Does that mean that Switch and Switch 2 aren't compatible at a hardware level?

Sasaki: Exactly. This time, we decided to take on the challenge of using new technology to run Switch games.

Dohta: If we tried to use technology like software emulators, we’d have to run Switch 2 at full capacity, but that would mean the battery wouldn't last so long, so we did something that’s somewhere in between a software emulator and hardware compatibility.

Sasaki: This is getting a bit technical, but the process of converting game data for Switch to run on Switch 2 is performed on a real-time basis as the data is read in.

Is it like having Switch games “simultaneously translated” for Switch 2?

Sasaki: That’s right. Although we'd made the technological preparations, at first, we weren’t quite sure whether it would be able to maintain proper compatibility.

37 Comments

  1. Valuable-Material742

    That explains why Nintendo released lists of incompatible games.
    I wonder if nint will keep working to have them available or just give up.

  2. N7Diesel

    Why are they so bad at this stuff? lol It’s a reminder that Nintendo is a toy company and not a tech company.

    Edit: Fanboys are such losers. Enjoy paying $600 after tariffs for a iterative mid-gen refresh console  with 3 year old tech being sold as new.

  3. Crusted_Tubesocks

    explains why they recently went after Yuzu emulator, so they could use it themselves .

  4. NoGoodManTH

    It’s okay when Nintendo emulates their own games.

  5. MarkyDeSade

    This still seems vague as hell, I’m concerned it might result in extra latency

  6. bobmlord1

    The same interview also says that tested games had less performance issues and loaded faster. Meaning games with performance issues or dynamic res should see a bump on resolution and performance.

  7. OrangeYawn

    Lol the reason is they wanna sell the games still as well as enhanced versions of old games, which why would you buy if you can just continue the old old crappy version? 

  8. BillyBruiser

    Massive disappointment to me.  I assumed that every Switch game with unlocked framerate or unstable performance would automatically get a boost of sorts.  I think that puts me off buying one now.

  9. adkenna

    So basically PC has better Switch compability than the Switch 2.

  10. s7ealth

    That’s the case for every current gen console though

  11. thatnitai

    In other words it’s backwards compatible 

  12. takeitsweazy

    Requiring a translation layer doesn’t mean it’s functionally not backwards compatible. At a certain point we’re just being intentionally pedantic.

    That’s like saying Steamdeck is not compatible with most PC games because it requires Proton to run any Windows only game.

    And Proton is similarly not perfect with every game, but it’s generally a good enough solution and it’s something that can improve over time.

  13. echoess84

    that’s great so do they run as Switch 2 games? That would explain why the framerate and reolution are higher than those of Switch

  14. Shinagami091

    It sounds to me like they’re describing emulation which takes switch data and translates it so that a PC can understand and run the game.

    Wasn’t Nintendo caught using a publicly developed emulator for some of their old games? They profited off of a community’s work and then had the nerve to go after Yuzu. How much you wanna bet the switch 2 will use Yuzu?

  15. The_L3G10N

    So looking at the list, fortnite and Dead by daylight should have starting issues, but should run fine after?

  16. jaximilli

    Interestingly, both systems use ARM-based Nvidia SOCs.

    So I suspect that the difference is in operating system. Which is probably a good thing, considering how utterly jank the Switch’s Android- based OS is.

  17. ShadowBlade55

    …Are they intentionally screwing up the easiest slam dunk possible or is this actually not planned?

  18. FAILNOUGHT

    proton compatibility layer but for switch

  19. just watch

    Switch 2 emulators will come out before launch and have Switch 1 emulators with them

  20. damafan

    Is this similar to the Proton layer on Steam Deck?

  21. Mr_Mc_101

    it’s just a compatibility layer, don’t be a click baiter

  22. So the long and short of it, keep the switch 1 around for a better playing expince with switch one game.

  23. dulun18

    no backwards compatible – here we go again

    this is one of the reasons why i jumped to PC

  24. PsychoDog_Music

    I don’t care so long as it works. I’m glad there’s ways to work around this stuff

  25. Love that my Xbox can play almost any Xbox game ever.

  26. FrozenReaper

    Ah, so it’s like WINE for Windows to Linux gaming, but for Switch 1 to Switch 2 gaming (WINE also works with other types of software for windows sometimes)

  27. Eriiiii

    lmao so essentially using a switch emulator has more capability than anything nintendo has at the moment. maybe instead of suing they should be hiring.

  28. DDFoster96

    x86 and ARM have been backwards compatible for how long now. Between them Nintendo and Nvidia could figure it out.

  29. GeneEnvironmental585

    Could this affect their sales of switch 2? I am not sure they can solve this by june 5

  30. ballsmigue

    So, what? A big chunk of my 3rd party switch 1 games might not work on switch 2? Absolutely yikes

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