Nintendo Gives Update on Switch 2 Backward Compatibility

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home November 6, 2024 2 Views 4 Min Read
Nintendo Gives Update on Switch 2 Backward Compatibility

Key Takeaways

  • The Nintendo Switch 2 will be backward compatible.
  • The upcoming console will also support Nintendo Switch Online.
  • NSO support suggests that the device might still have the word “Switch” in its official name, assuming Nintendo isn’t planning to rebrand the service.



The Switch 2 will be backward compatible, Nintendo has confirmed. This key feature has the potential to do wonders for the Switch successor’s early adoption rate.

On November 5, Nintendo released its latest financial report for the first half of its current fiscal year. The Switch 2 was mentioned during the subsequent earnings call, when Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa reiterated the plan to announce the highly anticipated device by March 31, 2025.

Switch OLED Model Mario Kart Princess Peach co-op 2x1 composite

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A few more details about the upcoming console were shared at the company’s corporate management policy briefing that followed. Specifically, Furukawa confirmed that the much-rumored Switch 2 backward compatibility is real. “Switch software will also be playable on the successor to the Nintendo Switch,” the executive said. Additionally, Furukawa revealed that the upcoming console will have Nintendo Switch Online, thus being the company’s second-ever system to support the subscription service.


The confirmation of NSO support and backward compatibility for the Switch successor may not come as a surprise to the most attentive of fans. Furukawa already hinted at these capabilities all the way back in June 2023, when he said the Switch 2 will utilize Nintendo Accounts and aim to deliver a “smooth transition” for owners of its predecessor.



NSO Support Confirmation Might Hint at the Switch 2’s Official Name

Reading between the lines, NSO support might even hint at the name of the upcoming device. Assuming the service won’t get rebranded, Nintendo’s next console is likely to incorporate the word “Switch” in its official name, because offering a subscription called “Nintendo Switch Online” on a device with a completely different name is something that a subset of consumers may find confusing. Therefore, it’s plausible that the company will opt for another Wii U-like naming scheme that simply expands the name of the previous device rather than ditches it completely.

Switch 2 Will Have Thousands of Games at Launch

Such a moniker would align with Nintendo’s stated goal of delivering the “next” Switch, which Furukawa said was the aim back in May 2024. Ditto for the newly confirmed backward compatibility support. Given the massive library of Switch games spanning over 11,700 titles, this feature will ensure that the upcoming console has access to a gigantic launch lineup. As such, the Switch 2 backward compatibility will likely be a key factor in helping the console generate early commercial momentum. But how exactly it will work in practice remains to be seen.


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