and resolution for older games from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 when played on newer consoles like Xbox One or Xbox Series S/X. Sony’s PlayStation, on the other hand, has seen a more restrictive approach since the PS3 era, which allowed full compatibility with older PlayStations. Currently, the PS5 supports most PS4 games seamlessly and even some PS2 and PS1 titles through emulation. However, PS3 games remain limited to cloud streaming on both PS4 and PS5, which many PlayStation fans find disappointing.

Historically, Nintendo has done well with backward compatibility, until the launch of the Switch. Before the Switch, the Wii U could run games from the Wii and GameCube, and offered a Virtual Console to fill many gaps from Nintendo’s earlier libraries. The Nintendo 3DS handheld could play DS games, although it didn’t support Game Boy Advance or earlier Game Boy titles. The Switch marked a departure from this trend, integrating Nintendo’s handheld and home consoles and moving to Arm CPU cores, which meant dropping support for older systems. Thankfully, the Switch’s Nvidia-powered architecture has been successful, allowing Nintendo to maintain this standard, so new games bought for the Switch today will seamlessly transition to the Switch 2.

There’s hope that this transition will improve the performance of existing titles. Games like Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom could potentially exceed 60 FPS on the new hardware, without needing emulation. Nintendo’s commitment to stamping out emulation software proves significant here; unrestricted Switch emulators could theoretically also extend to the Switch 2, similar to how programs like Dolphin emulate GameCube and Wii games.

Stay tuned for more updates and in-depth reviews from Tom’s Hardware directly in your inbox!