Nintendo hasn’t announced its Switch successor yet, but we do know one thing for sure: it will be able to play current Switch games and have carryover for your Nintendo Switch Online services and account. The news was announced during Nintendo’s midyear policy briefing, with further information promised “at a later date.”

The top 10 best-selling Switch games were shaken up by 2022's Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, which has been climbing the ranks alongside 2023's The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The best-selling Switch game is unlikely to ever be dethroned, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe consistently sitting at the top of the console's software sales chart.

Backward compatibility in the next Nintendo device could be a key strategy to encourage loyal Switch users to upgrade, while simultaneously enhancing the value of Nintendo’s massive software library.