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Nintendo Switch 2 backwards compatibility confirmed, but where is the console?

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa confirms a huge Switch 2 feature that will keep your game library fresh for many years to come.

Nintendo Switch 2 backwards compatible: An image of a Mario holding a Nintendo Switch console.

We’re fast approaching the era of the Nintendo Switch 2, and there’s still plenty of mystery surrounding the handheld. One element that undoubtedly sucks when it comes to new consoles is whether you’ll still get to enjoy your favorite games, and thankfully, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has good news. Don’t throw away your old games just yet, the Switch 2 is set to launch with backwards compatibility.

As speculation mounts surrounding the Nintendo Switch 2’s hardware, in a recent social media post, Nintendo revealed the handheld will support previous Switch titles. “At today’s Corporate Management Policy Briefing, we announced that Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch. Nintendo Switch Online will be available on the successor to Nintendo Switch as well,” Furukawa explains.

The inclusion of backwards compatibility is definitely a welcome addition, especially after the Nintendo Switch has seen a limited number of titles from the Wii U games ported to the platform. Conversely, the Wii U was far more supportive for Wii games.

The first iterations of the original Wii also supported GameCube titles, before this was made near impossible in later revisions to the console. However, despite this positive news for the Switch 2, the question of its release date is still hanging in the air.

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Furukawa adds that “further information about the successor to Nintendo Switch, including its compatibility with Nintendo Switch, will be announced at a later date.” Nintendo itself previously confirmed that the console would be announced within the next year, likely at the end of the financial year in March 2025. Fresh rumors claim it could compete with the Xbox Series S in terms of power and price.

In Nintendo’s newly released Fiscal Year 2025 documents, the company shared that Nintendo Switch Online memberships had exceeded 34 million, as of September 2024. The subscription service has continued to expand its offerings, serving up some of the best Switch games you can play right now, whether it’s certified classics or underrated gems.

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