Nintendo Confirms Switch 2 Will Support Backward Compatibility with Switch Games

Following its recent Corporate Management Policy Briefing, Nintendo shared on Twitter that games from the Nintendo Switch will be playable on its upcoming console, which many are dubbing the Switch 2.

The detailed Management Policy Briefing, available on Nintendo’s website, gives us insight into the company’s current position in the console hardware market. It highlights that the Nintendo Switch family has sold 146 million units and reveals that more software has been played on the Switch than any other Nintendo device. The comprehensive 59-page document delves into sales data and historical insights, also confirming that the Nintendo Switch Online service (along with Music and so forth) will remain available with the release of the Switch 2.

If you’re familiar with the approaches from Sony or Microsoft regarding console compatibility, this announcement might not come as a surprise. Microsoft has set a high standard with backward compatibility, offering features like FPS Boost and Resolution Boosting for original Xbox and Xbox 360 games on the newer Xbox One and Series S/X. On the other hand, Sony’s track record has been more limited since the PS3 era. For instance, the PlayStation 5 supports most PS4 games and provides emulation for some PS2 and PS1 titles. However, PS3 games are only accessible through cloud streaming on PS4 and PS5, much to the disappointment of some fans.

Historically, Nintendo has managed backward compatibility quite well until the release of the Switch. For instance, the Wii U could play titles from the Wii and GameCube and featured a Virtual Console that filled almost all other historical gaps. Similarly, the 3DS was compatible with Nintendo DS games, though it did not extend to Game Boy Advance or other pre-dual-screen handheld games.

When the Switch was introduced, it marked a departure from previous backward compatibility strategies, mainly due to the shift from PowerPC to Arm CPU cores and merging home console and handheld lines. Luckily, the Switch’s success and its reliance on Nvidia’s mobile hardware have encouraged Nintendo to retain its format, guaranteeing that games bought for today’s Switch will be playable on the Switch 2.

We can also hope that this shift means games previously limited by Nintendo’s older hardware, such as “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,” could potentially be played at over 60 FPS without relying on emulation—a feature Nintendo has been keen to curb. Interestingly enough, just as emulators like Dolphin could replicate the GameCube and Wii, unrestrained Switch emulators might similarly support Switch 2 in the future.