Nintendo Switch 2 prioritizes performance over backward compatibility

Nintendo has confirmed that its upcoming console, the Nintendo Switch 2, will be backward compatible with a wide range of games from its predecessor, although not all titles will run smoothly. According to the company, backward compatibility will be achieved through an innovative hybrid solution that combines software emulation with hardware compatibility, without including components from the original Switch.

15,000 games, but not all. Is this enough?

During a recent interview following the Nintendo Direct, Takuhiro Dohta from Nintendo’s Planning Department highlighted that the team’s main focus was on improving the performance and capability of the hardware, relegating compatibility with older software to a secondary priority. This strategy contrasts with previous consoles, such as the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, which did incorporate hardware elements from their predecessors, facilitating the native execution of many titles.

The new backward compatibility system of the Switch 2 will convert data from the previous console into a format that can be handled in real time. This approach has the advantage of avoiding excessive battery consumption that a full emulator would generate. However, not all games will be compatible. Nintendo has released an initial list of titles that will not be able to run on the new console, highlighting games like Doom Eternal. Others, like Fall Guys, Factorio, and Alien: Isolation, will be playable but will suffer from compatibility issues.

Despite these limitations, Nintendo assures that more than 15,000 third-party games and 122 first-party titles will be compatible with the Switch 2. Additionally, the company does not rule out future updates to improve compatibility with more games in collaboration with external developers. In this way, Nintendo seems to be preparing a transition that, although it presents challenges, promises to expand the playable catalog on its new platform.