photo: Michael Santiago (Shutterstock)
A big question about the Switch 2 has just been answered. While everyone (at least in the US) is glued to their TVs to watch the results of the 2024 election, Nintendo has officially confirmed that its next-generation console will be backwards compatible with the Switch.
Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa said: “At today’s corporate management policy briefing, we announced that Nintendo Switch software can also run on follow-up products of Nintendo Switch.” wrote on twitter. “Nintendo Switch Online will also be available on subsequent Nintendo Switch products.”
Players with a massive Switch game library are breathing a sigh of relief. This isn’t a complete surprise, though, as there are some clues that everything on existing hardware might be transferred to the Switch 2. previously suggested The company focuses on creating a smooth transition between consoles. At the same time, no one is expecting Nintendo to do the unthinkable and defy current expectations about bringing its old library of games into the future.
Now that Switch Online is also compatible with next-gen consoles, it looks like all the emulation work Nintendo has done to make NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, and Sega Genesis games run on their modern platforms will no longer be available Applicable.
But how does this relate to the actual launch of the Switch 2? Furukawa added in the tweet: “More information about the Nintendo Switch successor, including its compatibility with the Nintendo Switch, will be announced at a later date.” Many expect the reveal to be as early as September or October. Now, however, the window for a 2024 announcement appears to be closing quickly, especially as the company prepares for its holiday blitz aimed at selling millions of existing Switch models.
Nintendo previously said it would release the Switch 2, or whatever it ends up calling its successor console, before the end of March 2025.
