The Nintendo Switch successor may be backward compatible in some form, judging from a recent statement from the Japanese company’s president.
Speaking during the Q&A session held during the company’s latest financial briefing, as reported by Genki, Nintendo CEO Shuntaro Furukawa briefly touched upon the next gaming hardware from the company, saying that, while every console launch was a blank slate in the past, this will not happen for future hardware, thanks to the Nintendo Account system. Taking advantage of the over 290 million accounts that have been created to date, Nintendo will make sure that the transition to the Nintendo Switch will be smoother than ever before, suggesting that the software tied to the account will also be playable in some way on the new hardware.
While very few Nintendo systems could play games from its direct predecessor, it definitely makes sense to make the Nintendo Switch successor backward compatible, considering how successful the console is. With both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S being backward compatible, it would be strange for Nintendo not to follow its competitors in this regard, although the Japanese company has always done things in its own way.
Nothing is currently known about the Nintendo Switch successor, although rumors suggest it will be a hybrid console like its predecessor, as Sharp announced it is providing LCD screens for a new gaming console. Although Nintendo has yet to make an announcement, the new system may not be too far off in the future, as the Japanese company suggested this console may not release too long after its announcement. What is certain is that this launch will not happen any time before April 2024.
