Nintendo Confirms Backward Compatibility for Switch 2 with Original Switch Games

After Nintendo’s recent Corporate Management Policy Briefing, the gaming giant took to Twitter to confirm some exciting news: games for the Nintendo Switch will be compatible with its next-generation console, which most of us are casually calling the Switch 2 for now.

If you want all the bits and bytes, head over to Nintendo’s website, where they’ve laid out the details in their Management Policy Briefing. This document gives a comprehensive look at where Nintendo stands in the world of console hardware. It highlights impressive sales figures, noting that 146 million units of the Nintendo Switch Family have flown off the shelves. Notably, more Nintendo Switch games have been played than on any previous Nintendo system. The extensive 59-page PDF dives deep into sales stats and historical insights and reassures us that the current Nintendo Switch Online service, along with extras like Music, will carry on once the Switch 2 enters the scene.

Now, if you’re used to the practices of Sony or Microsoft when it comes to console compatibility, this news might feel a bit like déjà vu. Microsoft’s Xbox has nailed backward compatibility with features like FPS Boost and Resolution Boost, allowing classic Xbox and Xbox 360 games to play smoothly on new-gen consoles like the Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X. Sony, on the other hand, has had a more limited approach since the PS3 days, which supported all previous consoles. Nowadays, the PlayStation 5 plays PS4 titles seamlessly and has a selection of PS2 and PS1 classics available through emulation. Unfortunately, though, PS3 games are stuck in the cloud-streaming realm for PS4 and PS5 fans, which has left some PlayStation enthusiasts less than thrilled.

Historically, Nintendo has also done well with backward compatibility – until the launch of the Nintendo Switch. The Wii U, its predecessor, could run games from Wii and GameCube disks and had a Virtual Console that filled in most gaps in their extensive game library. Meanwhile, the 3DS could handle Nintendo DS titles, although it didn’t extend support to Game Boy Advance or older handheld games.

The Nintendo Switch, which combined Nintendo’s handheld and home console strategies and switched from PowerPC to Arm CPU cores, marked a shift from traditional backward compatibility. Thankfully, Nintendo seems to have struck gold with the Switch’s Nvidia-powered mobile hardware, setting the stage for this continuation into the future. Essentially, all the games you’re buying for the Switch today are future-proofed for the Switch 2.

There’s also a glimmer of hope that we might finally see some games reach their full potential. Games like Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which struggled with performance on original hardware, might finally hit their stride, running smoothly at over 60 FPS. This is good news, especially since Nintendo has been keen on shutting down emulation software that competes with their consoles. Without restrictions, these emulators could potentially support both Switch and Switch 2 titles much like Dolphin did for GameCube and Wii games.

Get ready for some continued adventures with Nintendo – it looks like they’re committed to keeping their game-playing legacy alive and well in the next console generation.