Skip to main content Tech Radar Pro Tech Radar Gaming Tech Radar Gaming TechRadar Game-changing stories Search TechRadar View Profile België (Nederlands) Deutschland North America US (English) Australasia New Zealand Black Ops 6 Monster Hunter Wilds Consoles & PC Nintendo Switch The 'Switch 2 doesn't contain any Switch hardware,' Nintendo explains its new platform and what games will be compatible Marcus Mears III 2 April 2025 Nintendon't tell me it's true When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Nintendo) With announcements flooding in on all sides from Nintendo Direct, it's easy to get caught up in the excitement and miss some important details. One of which isn't all Mario Sunshine and daisies: unfortunately, you won't be able to play all of your Switch 1 games on the Switch 2. This is due to how Nintendo built the Switch 2 as, interestingly, it "doesn't contain any Switch hardware." That doesn't mean you won't be able to move any of your favorite titles over to the new system, but it does mean you won't see the same kind of compatibility you saw between the DS and 3DS. Here's what you need to know. The Switch 2 focuses on "enhancing its performance as hardware" Dohta (left) and Kawamoto (right) discuss the launch of the upcoming Switch 2 (Image credit: Nintendo) Now, the incompatibility between some Switch games and the new Nintendo Switch 2 does come with a reasonable explanation. In Vol. 16 of Nintendo's Ask the Developer conference, Kouichi Kawamoto (Producer, Entertainment Planning & Development Department), Takuhiro Dohta (Senior Director, Entertainment Planning & Development Department), and Tetsuya Sasaki (General Manager, Technology Development Division) accepted questions on the development of Nintendo's new handheld console. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. When asked if the team had "already decide[d] on this functionality when [they] were first planning the development of a new dedicated game system," the team highlighted that compatibility was indeed a consideration. Even so, it wasn't as simple as porting Wii games to the Wii U. The foremost focus with the Switch 2 was instead "on enhancing its performance as hardware, namely, expanding its capacity. So, compatibility was a lower priority." This meant creating a revamped system with no original Switch hardware under the hood. Sasaki comments, "It's tricky to explain... Maybe the easiest way to understand it is that the methods used to achieve compatibility between Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS, and between Switch and Switch 2, are completely different." Kawamoto adds to that: "Simply put, those systems were compatible because Nintendo 3DS contained Nintendo DS hardware, and Wii U contained Wii hardware. However, Switch 2 doesn't contain any Switch hardware." If you're brave enough to check whether your favorite game made the journey, Nintendo published and continues to update a comprehensive list of Switch games that are not compatible with the Switch 2. It's not all gloom and doom, though That's not to say the Switch 2 won't run any games from the OG Switch. Most of your favorites run just fine thanks to what Dohta explains is "something that’s somewhere in between a software emulator and hardware compatibility." It's also important to note that almost all first-party Nintendo titles are available on the new Switch 2 (save for Fitness Boxing). Sasaki continues, "There are some games that ran well due to the Switch system's hardware configuration. Switch 2, on the other hand, has increased processing capabilities and an expanded memory capacity, which could theoretically cause some of those games to stop working. We weren't so confident at first, but as we tested games one by one, we found out that some issues could be solved by making improvements. This process helped us build confidence that, while we might not be able to solve everything, we can work it out for many games." In fact, thanks to the Switch 2's new and improved hardware, some of your go-to games may even run better. The team mentioned seeing shorter load times and more stable gameplay in some instances. You'll also see the arrival of some new features like GameChat, which lets you voice chat and screen share with up to 12 players at a time. This could be a home run for party games, ultimately enhancing the experience of hanging out with your Switch- 2-wielding friends. Overall, it's worth checking the list of games that will run on the Switch 2 to make sure your favorites aren't on the red light list. The good news is that the majority of Switch titles will run on the Switch 2, which launches June 5 and will be available for preorder starting April 9. You might also like We finally know about the C button on the Nintendo Switch 2 – here’s what it does Hollow Knight Silksong - everything we know Nintendo’s best Switch 2 announcement was its GameCube game rereleases, but buying the new GameCube controller will be a challenge Marcus Mears III Social Links Navigation Computing Reviews and Buying Guides Editor Marcus Mears III is the Computing Reviews and Buying Guides Editor at TechRadar. He's been covering the latest in consumer tech for over 5 years, and he's gone hands-on with everything from the M2 MacBook Air to Valve's Steam Deck. Marcus is an advocate for Right to Repair laws and believes everyone can benefit from getting under the hood of your daily-driver tech. He'll also beat you in Texas Hold 'Em, too. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. 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