Following Nintendo’s recent Corporate Management Policy Briefing, the company took to Twitter with some exciting news: Nintendo Switch games will be playable on its upcoming console, which folks are currently dubbing the “Switch 2.”
The briefing, fully detailed on Nintendo’s website, paints a clear picture of the company’s impressive presence in the console market. Having sold an astonishing 146 million units of the Nintendo Switch Family, they’ve noted that more games have been enjoyed on the Switch than any other Nintendo device. Their extensive 59-page PDF dives deep into sales figures and historical insights, assuring fans that Nintendo Switch Online services will transition smoothly with the release of their new console.
If you’re familiar with Sony or Microsoft’s approach to console gaming, this development may not exactly blow you away. Microsoft, for instance, has set a high standard in backward compatibility. Their Xbox consoles support old favorites from the original Xbox and Xbox 360, enhanced with features like FPS and Resolution Boost on current-gen consoles. Meanwhile, Sony’s track record is a bit mixed. While the PS5 plays PS4 games almost seamlessly and offers some PS2 and PS1 classics via emulation, the PS3’s library is mostly trapped in cloud streaming, much to the disappointment of dedicated PlayStation fans.
Nintendo’s history with backward compatibility is generally strong—until the introduction of the Switch. The previous console, the Wii U, allowed players to enjoy Wii and GameCube discs and featured a Virtual Console that filled in many gaps from Nintendo’s lineup. Similarly, the Nintendo 3DS supported DS titles, though it fell short on playing older handheld classics like those from the Game Boy Advance.
However, the launch of the Nintendo Switch signified a major shift. By merging its handheld and home console lines and transitioning to Arm CPU cores, Nintendo left behind direct backward compatibility from past generations. Thankfully, the Switch’s success has motivated Nintendo to stick with a similar hardware platform, so current Switch owners can rest easy knowing their game library will transition effortlessly to the Switch 2 upon its debut.
What’s more, this could open the door for games that struggled performance-wise on the original Switch hardware to shine. Fans of titles like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom could potentially experience these games at a smooth 60 FPS, no longer relying on third-party emulation. For a company keen on stamping out emulation due to potential issues like those faced with the Dolphin emulator, this is a welcome development.
In summary, Nintendo’s commitment to backward compatibility with their upcoming console offers much to look forward to, continuing their legacy and addressing some of the challenges faced with their original hardware.
