Confirmed: Nintendo Switch 2 will be backwards compatible
Confirmed: Nintendo Switch 2 will be backwards compatible
Nintendo made the announcement that Switch 2 can play existing software
👏 Nintendo has announced that Switch 2 will be backwards compatible
🙌 The console will be able to play every existing Nintendo Switch game
👍 Nintendo Switch Online will also carry over to the new console
🙏 It means your digital purchases and Nintendo’s library of retro games will be available on Switch 2
Nintendo has announced that its next console, which many believe will be called the Nintendo Switch 2, will be backwards compatible. It means the Switch successor can play every title players currently enjoy, including upcoming games like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Xenoblade Chronicles X.
Nintendo also shared that Nintendo Switch Online and its library of retro titles will also work on Switch 2, which is fantastic news for those who were worried Nintendo would have to start from scratch yet again. It should mean digital purchases are also carried over, including any DLC and games you’ve purchased.
Nintendo made the announcement at a Corporate Management Policy Briefing, but took to X to share the news with the wider public.
“This is Furukawa [Nintendo president]. 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.”
Being able to play the best Switch games on Nintendo’s next console is a huge plus, and means there will be hundreds of titles to enjoy from day one. We’ll have to wait and see whether any games are enhanced while playing on Nintendo Switch 2, similar to how we saw Microsoft and Sony release updates for backward compatible games, but even if they’re not, it’s still fantastic news.
Nintendo reconfirmed we will hear more about the Nintendo Switch 2 before April 2025. Nintendo previously promised the console would be revealed before its fiscal year ends on March 31, 2025.
We’re still waiting with anticipation to see what Nintendo’s next console will deliver, but knowing it’s already going to be backed up by a library of thousands of games means it’s already off to a strong start.
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.