The Switch 2 will be able backward compatible, Nintendo confirmed in its official reveal of the console. The company kept specifics close to the chest, but confirmed that the console will play Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive games (duh) “as well as both physical and digital Nintendo Switch games.” But it did note that some Nintendo Switch games “may not be supported on or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2” — with more details on which games will make the cut coming later.
Last November, Shuntaro Furukawa, president of Nintendo, clarified the importance of backward compatibility for Switch 2, and also confirmed that Nintendo Switch Online will be offered on the new console. Thursday’s reveal went the extra step to confirm the physical cartridges would remain playable. No mention was made of compatibility with Joy-Con controllers or other Switch hardware accessories, although this has previously been reported.
At the November Corporate Management Policy Briefing, a semiannual investor meeting where the company reports its sales and roadmaps, Furukawa also clarified how players’ Nintendo Accounts will function on the new console: “We believe that it is important for Nintendo’s future to make use of Nintendo Account and carry over the good relationship that we have built with the over 100 million annual playing users on Nintendo Switch to its successor.” The report further clarifies that, “in addition to being able to play Nintendo Switch software they currently own, consumers will be able to choose their next purchase from a broad selection of titles released for Nintendo Switch.”
Backward compatibility was considered a make-or-break feature for the Switch 2. Although strongly rumored, there remained doubts that Nintendo would be able to pull it off if the new machine’s chip architecture was very different, or if third-party publishers objected. The Switch itself was not backward compatible with any previous Nintendo consoles, and Nintendo made a mint from Switch rereleases of earlier games, such as selling 63 million copies of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
But consumer expectations around backward compatibility have changed since Steam normalized the idea of a persistent digital library of games that works across multiple devices. In particular, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are both fully backward compatible with their predecessors — something that could not be claimed for PS4 and Xbox One. In this landscape, a console without backward compatibility would have been a tough sell for Nintendo, especially considering that it has sold over 140 million Switches.
Other notable revelations in November’s Corporate Management Policy Briefing presentation included the report that the Pikmin, Kirby, Metroid, and Xenoblade Chronicles franchises have seen “dramatic sales growth on Nintendo Switch” compared to sales for those series’ titles on the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS.
Update (Jan. 16): This story has been updated with details showcased in the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal.