by While US states were busy counting votes to confirm who would become the next president on Tuesday night, Nintendo’s Japanese Twitter account was busy confirming a major backwards compatibility feature for the upcoming “Nintendo Switch Successor,” which has officially has only been announced in advance.
“During today’s Corporate Management Policy Briefing, we announced that Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch,” Nintendo wrote in a social media update attributed to company president Shintaro Furukawa. “Nintendo Switch Online will also be available on the successor to the Nintendo Switch.”
This is Furukawa. During today’s Corporate Management Policy Briefing, we announced that Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch. Nintendo Switch Online will also be available on the successor to the Nintendo Switch. Further information about…
— 任天堂株式会社（企業広報・IR） (@NintendoCoLtd) November 6, 2024
In the full policy briefing referenced in that post, Nintendo adds that it “believes[s] that it is important for the future of Nintendo to use Nintendo Account and to transfer the good relationship we have built with the more than 100 million annual users on the Nintendo Switch to its successor. The company also makes the (perhaps obvious) clarification that “In addition to being able to play Nintendo Switch software they currently own, consumers will be able to choose their next purchase from a wide selection of titles released for Nintendo Switch [on its successor].”
A crucial feature
Nintendo gave broad, vague hints about the backward compatibility of its next console over a year ago, saying at the time that “as far as the transition from the Nintendo Switch to the next-generation machine goes, we want to do as much as possible to help our customers while using the Nintendo Account.” Over the past few months, we’ve received multiple reports that this type of backward compatibility was already in the works from supply chain and game development sources.
