Nintendo, the Japanese video game company behind Switch, confirmed earlier that the second generation of the handheld gaming console will be backward-compatible with original Switch titles.
Due to the hype surrounding the next iteration, the Nintendo Switch 2 developers have already announced that its backward compatibility will extend beyond the hardware level, combining hardware-based compatibility with software emulation.
The company even launched a detailed resource page indicating the status of compatibility tests for physical and digital Nintendo Switch games on the Nintendo Switch 2.
The chart below shows the compatibility tests’ progress and status, including 122 Nintendo games and over 15,000 partner games.
The color legends on the right side indicate if the game’s progress is being tested for compatibility. Nintendo also publishes regular updates on how games’ backward compatibility is progressing. As of the time of writing, the latest update was on April 1, 2025.
Of all the games, the Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit is the only one that cannot be played on the Nintendo Switch 2 because the console cannot be inserted into the Toy-Con VR goggles accessory.
Some games experiencing start-up issues, such as Doom Eternal, NBA 2K25, and Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville, are currently being investigated. Fortnite is the only title on the list with start-up issues to have a comment of “A Nintendo Switch 2 version is planned.”
On the other hand, there are Switch games that do start up on the Switch 2 but currently include some in-game compatibility, like Fall Guys, Hot Wheels Unleashed, and Mega Man Legacy Collection, which are also being investigated.
Nintendo also released a list of games that are playable on the new handheld but requires the Switch Joy-Con connected wirelessly to the Switch 2 to play, such as Ring Fit Adventure, 1-2-Switch, Everybody 1-2-Switch, Game Builders Garage, Nintendo Switch Sports, WarioWare: Move It!, Labo Toy-Con 01: Variety Kit, Labo Toy-Con 02: Robot Kit, and Labo Toy-Con 03: Vehicle Kit.
By the time Switch 2 is officially launched in June 2025, some games may still have compatibility issues, especially since there are still over 10,000 games to sort through for backward compatibility.