Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has officially confirmed the Nintendo Switch successor, known colloquially as the Nintendo Switch 2, will be backward compatible with Nintendo Switch games. The confirmation was shared during Nintendo’s recent Corporate Management Policy Briefing, and later posted on Twitter / X as a surprise update for those awaiting news of the console.
“This is Furukawa. At today’s Corporate Management Policy Briefing, we announced that Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch,” Furukawa said. “Nintendo Switch Online will be available on the successor to Nintendo Switch as well.”
“Further information about the successor to Nintendo Switch, including its compatibility with Nintendo Switch, will be announced at a later date.”
Regardless of Furukawa holding back more news of the Nintendo Switch 2, confirmation of backward compatibility has been enough to kick up excitement for the upcoming console. What it means is that players may transition to the Nintendo Switch 2 without the fear of losing access to their favourite games.
Realistically, it will also likely mean increased effort to trade in Nintendo Switch consoles, as the Nintendo Switch 2 will be a genuine successor which still carries the legacy of its predecessor.
Read: Everything we know about the Nintendo Switch 2
Having backward compatibility is a very clever decision, from a consumer and sales perspective. Nintendo Switch games continue to sell well, with evergreen titles like Mario Party 8 Deluxe frequently being a best-seller on the gaming charts. As recently as Nintendo’s last financial quarter, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was still in the top four best-selling games for the company.
Plus, there’s also the matter that so many great Nintendo games have released over the last year, even as folks conservatively pulled away from the Nintendo Switch, in anticipation of its successor’s launch. News of confirmed backward compatibility for the Nintendo Switch 2 may encourage greater sales for these games, with the reassurance they’ll be playable on the next Nintendo console – possibly even with some performance enhancements.
At this stage, that’s all Nintendo has firmly revealed about the Nintendo Switch 2, but it’s certainly a tantalising tidbit. While some Nintendo consoles have been backward compatible in the past – the Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, and Nintendo Wii U – the Nintendo Switch was such a different console it was considered standalone, with no support for its predecessor.
As confirmed by Furukawa, Nintendo will return to its roots with the next Nintendo console, allowing players to continue playing their Switch games, on a brand new console. Stay tuned for more news about the Nintendo Switch 2 as it arrives.
