The Nintendo Switch’s successor will reportedly support backwards compatibility. A reliable games industry insider claimed earlier this week that the Switch 2 would play games released on the previous generation console. Nintendo confirmed earlier this year that the Switch 2 would be announced next year. The company has not yet provided any official details about the upcoming console or possible backwards compatibility support.
Nintendo Switch 2 Backwards Compatibility
The information comes from tipster Nate the Hate (as spotted by VGC), who has a track record of leaking accurate information about games and consoles. In a reply to a Reddit post about the Nintendo Switch 2, the tipster claimed: “It has backwards compatibility support.”
The tipster’s claim falls in line with earlier reports that said the Switch would arrive with backwards compatibility. A third-party Switch peripherals manufacturer had said back in April that the Nintendo Switch 2 would be backwards compatible with both physical and digital games.
The latest Reddit post mentioned rumours about an update on the Switch 2 that may arrive in September. The Reddit post was based on industry analyst David Gibson’s X post from Wednesday, that claimed the Nintendo Switch 2 was likely in production and an update on the upcoming console was expected this month.
“No-one seems to have noticed the Nintendo assembler- Hosiden is spending ¥2bn on production equipment and ¥1bn on automation in FY3/25 for its major customer in amusement (Nintendo). I still expect Sept news and March 2025 release for next device,” Gibson said in his post.
In May, Nintendo confirmed it would announce the Nintendo Switch successor during the financial year ending March 2025. The company also said it expected to sell 13.5 million Switch units in the current financial year. Nintendo has already announced new games for the Nintendo Switch as the iconic console enters its final lap. A new The Legend of Zelda title, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, is set launch on the Switch later this year.
Last month, GamesIndustry.biz claimed that developers had been told not to expect the Nintendo Switch 2 to arrive in the current financial year. According to the report, developers were expecting the console to arrive in April or May 2025.