Nintendo Switch 2 will be backwards compatible — but what about cartridges?

No, Nintendo has not announced the Switch 2 yet. But it has told us we’ll be able to play our first-generation Switch games on the next generation system.

That’s surely going to make many a Switch fan with a big games library let out a sigh of relief.

Nintendo let slip about backwards compatibility in what sounds like an incredibly boring document, Nintendo’s “Q2 2025 policy briefing.”

“Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch,” it says.

You may assume this is a given, but Nintendo’s history is mixed. Sure, the Nintendo 3DS plays Nintendo DS games, but Ninty also loves charging us for the same games generation after generation.

Nintendo hasn’t specifically said cartridges for Nintendo Switch will work on the next console, though, and that’s a pretty big question that remains unanswered.

“Further information about the successor to Nintendo Switch, including its compatibility with Nintendo Switch, will be announced at a later date,” Shuntaro Furukawa, Nintendo President, said on X.

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The announcement also confirms Nintendo Switch Online will continue with the next generation but, again, this doesn’t suggest anything about physical backwards compatibility going forwards.

We’re crossing all digits for a physical cartridge slot.

According to leaked info reported by gamesindustry.biz back in April, the Nintendo Switch 2 may have a cartridge slot that can read last-gen carts, even though next-gen games could reportedly use a new cartridge design.

There’s no change to Nintendo’s line on the actual Switch 2 announcement. Recent reports told us not to expect the console to be out before well into 2025, but Nintendo has said it will have its big reveal before the end of March 2025.

It’s a tricky one for Nintendo. If it announces the console before the end of the year, won’t that torpedo its Christmas sales? But from our end, wouldn’t you be a bit miffed if you bought a Nintendo Switch OLED, only to discover it’s old hat within weeks?

As ever, we’ll have eyes out for more fresh news on Nintendo Switch 2.

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