Not Every Switch Game Compatible With Successor – What's Their Solution?

The upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to use some kind of emulation to make the console backwards compatible. Not all games are playable yet.

Recent reports suggest that the new Nintendo Switch 2 will have hardware that's distinct from its predecessor, unlike they did in the past. For example, since the Nintendo 3DS also included DS hardware, backwards compatibility was relatively straightforward. The Switch 2 is different: according to Nintendo, the micro-architecture is completely new. That's why Nintendo is instead relying on a solution that emulates your Switch games for the most part.

Anyone who has ever played on an emulator may already know that full compatibility with games from the original Nintendo Switch is therefore quite unlikely. Technical differences and the complexity of software development can mean that some games may not run without errors on the newer hardware. Nintendo itself has announced in a blog post that it will have to test each game individually and is working on continuously improving compatibility.

This announcement is in stark contrast to Nintendo's stance on emulators. In the past, the company has consistently taken action against emulators of its different consoles. We have already reported on Ryujinx. Numerous lawsuits and legal action against several developers show how hard Nintendo is trying to protect its intellectual property. However, fans have the opinion that the preservation of many older games is being sabotaged by Nintendo, as no one is even profiting from these games anymore.

It's ironic that Nintendo itself is relying on emulation to continue the trend of backwards compatibility. As thousands of games are tested individually for their functionality, fans can only wait and see whether their favorite games will also be playable on the new console.

Does this announcement deter you from buying the Nintendo Switch 2? Or were you just planning on playing Nintendo's remasters anyway?