Nintendo confirms Switch 2 will be backwards compatible
Nintendo said Wednesday that video games made for the hugely popular Switch console will also be playable on a new version whose release date is keenly anticipated by fans.
It comes a day after the Japanese gaming giant downgraded its annual sales forecast as it reported a 60% plunge in net profit for the first half of this financial year.
The company has promised news on the successor to the Switch—now in its eighth year—by the end of March.
"Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch," said a post attributed to company president Shuntaro Furukawa on an official X account.
"Further information about the successor to Nintendo Switch, including its compatibility with Nintendo Switch, will be announced at a later date," the post added.
This is Furukawa. 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…
— 任天堂株式会社（企業広報・IR） (@NintendoCoLtd) November 6, 2024
The Switch's online subscription service will be available on the new product as well, it added.
Both a handheld and TV-compatible device, the Switch became a must-have distraction among all age groups during the Covid-19 pandemic, helped by hit games such as Animal Crossing.
Switch unit sales decreased 31% on-year for the April-September period, Nintendo said Tuesday. (AFP)