Back in November, Nintendo confirmed that its new console would have some form of backwards compatibility. At the time, there was uncertainty about whether or not the new system would feature backwards compatibility with just digital games, or physical ones as well. During today’s Nintendo Switch 2 reveal trailer, fans got an answer to that question, as the system was shown playing a physical cartridge of Super Mario Bros. Wonder. However, the trailer did raise a new question about which games might work on the platform. In the trailer, Nintendo explicitly says “certain Nintendo Switch games may not be supported or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2.”
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It’s possible this is just a case of Nintendo covering its bases. It’s worth noting that PlayStation said something similar about PS5 backwards compatibility, and it turned out that the vast majority of PS4 games could be played on the new system, with some minor exceptions. The most likely scenario is that some games that leaned specifically on Nintendo Switch tech are the ones that won’t be playable. For example, it’s possible Nintendo Switch 2’s redesigned Joy-Cons might not work with Labo’s cardboard constructions (remember Labo?). Certain other peripherals might have the same difficulties. That might even be what Nintendo means when it says “fully compatible,” as games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe can use the Labo Vehicle Kit right now, and that might not be possible on the new console. There’s simply no way of knowing what games might be excluded, but those are some possibilities.
The one thing Switch owners can be assured of is that most of their games should have no trouble running on Nintendo Switch 2. While language like this is bound to worry some Switch users, the fact of the matter is that Nintendo Switch was a massive success around the world. While Nintendo has had a lot of popular systems over the years, Switch has been the company’s second most successful. That success also translated to huge software sales, with games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe selling tens of millions of units. Nintendo Switch 2 should not only allow those users to keep playing their current games, but also open the door to those that never owned a Switch in the first place.
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We should get a lot more details about things like backwards compatibility within the next few months. A Nintendo Direct presentation has been announced, and will take place on April 2nd. That presentation will focus largely (or perhaps totally) on Nintendo Switch 2, and could clarify a lot of the details we learned today. We can probably expect some announcements in the weeks leading up to that date, but it’s impossible to say for certain. Hopefully Nintendo will add some clarity to today’s statement, and end speculation quickly.
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