Yesterday, Nintendo revealed its next console, the Nintendo Switch 2, via a short video. The clip didn’t reveal too much outside of its design and a brief glimpse of the next Mario Kart game. We did get one crucial detail, though: the system is compatible with Nintendo Switch games, both digitally and physically. There is one caveat that has fans nervous, though. Nintendo says that select games won’t be backwards compatible, but it hasn’t explained what that means yet.
While we’re in the dark about what that means, we have one reasonable guess — and it has to do with the original Switch’s most underused feature. Under Counter Led Lights
While the Switch is best known for its revolutionary handheld design, that’s not the console’s only unique feature. When it was announced, Nintendo put a lot of emphasis on the system’s IR sensors, which appear at the bottom of Joy-con controllers. These were supposed to be the system’s bespoke gameplay gimmick … but that didn’t go exactly as planned. Nintendo never really did much with that concept, nor did third-party developers. Only a handful of games utilize the IR sensors at all.
That may have been for the best, because the Nintendo Switch 2 doesn’t appear to feature IR sensors — or at least not in the same way that they appeared on the original Switch. If that’s the case, it’s reasonable to assume that a handful of games won’t be entirely compatible with Nintendo’s new system.
That list would include WarioWare: Move It!, Ring Fit Adventure, 1-2 Switch, Game Builder Garage, Nintendo Labo, Resident Evil Revelations, and Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training.
There’s still a chance that these games could mostly work on Switch 2. Ring Fit Adventure only uses IR sensors to record players’ heart rates, for instance. The feature is a little more integral to games like 1-2 Switch though, so it’s hard to imagine Nintendo making those games compatible with its new hardware.
We’ll have to wait to find out what’s officially off the table. For now, all we can do is wait until April 2’s Nintendo Switch 2 Direct.
The next Mario Kart game has been revealed via the first official Nintendo Switch 2 trailer. The clip shows us a very short glimpse at what is most likely Mario Kart 9 running on the console.
Nintendo revealed the Switch 2 today in a short video. The clip focused solely on the system's design, which matches recent leaks out of CES. While there was almost no software featured during the reveal, Mario Kart shows up at the very end of the clip, teasing the series' next game.
Following weeks of leaks and rumors, Nintendo officially revealed its next console: the Nintendo Switch 2.
Now that we're at the end of the Switch's lifecycle and there are almost no more upcoming Switch games to speak of, we've all amassed a huge library of the best Switch games. Almost every major Nintendo franchise has appeared on this console, from Zelda and Mario to Animal Crossing and Metroid. Now, Nintendo is finally ready to move on and give us the long-awaited Switch 2. This new console has the same winning formula of being a handheld and home console hybrid but with far more power under the hood. That will lead to even better games going forward, but will we need to hold onto our current Switches if we want to play anything we missed in the current library? If the Switch 2 is backwards compatible, you can safely sell or give away your old Switch and make a clean upgrade. Let's see what the official word is now that we know the facts about this console. Is the Switch 2 backwards compatible?
Yes! Thankfully, Nintendo isn't forcing us to rebuild our entire game collection from scratch once again. All your existing Switch cartridges and digital games can be played on the Switch 2. As long as you sign in with your same Nintendo account, you can access your digital library and download your games onto the new system, while physical game cards can simply be inserted as normal.
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