Nintendo Confirms Backward Compatibility of Switch 2 with Original Switch Games

Following Nintendo’s recent Corporate Management Policy Briefing, the gaming giant took to Twitter to assure fans that current Nintendo Switch games will still be playable on its upcoming console, which everyone has taken to calling the Switch 2.

If you check out the entire Management Policy Briefing on Nintendo’s website, you’ll find a treasure trove of information detailing Nintendo’s strong position in the console market. The Switch has sold a staggering 146 million units, making it the top dog for game software across all Nintendo’s hardware lineups. The comprehensive 59-page PDF dives deep into the numbers and history, confirming that services like Nintendo Switch Online will continue uninterrupted with the launch of Switch 2.

For those of you who are more rooted in the PlayStation or Xbox ecosystems, this move by Nintendo might not come as a shock. Microsoft has been a shining example of backward compatibility with features like FPS Boost and Resolution Boost, accommodating games from as far back as the original Xbox era on the latest consoles like Xbox Series S/X. Sony, while not as all-encompassing, does allow PlayStation 5 owners to enjoy PS4 games seamlessly, alongside a select number of PS2 and PS1 classics through emulation. However, PS3 titles are restricted to cloud streaming, which can be a point of contention among PlayStation enthusiasts.

Historically, Nintendo has done a decent job with backward compatibility—until the release of the Nintendo Switch. The Wii U, its predecessor, allowed players to run discs from both the Wii and GameCube and featured a Virtual Console for almost every older game you might think of. The Nintendo 3DS also offered compatibility with DS games, though not older handheld titles like those from the Game Boy Advance era.

The shift to the Nintendo Switch marked a significant change, moving Nintendo’s focus from separate handheld and home systems to a unified device. This transition also involved a switch from PowerPC to Arm CPU architecture, which meant saying goodbye to backward compatibility with older games. However, the immense success of the Nvidia-powered mobile hardware in the Switch seems to have encouraged Nintendo to stick to this path, ensuring that you won’t have to put your current games aside when upgrading to the Switch 2.

There’s hope that the performance bump on the new console will also enhance the gaming experience for titles that struggled on the original hardware, like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Previously, running such games at anything beyond 60 FPS often required the help of emulators, something Nintendo has been keen to block. The intrigue lies in whether Switch 2 emulators could potentially tackle both Switch and Switch 2 games, but only time will tell.

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