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Do you think the Switch successor will be backwards compatible?

  • Yes, with cartridges and digital downloads.

    Votes: 699 65.7%
  • Yes, but only with digital downloads.

    Votes: 161 15.1%
  • Yes, but only with cartridges.

    Votes: 40 3.8%
  • I don´t think so (please explain why)

    Votes: 164 15.4%

  • Total voters
    1,064

Dyle

One Winged Slayer
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
29,936
Definitely, though I expect it to have a digital only model that's not compatible with cartridges, though maybe not until a later revision
 
Nov 14, 2017
4,928
Yea, the next Nintendo device should still be like the Switch. The whole concept of a home console you can take with you / a portable you can hook up to your TV is good. I reckon they should stick with it.
 
Feb 15, 2019
2,541
I definitely think so. The real question is are they gonna put in effort/try and get the devs to upgrade the games on Switch on the successor? I like my Switch but some games being 30 fps or some ps4/xone games that were downported and don't exactly look the greatest could definitely benefit from stuff like that.
 

CommodoreKong

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,710
I think it will at the very least with digital, possibly physical too if they use cards with a similar physical size or include a new and old card slot.
 

Ocean

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,691
Doubt it. Nintendo will sell us the same games again and make millions off of it.
 

Aia

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
590
Historically, Nintendo's been amazing in this regard. However, I think they'll definitely support digital purchase but probably not cartridges (unless you buy and add-on which is believable given their record).
 

Deleted member 10737

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
49,774
for sure.
despite what some people think nintendo has a very solid track record in backward compatibility (when it's possible), and since next gen will most likely just use a more powerful chip from nvidia and the physical media doesn't need to change (just support bigger sizes), there's no reason to not have full digital and physical BC.
 

gazoinks

Member
Jul 9, 2019
3,230
Nintendo has historically been pretty good with BC, so I really hope so. I'll be really disappointed in them if it isn't.
 

brinstar

User requested ban
Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,270
Kind of hard to say until they show what the next thing is. That said, I'm hoping it's a stronger Switch that carries everything over. I guess there's not much to get in the way of BC this time unlike the Wii U.
 

NattyBo

Member
Dec 29, 2017
4,316
Washington, DC
I really hope so. Otherwise I'm going to feel extremely burned. I have a really extensive switch physical library at this point and plenty of digital buys too
 

Oregano

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,878
Why are you bringing up Sony or Microsoft? What do they have to do with it?

Because it's not a situation that is unique to Nintendo and going along the same lines Nintendo followed Sony/MS in making Switch region free despite the fact that they made money on people buying multiple 3DSs/Wii Us to play across regions.
 

AndreGX

GameXplain
Verified
Oct 24, 2017
1,815
San Francisco
100%. Every one of Nintendo's handheld successors have been backwards compatible to some degree; there is a 0% chance Nintendo changes course with the successor to one of their most popular systems ever and their only active platform
 

eraFROMAN

One Winged Slayer
Member
Mar 12, 2019
2,886
Switch is built on normal, modern hardware, so there's no reason not to expect BC with the potential for enhancements. Cards and digital, which I suspect is why they changed their account system a third time for Switch.
 

dom

▲ Legend ▲
Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
10,452
It better be.
They shouldn't be changing architecture and should be sticking with ARM.
Imagine the shitshow if it doesn't, though.
 

Mekanos

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 17, 2018
44,168
So many drive by posts, lol. Nobody can explain why Switch 2 won't have BC other than "money" or "Nintendo."
 

Cronogear

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,982
There's no reason it shouldn't be. The next system will still be on ARM, likely still with Nvidia as well.

Then again, it is Nintendo.
 

Nessus

Member
Oct 28, 2017
3,917
Who knows if it's still their plan, but the whole idea of Switch was to have a unified operating system and development environment between devices that Nintendo could use for multiple generations without breaking compatibility.

So I'm fairly optimistic that their next system will be backwards compatible.

I mean, Nintendo has supported backwards compatibility with every one of their previous handhelds and Wii could play GameCube games and Wii U could play Wii games.
 

SpankyDoodle

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,082
A Switch 2 with access to the entirety of the Switch's digital and physical library in addition to anything new on Switch 2 sounds like a recipe for one of the greatest consoles in all of gaming. Heck, factor in Wii U ports and it'll technically have access to three gens' worth of games.
You gotta think bigger than that!

Assuming Nintendo continues NSO now that they have finally established an actual online service, the Switch successor could potentially have

NES (NSO)
SNES (NSO)
GameBoy Color/Advance (rumored to join NSO this fall)
N64 (NSO or eShop)
GameCube (traditional BC via remasters)
Wii (traditional BC via remasters)
Wii U (traditional BC via remasters)
Switch (traditional BC)

Also worth taking into consideration that the Wii U was able to play DS games via the eShop, so there's not really any reason for Switch to not eventually get those too via NSO or eShop.

I have no idea what kind of technical issues there are with emulating 3DS, but if they can't emulate those games and instead port some of them, it's entirely possible that the next Switch would be able to play games from every past Nintendo system. O:
 
Oct 25, 2017
41,368
Miami, FL
I don't think so.

Or, not in the sense of games you already own being able to be played on new hardware. I suspect they will offer some sort of "virtual console" service where you can pay again for games you already own, so on that sense yes.

But will you be able to say...verify you own a game and play without additional fees on the new hardware like you can on Microsoft consoles? I don't think so.
 

ArchedThunder

Uncle Beerus
Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,061
So many people saying it won't because "it's Nintendo" even though Switch is the first console they've released that has no backwards compatibility since the GameCube and the first handheld to not have backwards compatibility since the original GameBoy, which literally had nothing to be backwards compatible with.
Y'all are weird.