Regarding whether or not the future Switch 2 would run games and software made for the present Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 set has only provided hazy signals thus far. According to a little-known Chinese accessory manufacturer, the new system will certainly support both digital and physical Switch game downloads as well as current physical game cards.
The recently released research originates from Shenzen, China-based MobaPad, a lesser-known manufacturer of carrying cases and Switch controllers. “In the process of developing the next-generation console controller” for the Nintendo Switch 2 set , the company says in a Sunday morning blog post. As a result, it has “acquired a lot of first-hand information” about the console. A few days earlier, MobaPad shared similar insights on the Chinese video site Bilibili and briefly on its English website.
One of the main alleged disclosures from MobaPad is that “the Switch 2’s cartridge slot will support backward compatibility with physical Switch game cartridges, ensuring compatibility with players’ existing game libraries, including digital versions.” Conversely, game cards made exclusively for the Switch 2 “may not be compatible with the first-generation console,” implying that there might be a hardware modification that prevents Switch 2 game cards from inadvertently being placed into a previous Switch console.
According to a Brazilian podcast from earlier this year, the Switch 2 will be fully backwards compatible with the Switch catalog. However, this is the first time we’ve heard anything like this directly from a business claiming to have insider knowledge of Nintendo’s design for the Switch 2.
Support for thousands of current Switch games would undoubtedly benefit the tens of millions of Switch owners who may soon be considering upgrading to a new, more potent Nintendo system. Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto stated in November 2022 that “Nintendo’s strength is in our creation of new entertainment, so when we release new hardware going forward, we plan to continue to offer new and unique gameplay that cannot be realized on existing hardware.” However, direct competition from earlier games could be seen as limiting for Switch 2 game developers.
Going all the way back to the original Game Boy, Nintendo’s portable consoles have always allowed games created for exiting handheld hardware from previous generations to run on them. This legacy was carried over to home consoles with the Wii and Wii U, but the hybrid, disc-free design of the Switch signaled a significant break in software compatibility.
Extra buttons?
MobaPad indicates in other places in its study that the upcoming Switch 2 Joy-Cons would have a few more buttons than the standard controllers for the Switch. Each Joy-Con will have one new set of inputs on the back, directly beneath the ZL or ZR button. According to MobaPad, there is another “additional function button” on the right Joy-Con that is located beneath the Home button. It is unknown what purpose this button might have in the system or in terms of gaming.
The information from MobPad also confirms a report that surfaced recently on the Spanish-language news website Vandal, which claimed that the upcoming system would include magnetic Joy-Cons (Vandal’s allegation cited “several manufacturers of accessories and peripherals for the Nintendo console,”
This may have additionally contained MobaPad. As per MobaPad, the upcoming Joy-Cons will incorporate metal SL and SR buttons, which are located along the slide-in rail of the Switch Joy-Cons, in order to support the “electromagnetic suction technology.”
MobaPad confirms earlier rumors that the Switch 2 will sport an 8-inch screen with support for 1080p resolutions when in portable mode in other sections of its publication. Additionally, MobaPad confirms previous rumors by stating that the new console can output 4K images that have been up-scaled when attached to a TV.
It is currently generally anticipated that the as-yet-unannounced Switch 2 will ship in early 2025, ostensibly to allow developers additional time to create launch software. However, if accessory manufacturers are receiving in-depth previews of the system at this early stage, the hardware itself may go into production well ahead of the anticipated release schedule.
