In a small print by an explanatory speaker on the new virtual game card system for digital purchases, it seemed Nintendo would check to get an extended version of the Switch 2 console, or whatever.
A footnote to the article states, “Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive games and Nintendo Switch 2 edition games can only be loaded on the Nintendo Switch 2 system.” This note also means that Switch 2 will also use a virtual game card system and can swap the switch with the original.
Switch 2 has been confirmed to be fully backward compatible with its predecessor’s software, so it can be played (almost) regardless of the Switch game. However, Nintendo’s “Switch 2 Edition Game” mentions suggest that, in contrast to “Switch 2 exclusive games”, some Switch games get a crossgen version that runs natively on Switch 2 rather than on the backward compatibility layer.
This opens the door to an expanded version of the back catalog title. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildand like future switch releases Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. This is the expected move that has become commonplace with the latest generation of PlayStation and Xbox consoles. But the first indication from Nintendo is that they’ll be down this route for a cross-gen release.
It is still unclear whether Nintendo will charge an additional fee for the Switch 2 edition game. Sony did so with an upgrade to the PlayStation 5 for PlayStation 4 titles, but Microsoft chose to offer something called the Xbox Series X Extended Version of the Xbox One game for free.
How Switch 2 handles backward compatibility and potential performance enhancements for older games is one of the bigger questions about the system ahead of its full release on April 2nd.
