Nintendo Switch Games Will Be Playable on Switch Successor, Nintendo Confirms

The Nintendo Switch 2 will be announced during the current fiscal year, ending March 31, 2025.

Written by Manas Mitul | Updated: 6 November 2024 12:47 IST

Nintendo Switch Games Will Be Playable on Switch Successor, Nintendo Confirms

Photo Credit: Bloomberg

The Nintendo Switch launched in March 2017

Highlights

Nintendo Switch has sold 146 million units since launch
Nintendo reported a quarterly decline in Switch sales
The company reported its financial results for Q2 FY 2025 on Wednesday

The successor to the Nintendo Switch will support backwards compatibility with the Switch, Nintendo confirmed Wednesday. At a company briefing, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa announced that Nintendo Switch software would be playable on the Switch 2. While announcing the company's second quarter financial results for fiscal year 2025, Furukawa also reiterated that the Nintendo Switch successor would be announced during the current fiscal year, ending March 31, 2025.

Nintendo Switch 2 Backwards Compatibility

Nintendo also confirmed that Nintendo Switch Online, the company's subscription service for Switch that provides access to online multiplayer, cloud saves and a library of select games from older consoles, will be available on the Nintendo Switch 2.

“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,” the Nintendo president said in X post sent from the official handle of the company. “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.”

Nintendo Switch 2 Could Come With Backwards Compatibility Support

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

While detailing Nintendo's second quarter financial results for FY 2025, Furukawa said it was important for the company to support long-term relationships with its consumers. “We believe that it is important for Nintendo's future to make use of Nintendo Account and carry over the good relationship that we have built with the over 100 million annual playing users on Nintendo Switch to its successor,” he said.

“In addition to being able to play Nintendo Switch software they currently own, consumers will be able to choose their next purchase from a broad selection of titles released for Nintendo Switch,” he added.

Nintendo Switch 2 May Not Arrive Before April 2025

Furukawa did not provide additional details about the launch timeline of the Nintendo Switch 2, but the console will be officially announced before the end of the financial year 2025, Nintendo has confirmed.

Nintendo reported its financial results for the second quarter, ending September 30, 2024, Wednesday, confirming a YoY decline in both hardware and software sales. The company sold 4.72 million units of the Nintendo Switch in the quarter, a 31 percent decline in quarterly sales compared to FY 2024. Consequently, the Japanese company adjusted its FY 25 Switch sales forecast to 12.5 million units, down from the previous estimated sales of 13.5 million units. The company also confirmed that the cumulative sales for the Nintendo Switch had reached 146 million units.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: Nintendo, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch

Manas Mitul

Email Manas Mitul

In his time as a journalist, Manas Mitul has written on a wide spectrum of beats including politics, culture and sports. He enjoys reading, walking around in museums and rewatching films. Talk to Manas about football and tennis, but maybe don’t bring up his video game backlog. More