Nintendo Switch owners can breathe a sigh of relief when it comes to purchasing the Switch 2. The Mario maker has officially confirmed that Nintendo Switch 2 backward compatibility is real and your physical collections will carry over– at least, for the most part. In the same breath, the company also confirmed that not all original Switch games will be compatible with its successor. Still, you have zero reason to worry about this seemingly arbitrary reason; there are some valid excuses behind this decision.
There are two obvious reasons why Switch 2 will not have full backward compatibility with original Switch games. First, Nintendo’s upcoming handheld-hybrid console probably cannot support peripheral games exclusive to its predecessor. This is despite the new system being expected to support the original Pro controllers, and possibly Joy-Cons for local play too, via Bluetooth.
Take Ring Fit Adventure and Nintendo Labo, as examples. Based on leaks and the reveal trailer, it seems Switch 2’s controller will ditch the IR sensor feature, a key component used for both games. Not to mention the size difference between the two consoles, which will make Labo designs obsolete.
Another potential reason for Nintendo Switch 2 partial backward compatibility could be related to security concerns. The original Switch suffered from several high-profile jailbreak exploits, including a vulnerability tied to the Joy-Con. Preventing backward compatibility with certain games might also block workarounds by abusing commercial games like the infamous Cubic Ninja hack. Nintendo may be taking a cautious approach to ensure that these breaches cannot be used to compromise the new hardware.
While some fans might be disappointed by the lack of full compatibility, the decision could ultimately enhance the system’s library and security. For those who still have concerns, more details about the console will be shared by Nintendo this April. There’s no doubt that the Nintendo Switch 2 will have full backward compatibility for all your Zelda and Pokemon needs.
