Nintendo says the Swap successor can be appropriate with Swap video games

Nintendo hasn’t introduced its Swap successor but, however we do know one factor for positive: it will likely be capable of play present Swap video games and have carryover to your Nintendo Swap On-line providers and account. The information was introduced throughout Nintendo’s midyear coverage briefing, with additional data promised “at a later date.”

Nintendo additionally talked about numbers for the present Swap (PDF), noting that it bought 4.72 million models up to now three months, a drop of 31 % in comparison with the identical interval final 12 months however properly above earlier consoles eight years after they launched.

That provides as much as 146 million Swap models bought and a brand new file for software program gross sales on a Nintendo platform, which reached 1.3 billion models as of September thirtieth, 2024. It additionally famous that Swap On-line subscriptions dropped barely from final 12 months to about 34 million members. On the identical time, the variety of individuals choosing the pricier model with the Growth Pack library of video games continues to extend.

In keeping with the presentation, “Extra software program has been performed on Nintendo Swap than on every other Nintendo {hardware}.”

All three of the main console producers have had spotty information with backward compatibility. Each the Xbox Collection X and the PS5 are largely backward-compatible. However for the reason that transition from the Wii U concerned going from discs to cartridges, the Swap shouldn’t be. Enjoying a recreation from earlier Nintendo consoles in the meanwhile is a operate of optimism, involving the hope that both Nintendo releases a remastered Swap port or brings the sport to its Swap On-line library, however that gained’t be the case this time round.

In keeping with Nintendo, the Swap 2 (or no matter it’s truly referred to as) remains to be on schedule to be revealed throughout this fiscal 12 months, which runs till the tip of March 2025, with out interrupting Nintendo’s present reference to over 100 million annual Swap gamers.

The dialog about backward compatibility isn’t nearly participant satisfaction but additionally online game preservation. A report from the Video Recreation Historical past Basis discovered that over 87 % of video games launched earlier than 2010 are “critically endangered” or unavailable for buy. Whereas Nintendo has introduced a few of its again catalog to the Swap, there are nonetheless quite a lot of inaccessible video games. Nintendo additionally instantly contributed to the growing shortage of older video games by shutting down the Wii U / 3DS e-shop final 12 months.

Replace, November fifth, 2024: Added extra particulars.