Following its Corporate Management Policy Briefing, Nintendo announced via Twitter that games for the Nintendo Switch will be compatible with its next console, currently being referred to as the Switch 2 by most enthusiasts.
The entire details of the Management Policy Briefing can be found on Nintendo’s official site. It offers a deep dive into Nintendo’s performance in the console hardware market. A staggering 146 million units from the Nintendo Switch Family have been sold, and it’s noted that more games have been played on the Nintendo Switch than on any other Nintendo device. The extensive 59-page document provides a wealth of sales data and historical insights. It also confirms that Nintendo Switch Online services, along with other offerings like Music, will continue to be available when Switch 2 hits the shelves.
For those familiar with the gaming ecosystems of Sony and Microsoft, this news from Nintendo might not come as a shock. Microsoft has done a commendable job maintaining backward compatibility. Features like FPS Boost and Resolution Boosting allow gamers to enjoy original Xbox and Xbox 360 titles on newer consoles like the Xbox One or Xbox Series S/X. Meanwhile, Sony’s track record has been a bit more restrained since the PS3 era, which supported all previous consoles. However, the PlayStation 5 does play PS4 games almost flawlessly, and a number of PS1 and PS2 games are accessible through emulation. Unfortunately, PS3 games are largely available only through cloud streaming on PS4 and PS5, which has been a point of contention for PlayStation fans.
Historically, Nintendo has held its own with backward compatibility, up until the Switch. The Wii U, its predecessor, was capable of playing disc-based games from both the Wii and GameCube and offered access to a Virtual Console, filling most of the gaps in Nintendo’s classic library. Similarly, the Nintendo 3DS supported Nintendo DS games, though it didn’t extend support to Game Boy Advance titles or older handheld games.
With the launch of the Nintendo Switch, which united Nintendo’s portable and home console lines while transitioning from PowerPC to ARM architecture, backward compatibility took a back step. Thankfully, it appears that the success of the Switch and its easy-to-use Nvidia mobile hardware has encouraged Nintendo to stick with its current strategy. This means those investing in Switch games today will still have something to play on the new console when it makes its debut.
Hopefully, this also suggests that games previously held back by the original hardware of the Switch, like the Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, will be able to run at over 60 FPS without relying on emulation. Nintendo is known for its rigorous stance against emulation, evidenced by its takedowns of software like Dolphin, which was able to emulate GameCube and Wii games. With compatibility in mind, it’s plausible that unmonitored Switch emulators might extend their reach to the next-gen Switch 2 as well.
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