Hello, everyone! It’s one of your friendly neighborhood gaming librarians wanting to say THANK YOU for all the fun we’ve had the past two years since we re-vamped our video game selection. We love hearing about the games you’re enjoying and the games you’re looking forward to trying! Additionally, a huge thank you for the donations we’ve received that help us share these amazing games with more people.
We want to keep the fun rolling and announce that we have a NINTENDO SWITCH 2, available for holds and check outs NOW! The Switch 2 will come preloaded with a handful of digital games, just like the Nintendo Switch, and we will also be purchasing physical Nintendo Switch 2 Exclusive games going forward in addition to Nintendo Switch games.
To make sure that there is as little confusion as possible, however, we do want to make sure the difference between Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 games is clear.
Compatibility Between Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 Games
NINTENDO SWITCH 2 GAMES DO NOT WORK ON THE ORIGINAL NINTENDO SWITCH, NINTENDO SWITCH LITE, OR NINTENDO SWITCH OLED.
The reason for this is, simply, that Nintendo Switch 2 games are more powerful. They need more oomph to run, and the original line of Switches cannot provide that. There is more to be said about the tech specs of the different systems, and if you’re interested in the nitty gritty of the consoles and how they run, check out this helpful explainer. But for most people, all you need to know is game compatibility only goes in one direction.
Nintendo Switch 1 games published since its release in 2017 DO work on the Nintendo Switch 2. This is called BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY. It is a practice that these game companies have been employing for a long time that allows games from the previous generation of consoles to be played on new hardware. For example, PlayStation 4 games work on PlayStation 5, but PlayStation 5 games would not work on a PlayStation 4.
What Does that Mean Going Forward?
We want to make our game selection as accessible for our patrons as possible. When it comes to games that have both a Nintendo Switch and a Nintendo Switch 2 version (e.g., a lot of first-party games like Zelda, Metroid, Pokémon, etc.), we will still be opting to buy the Nintendo Switch version for now to ensure the most folks possible will be able to play, whether they have a Switch Lite or a Switch 2.
If you have any questions about backwards compatibility, the Nintendo Switch 2, acceptable donations, or really anything gaming related, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Happy gaming 😊
