Unlike the original Switch console, the successor – likely to be named Switch 2 – will be backwards compatible with existing games, according to Nintendo.
Backwards compatibility remains a major issue with game consoles. While we bave been fortunate to see PS5 and Xbox Series maintain compatibility with PS4 and Xbox One, the current Switch is not backwards compatible with games for Wii and Wii U.
The issue often boils down to the CPU architecture. PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series all run on x86 architecture, ensuring compatibility across systems. However, with the transition from Wii U to Switch, Nintendo switched – sorry – from PowerPC to ARM architecture.
The Nintendo Switch is both a handheld and TV game console. Photo: Nintendo
Backwards compatibility will again be a critical topic for the next console generation, but this time more so for Sony and Microsoft, as Nintendo has already moved to ARM architecture, which is making significant inroads into the PC/console market.
Switch 2 will be backwards compatible
We did not expect the Switch 2 to break backwards compatibility, as it will most likely once again be built on an ARM-based Nvidia SoC. Still, it is nice to receive confirmation.
- "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. Further information about the successor to Nintendo Switch, including its compatibility with Nintendo Switch, will be announced at a later date," said Nintendo President Shintaro Furukawa.
The key question here is whether compatibility will be limited to digital games or extend to physical game cards as well.
146 million Switch consoles sold
The comments came during a briefing where Furukawa also revealed that there are over 127 million annual active users on Nintendo Switch.
- "First launched in March 2017, the Nintendo Switch family of systems has now achieved cumulative hardware sales of 146.04 million units," said Furukawa. "Cumulative software sales have reached 1.3061 billion units, setting a new record for a Nintendo gaming platform. More software has been played on Nintendo Switch than on any other Nintendo hardware."
For reference, Sony has sold 65.5 million PS5 consoles while Microsoft is estimated to have sold fewer than 30 million Xbox Series consoles.
Graph: Nintendo
