Nintendo is hard at work ensuring that thousands of existing Switch games will run on the upcoming Switch 2. According to Tetsuya Sasaki, general manager of Nintendo’s technology development division, the company is methodically testing more than 10,000 games to confirm their compatibility with the new system’s improved processor and expanded memory.
“There are some games that originally worked well due to the Switch’s hardware configuration,” Sasaki explains in a recent Ask the Developer blog post. “But with Switch 2’s increased processing capabilities and expanded memory, some of those titles could stop working. We weren’t entirely confident at the beginning, but as we tested them one by one, we discovered fixes for certain issues. While we may not be able to resolve everything, we’re working hard to make as many games as possible functional on Switch 2.”
Despite these efforts, it has already been found out that around 120 Switch games already exhibit compatibility issues and may not run at all on Switch 2 at launch. Nintendo producer Kouichi Kawamoto acknowledges this potential shortfall, stating, “Even with all these checks, not all Switch games may run perfectly in time for launch, but we will continue our efforts to support as many titles as possible.”
That said, Nintendo remains committed to preserving players’ existing libraries. “We assume players will think it’s natural for Switch games to run on Switch 2, and of course, we thought it should be that way,” adds Takuhiro Dohta, senior director of the entertainment, planning, and development department. “So, in order to achieve this somehow, we challenged ourselves to implement a new solution.”
Part of that solution reportedly involves transferring Switch data to Switch 2 via a user’s Nintendo account. While it’s not as simple as slotting a Game Boy Advance cartridge into a Nintendo DS, Nintendo is clearly working on ways—both physical and digital—to ensure fans can retain and enjoy their extensive collections on the Switch 2.
