Following their Corporate Management Policy Briefing, Nintendo announced on Twitter that games from the Nintendo Switch platform would continue to be available on the anticipated next-generation console, widely referred to by many as the Switch 2.
The Management Policy Briefing, which is accessible for public viewing on Nintendo’s official site, provides a detailed overview of Nintendo’s current position within the console hardware sector. Notably, the sales of the Nintendo Switch family have reached a staggering 146 million units. It boasts the remarkable achievement of having more software played on it compared to any previous Nintendo devices. The comprehensive 59-page document not only delves into intricate sales data but also reassures fans that the Nintendo Switch Online service, alongside other features like music, will persist even with the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2.
For those familiar with Sony or Microsoft’s approach to console compatibility, this update might seem like business as usual. Microsoft has consistently offered outstanding backward compatibility, accentuated by features like FPS and Resolution Boosting for Xbox and Xbox 360 titles on the newer Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X systems. Sony, meanwhile, has had a more limited backward compatibility journey since the PS3 era, which supported earlier console games extensively. However, the PlayStation 5 does provide robust support for PS4 titles and even allows a selection of PS2 and PS1 games through emulation. While PS3 game fans have to rely on cloud streaming on PS4 and PS5, it’s been a sticking point for many PlayStation users.
Nintendo’s track record with backward compatibility was quite impressive until the arrival of the Nintendo Switch. Previously, the Wii U could handle Wii and GameCube discs and also featured a Virtual Console to bridge gaps in Nintendo’s older game libraries. The Nintendo 3DS had similar compatibility for DS games, though it couldn’t run titles from the Game Boy Advance or other pre-dual screen portable consoles.
The launch of the Nintendo Switch marked a significant shift. This console unified Nintendo’s handheld and home gaming systems and transitioned from PowerPC to Arm CPU cores, leading to the removal of backward compatibility for earlier generations. However, it appears the success of the Switch and its adaptable Nvidia-powered mobile hardware has encouraged Nintendo to maintain this strategic direction. This decision should reassure gamers currently buying Switch titles—they’ll seamlessly carry over to the Switch 2.
Hopefully, what this also means is that games previously hindered by Nintendo’s initial hardware specifications, such as Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, might run at an improved frame rate beyond 60 FPS. This would eliminate the need for emulation software, which Nintendo fervently restricts. Their efforts likely stem from concerns that just like Dolphin was capable of emulating the GameCube and Wii, unrestricted Switch emulators might manage Switch 2 games just as easily.
