Nintendo’s next generation console is off to a great start

Backward compatibility does not guarantee success. The Wii U was able to play most Wii games, but it still ended up being a failure. But this is a feature that benefits both consumers and the industry as a whole. In Nintendo’s case, it was never a certainty that it would be included. While best-selling hardware like the Wii and DS were able to play older games, Nintendo was often able to start over with new generation consoles. That meant players played as well.

The library of games accumulated over the lifespan of the Nintendo 64 or SNES remained on that console. This is what made Nintendo’s resale possible. super mario bros 3 Across countless devices. If you want to play a classic on a modern console, you usually have no choice but to buy it again. Otherwise, you’ll need to keep your Wii U handy to enjoy that copy. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD. It’s bad for consumers, and it’s bad for video game preservation, considering older titles will soon become inaccessible.

The Switch’s backwards compatibility is especially noteworthy given the impressive library it has amassed. In fact, the Switch is Nintendo’s second best-selling hardware, but it sells more games than any other Nintendo platform. meanwhile Investor presentationThe company said that the Switch’s “total software sales reached 1.361 billion units, setting a new record for Nintendo’s gaming platform.” More software is played on the Nintendo Switch than on any other Nintendo hardware. ”

The decision to support backwards compatibility means that all of these games will be immediately available to anyone who picks up the next console. For existing Switch owners, it adds even more value to their collection. For beginners, that means there’s a huge library to jump into.

Signs of this kind of more unified Nintendo have been noted for some time. The company’s account system connects various services and games, and more than a decade ago, Nintendo combined its console and portable game development divisions to allow everyone to focus on the Switch. This strengthens the cohesiveness of the company’s products overall, and is becoming increasingly important as Nintendo expands its business in new directions. That’s at least one smart decision to get the Switch successor off to a strong start. Now we wait to see what strange decision will make the new console distinctly “Nintendo.”