Nintendo just revealed a big feature for its upcoming next-generation Switch: The new console will be backward-compatible with existing Switch games. In its second-quarter earnings report released on Tuesday,

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.

There's good news if you've got a huge Switch library, as the Nintendo Switch 2 will officially be backwards compatible with old games.

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.”

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Backwards compatibility between the Nintendo Switch 2 and its predecessor has been confirmed.

Nintendo said that video games made for the hugely popular Switch console will also be playable on a new version whose release date is keenly anticipated by fans.

According to an earlier leak, the Switch 2 reportedly has a card slot. However, the message doesn’t confirm the new Switch will be able to play physical Switch games. The message from Nintendo says, “Further information about the successor to Nintendo Switch, including its compatibility with Nintendo Switch, will be announced at a later date.”

Since the launch of the Nintendo Switch in 2017, the Pokemon franchise has released two generations worth of games, remakes, and spin-offs. As the hybrid console nears the end of its life cycle, Nintendo has revealed that the Pokemon series has combined for a staggering 99 million units sold on the Switch.

Nintendo confirms that its next console will be backward compatible with current Switch games, answering one of players' most urgent questions before the console's release.

Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa said on Wednesday that software for the company's Switch console would be playable on the successor device. The Kyoto-based gaming company has said it plans to make an announcement about a successor device during the financial year ending March 2025 but has not provided further details.

It’s been long expected (although can you ever really know with Nintendo), but the company has officially confirmed that Nintendo Switch games will be compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2. It also confirmed that Nintendo Switch Online will be available on the Nintendo Switch 2 as well.