Nintendo has just made a big announcement that has Nintendo fans everywhere breathing a sigh of relief. During a Corporate Management Policy Briefing, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa confirmed that the upcoming Switch 2 will be backwards compatible with the current Switch console. This means that players will be able to play their existing Switch games on the new console, as well as access Nintendo Switch Online.
This news comes as a welcome surprise to many, as there were hints that this might be the case, but nothing was confirmed until now. Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser had previously mentioned that the company was focused on creating a smooth transition between consoles, but there was always a possibility that Nintendo could have gone in a different direction.
With the confirmation of backwards compatibility, it also means that all the work Nintendo has done to make classic games from NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, and Sega Genesis available on the Switch will likely carry over to the Switch 2. This is great news for players who have built up a large library of games on their current Switch console.
Despite this exciting news, Nintendo has not yet revealed any details about the actual launch of the Switch 2. Furukawa mentioned that more information will be shared at a later date, leaving fans eagerly awaiting for a potential announcement in the coming months. There were speculations of a reveal in September or October, but with the holiday season approaching and Nintendo focusing on selling more of the existing Switch models, the window for a 2024 announcement seems to be closing.
Nintendo has previously stated that the successor to the Switch will be announced before the end of March 2025, so fans will have to wait a little longer for more details. In the meantime, the confirmation of backwards compatibility has already generated a lot of excitement and anticipation for what the future holds for Nintendo’s gaming consoles.
