Is the Nintendo Switch 2 backward compatible with Switch 1 games?

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Short answer: yes! The Switch 2 plays the vast majority of your Switch games. But there are a few gotchas worth knowing about before you assume everything will just work.

The Good News First

Your physical game cartridges? They work. Just slide them into the Switch 2's card slot. Nintendo designed the console to read both old Switch cards and the new, larger-capacity Switch 2 cards.

Digital games work too. Log into your Nintendo Account, download your library, and you're playing. No repurchasing required.

Here's the Catch

The Switch 2 has completely different internals. We're talking a major processor upgrade from ARM Cortex-A57 to Cortex-A78C. Because of that hardware gap, Nintendo basically has to translate old game code to run on the new system. They've tested over 10,000 games, and most work great. But not all.

Games get sorted into categories: works perfectly, works with minor quirks, has serious problems, or flat-out incompatible. Most fall into those first two categories, which is reassuring.

A Few Things That Won't Work

Nintendo Labo VR Kit is a no-go. The Switch 2 physically doesn't fit in those cardboard goggles. Some games also need the IR Motion Camera that was in the original Joy-Con but isn't in Joy-Con 2. For those, you'll need to connect old Joy-Cons wirelessly.

One Piece of Advice

Before buying older Switch games specifically to play on Switch 2, check Nintendo's compatibility site. A quick search can save you from a disappointing purchase.