Nintendo has released information about the current compatibility status of Switch games with the Switch 2. According to graphs published on Nintendo’s official website, out of more than 15,000 titles playable on the Nintendo Switch, around 25% have been confirmed as clear of errors after compatibility testing as of April 1. The tests are still ongoing, and information on compatible titles will be updated again later in April.
As a successor to Nintendo Switch, Switch 2 has maintained many signature characteristics of the original console, however, it uses different hardware from its predecessor, which means that, while it is possible to play Switch games on the Switch 2, currently not all of them are supported or fully compatible.
On Nintendo’s website, it was revealed that out of more than 15,000 partner games, around 25% have been found to run without issues. Meanwhile, most of the other games were able to be started up so far, but still require further testing. As for the 141 game titles where compatibility issues were identified, Nintendo is currently in discussion with third-party developers on how to handle the problem. Regarding the 122 Nintendo original titles, while there are some exceptions, no compatibility issues have been found as of now, which means it is very likely that most of the Nintendo original games for the Switch will be compatible with Switch 2 at launch.
According to an interview published on Nintendo’s official website, the reason why older Nintendo consoles such as the 3DS and the DS, or the Wii U and the Wii, had full backward compatibility is because of how they were made – the DS hardware was implemented into the 3DS and the Wii hardware was implemented into the Wii U.
However, this isn’t the case for the Switch 2, as it is not equipped with its predecessor’s hardware. For the Switch 2, the focus was on enhancing its performance, which meant that its compatibility with the Switch was a lower priority for the developers. The approach to hardware design was vastly different from Nintendo’s previous game systems, which is why it was difficult to achieve the same level of backward compatibility as the 3DS or the Wii U.
Therefore, a new technology is being used to run Switch games on the Switch 2. If something like a software emulator were to be used for the Switch 2, it would have to be run at full capacity and its battery wouldn’t last long, which is why Nintendo implemented a new technology that they describe as a mix between a software emulator and hardware compatibility. According to them, the process of converting game data for Switch to run on Switch 2 is being performed on a real-time basis as the data is loaded. Due to the introduction of this new technology, each of the 15,000 Switch games is being checked for possible compatibility issues one by one – from whether they boot up, to the gameplay itself.
Some of the 141 game titles which were identified to have start up issues include DOOM Eternal, Final Fantasy, Fitness Boxing, Gang Beasts, Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist and Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society. Fifty game titles are listed as playable, but with some in-game compatibility issues, and among them are games such as Fall Guys, Overcooked, Mega Man Legacy Collection and Neptunia X SENRAN KAGURA: Ninja Wars.
It was also announced that some games which required the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con, such as Ring Fit Adventure, cannot be played on Switch 2 using the Joy-Con 2, but only using the original Joy-Con. The only game that is currently unavailable to play on Switch 2 is Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit, as the console cannot be inserted into the Toy-Con VR Goggles accessory.
Additionally, Nintendo admitted that there is a high possibility that some of the games may not be able to run perfectly in time for the Switch 2 release, and that they will be making continuous adjustments to ensure as many Nintendo Switch games as possible are compatible with the upcoming console.
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