Topic: Discussion: Switch Successor & Backwards Compatibility

Hey all, with all the talk about the upcoming switch sucessor; I wanted to see how you all felt about backwards compatibility. Do you think the next console should be backwards compatible? If so, does it need to run the games exactly as is, or would you want them to be upgraded in some way, like PS4 games on PS5? Would you want them to just not include backwards compatibility if they for some reason ran worse. The only example I can really think of is how pixelated DS games look on the 3DS. Hope to hear some of your opinions. Have a great day.

I hope everything from switch 1 Carries over and there’s no reset button in sight. All the NSO stuff, everything. And I hope it runs switch 1 cartridges natively too. My switch collection will live on!

@Yousef- To achieve that, they may need to add a notch to the "Switch 2" cartridges so they don't fit into the Switch 1 console. Sorta like what they did with the 3DS cartridges.

@Konsori that might be true. Although I dunno why wouldn’t just release an update on switch 1 that would notify you that your switch 1 can’t run or doesn’t support switch 2 games kinda like older consoles do it.

Although that theory is still likely because it’d Nintendo. It sounds like something they’d do.

@Konsori The Switch was the first Nintendo console in a while 15+ years that didn't have backward compatibility, and I think much of that had to do with going with cartridge format and omitting disks. I think it would be foolish for them to develop their proprietary cartridge for only one console. So, I imagine the switch carts will work in the next console.

Although, I'm a little worried that the cart production costs (which are more expensive than cheap-as-heck disks) may continue to scare off third parties from offering physical versions of their bigger games. Going forward, I hope those days are mostly behind us.

My interest in Nintendo's next platform hinges on backwards compatibility. If my Switch 1 collection isn't coming with me to Switch 2, I have no qualms about skipping the Switch 2. I'm a fan of the Switch concept. More so than being a Nintendo fan.

@Konsori : They don't need a "notch". I think NIntendo only did that with the 3DS so that people didn't confuse it for being an incremental upgrade to the original DS. I strongly suspect that the next console will continue to use the same-sized cartridges. There's no need to make them any bigger or smaller than they already are without rendering them impractical to use and store.

Meanwhile, Sony has been using the same-shaped discs without issue since their very first console, in spite of the change in formats over the years (from CD to DVD to Blu-ray to UHD Blu-ray).

I suspect that inserting a Switch 2 cartridge into an original Switch family console will simply inform the user that the cartridge is incompatible. Easy peasy.

I don’t care about Nintendo’s next console if it isn’t backwards compatible.

If it isn’t backwards compatible, then we’re probably gonna be stuck with a bunch of $70 Deluxe versions of the games we just bought on Switch.

It is a day one buy for me if backwards. If not, not so sure. There is oodles and oodles of games on Switch to last me my life time really. Sure, I would WANT to play the new Nintendo titles, but I wouldn't NEED it. I am super happy with my Switch and all that it has to offer.

@SillyG
The notch is something they also did on GBC cartridges. Also if we're being technical it was also done for GBA, DS, SNES, N64, GC, Wii and Switch. The only consoles that didn't make the new games physically incompatible with the old system were Wii U, DSi and New 3DS

The notch I think is almost certainly happening. And it will exist for games that are strictly Switch 2 only. But I suspect there will be plenty of cross compatible games that run better on Switch 2 and full BC. Possibly with the exception of games that require Switch specific features like Labo and Ring Fit (but even then, JoyCon are just Bluetooth)

I probably won't get a Switch 2 if it is not backwards compatible.

The GBC is an interesting case, because most of its games were dual mode, and would still run on an original GB, albeit with reduced features. Only the ones that came in clear shells didn't have the cutout for the power switch cartridge lock, and even if you modified them to fit, they'd still display a warning that they were incompatible.

Assuming that the Switch 2 also has a mix of dual mode and exclusive games, they might well go with a similar solution. I suspect that it'll probably involve a download if you've not got the right cartridge for the console you've got, however, rather than including both versions of the game. At least, that's how Sony and Microsoft are doing it.

Gold and Silver were exclusive to the Colour though and could not run on the GB without heavy modification.

@Yousef- : Not true. Gold and Silver are compatible with original Game Boy models. Only Crystal was exclusive to the Game Boy Color.

@RygelXVIII : I never owned one growing up (or since for that matter 😅), but the GBC completely blew my mind back in the day. A full colour gaming device that ran on a few AA batteries?! Unbelievable! And just look at how far we have come since.

@Matt_Barber
I'm not sure if it will require a download for two "versions" of the game. Switch 2 code should be able to run natively on the Switch. The problems with forwards compatibility is mostly going to come down to features, performance and precompiled shaders. In theory you should be able to achieve cross compatibility by just having alternate code paths with different settings and possibly assets

Backwards compatibility would be more or less the same just with either a patch for specific games or some kind of compatibility layer for the GPU

Personally, I hate backwards compatibility, and I think consoles should just move on and be their own thing. People who want to play old games should get the old consoles to do so.

That being said, backwards compatibility has become something that people are rabid about (just look at this thread lol), so they really have no choice. They have to have it.

This is weird nuclear take to make here but you do you.

@SillyG Gold and Silver can’t be loaded onto the original Gameboy. A message pops up saying to insert them onto a GBC.

Backward Compatibility is really great feature.
Not just only economic but also gives you two functional different machines in one body.