Nintendo announces that Nintendo Switch games will be playable on unannounced Nintendo Switch successor, and Nintendo Switch Online will continue to be available



Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa has announced that the 'successor to the Nintendo Switch,' which he has announced will be released in 2024 , will be able to play existing Nintendo Switch titles on the successor. In addition, it has been revealed that Nintendo Switch Online, a paid online service for the Nintendo Switch, will also continue to be available on the successor.

Nintendo says the Switch successor will be compatible with Switch games - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/5/24284745/switch-2-backward-compatibility-nintendo-online-preservation

Nintendo confirms Switch 2 will play original Switch games - Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/11/nintendo-confirms-switch-2-will-play-original-switch-games/

What Backwards Compatibility Means for the Nintendo Switch Successor
https://www.vice.com/en/article/what-backwards-compatibility-means-for-switch-successor/

On November 6, 2024, Nintendo announced its financial results for the second quarter of the fiscal year ending March 2025 (April to September 2024) . During the financial results briefing held on the same day, Nintendo President Furukawa revealed that the successor to the Nintendo Switch will be backward compatible, allowing users to play Nintendo Switch titles. In addition, it was announced that Nintendo Switch Online will also continue to be available on the successor. However, detailed information about the successor will be provided at a later date.




Since the Nintendo Switch is backward compatible, some people on the Internet have pointed out that 'they may have avoided holding back on software purchases in consideration of the possibility that it may not be backward compatible.' On the other hand, at the financial results briefing, a question was asked, 'For customers who are already playing with the Nintendo Switch, won't the motivation to purchase new hardware immediately after the release of the successor model be weakened?' President Furukawa avoided a clear answer, but replied , 'As a company that provides integrated hardware and software entertainment, as in the past, we would like to convey its appeal in various ways.'

Both the Xbox Series X/S and the PlayStation 5 (PS5) have backward compatibility, but the Nintendo Switch does not. The reason is that the previous generation Wii U was a disc drive, while the Nintendo Switch uses cartridges. Therefore, at the time of writing, in order to play titles from Nintendo's older game consoles on the Nintendo Switch, you need to play remastered versions for the Nintendo Switch or have the titles added to Nintendo Switch Online.

The debate over backward compatibility of game consoles is not only about player satisfaction, but also about preserving games. According to a report by the Video Game History Preservation Society, 87% of games released in the past are already unplayable. The most effective way to reduce such games is to make new game consoles backward compatible.

87% of games released in the past are no longer playable - GIGAZINE



In response to the news that the successor to the Nintendo Switch will be backwards compatible, some people on the internet have said things like, ' I'm glad because my game history is important memories ,' ' Finally, they're going to get it managed properly. Everything I bought on the Wii's Virtual Console has gone to waste, ' ' It's become a tradition for Nintendo to maintain compatibility with previous generations, like the GB and GBA, GBA and DS, and Wii and Wii U. Postscript: Maybe the loss of compatibility between the Wii U and 3DS and Switch is the exception in the game, ' and ' It looks like it'll be like the New Nintendo 3DS. '

The detailed specifications of this successor to the Nintendo Switch have not been officially revealed, but there are rumors that the display size will be expanded to 8 inches, and major game maker Activision Blizzard has said that the next-generation Nintendo Switch model will have 'the same power as the PS4 and Xbox One.'

Regarding the rumored next-generation Nintendo Switch 'Nintendo Switch 2 (tentative name)', major game maker Activision Blizzard said 'power is equivalent to PS4 and Xbox One' - GIGAZINE



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