A big question about the Switch 2 has just been answered. While everyone (at least in the US) sits in front of the TV watching the results of the 2024 election, Nintendo has officially confirmed that its next gaming console will be backwards compatible with the Switch.
“At today’s Corporate Management Policy Briefing, we announced that the Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to the Nintendo Switch,” said Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa wrote on Twitter. “Nintendo Switch Online will also be available on the successor to the Nintendo Switch.”
Gamers with huge Switch game libraries around the world breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t a complete surprise, however, as there were some hints that everything on the existing hardware could be brought over to the Switch 2. Doug Bowser, President of Nintendo of America previously suggested that the company was focused on creating a smooth transition between consoles. At the same time, no one would have thought Nintendo would do the unthinkable and defy current expectations to carry your older game libraries into the future.
With Switch Online also being compatible with the next console, it seems like all the emulation work Nintendo has already done will include NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance and Sega Genesis games Getting it to work on its modern platform won’t have to be repeated this time when switching from one device’s Virtual Console to another.
But where is the actual announcement of the Switch 2? “More information about the Nintendo Switch successor, including its compatibility with Nintendo Switch, will be announced at a later date,” Furukawa added in his tweet. Many expected a reveal 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 push aimed at selling millions more of the existing Switch models.
Nintendo had previously said it would announce the Switch 2, or whatever it calls the successor console, before the end of March 2025. Despite the wait, the company reiterated that timeline today, saying nothing has changed.
