Nintendo
Nintendo talks about Switch 2 and confirms full backwards compatibility of Nintendo Switch catalog
Backwards compatibility is guaranteed, as is the continuity of the Nintendo Switch Online subscription.
It was an open secret. Doug Bowser’s statements about the relevance of the Nintendo account in 2023 already anticipated the big news that would come with his new console. Shintaro Furukawa, president of Nintendo, returns to social media to launch a strong official statement: the successor to Nintendo Switch will have full backward compatibility with the catalog of the hybrid and the presence of the Nintendo Switch Online subscription will be maintained. The company has found in the success of this generation a unique opportunity to strengthen its brand.
Nintendo Switch games will be backwards compatible with Switch 2
“This is Furukawa,” begins the message posted on X (Twitter). “At today’s Corporate Management Policy Briefing, we announced that Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch. 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.”
The company has not delayed plans to unveil Switch 2. The window to reveal their plans is still set for sometime during the remainder of the fiscal year, meaning they have until March 2025 (inclusive) to do so. Furukawa’s talk of “compatibility” suggests some sort of additional add-on to give some of the games in the catalog a second life, but for now, these are just tidbits. We also understand that backwards compatibility will be both physical and digital.
The president was also keen to emphasize support for the current console in the coming year. Specifically, Furukawa says that they will “continue to make the hardware appealing with a steady release of new Nintendo Switch titles for the holiday season and next year.” Confirmed games on the horizon include Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokémon Legends Z-A, among others. From his words, it looks like the transition will be sweet.