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.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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