Nintendo has confirmed that the Nintendo Switch 2 will be backward compatible with the games you own on your Switch now. Your current subscription to Nintendo Switch Online will also carry over, so all of the game libraries for Game Boy, N64, and more should be expected to be playable on day one. The news comes from Nintendo after a Corporate Policy Briefing.
While there was a lot of hope that the Nintendo Switch 2 would be backward compatible, it is great to have confirmation that all of your library, even Switch games that were released after the Switch 2, will be playable on the next console. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of information we don’t know, which will come with the console’s full unveiling before the end of the fiscal year at the end of March 2025. Additionally, we also learned from the reports that the Switch has sold over 146 million units, more people are playing the Switch now than ever before, and over 34 million players are subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online.
Since we are focused on the Switch 2 backward compatible future, we should also mention the highly successful numbers Nintendo is reporting. For starters, Mario games have sold incredibly well on the Switch. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe continues to raise its record as the highest-selling racing game ever at 64 million. Additionally, the 3D Mario games Super Mario Odyssey and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury have just slightly outsold 2D entries in Super Mario Maker 2, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Traditionally, 2D Mario games sell much better than the 3D games. Pikmin, Kirby, Metroid, and Xenoblade games have also seen significant growth in their sales, meaning fans of those series should expect more to come in the future.