Nintendo Switch 2 backwards compatibility website lets you check which games work on the new console
Spoiler: it's basically all of them
Nintendo has launched a new website where you can check the backwards compatibility status of a Switch game on Switch 2
The site will tell you if a game’s behavior is consistent across the two consoles, or if there are any issues
It also provides 1080p wallpaper of each and every game there, presumably as it pulls it through from the Nintendo eShop of a specific region.
Nintendo has previously provided updates to games and to the system itself to improve backwards compatibility
Nintendo has unveiled a brand new website where you can see if that Switch game you wanted to play on Switch 2 will work without a hitch.
Among the array of free game upgrades, paid upgrade packs, free updates and more for existing Switch 2-compatible games, it has been quite difficult to keep track of which games work properly on Nintendo’s latest console.
To help you out, Nintendo’s new website allows you to type a Switch game into the search bar, and it’ll reveal if it’s “supported” on the new console or not.
The search function even allows you to see if apps are compatible with the new console, and it can also provide information on recent patches for games.
For games that don’t work, they will display as “incompatible” or “unsupported”, depending on the circumstances. Depending on the game, Nintendo’s site can also provide specific issues on why.
Intriguingly, the launch of this compatibility information site has a very useful secondary purpose. As noted by VGC, every single game listed on the site has a 1080p image of the game artwork and title – these can be saved with a simple right-click.
According to the US Nintendo website, there are apparently more than 26,000 games listed on the Nintendo Switch eShop, which can be searched on the compatibility site. VGC notes that it’s presumably an eShop requirement for a game to have 1080p artwork, allowing it to pull the ‘wallpaper’ through.
It is possible to change the region on the Switch 2 compatibility site, which gives you access to the artwork of each game listed on that region’s eShop. So, if you set it to Japan, you can get Japanese shop artwork, which includes Japanese logos.
Or, if you’re a fan of UK game shows, there’s even the artwork of the very average Bullseye Switch game – FYI, it’ll work on Switch 2 without a hitch.
Before the Switch 2 even launched, Nintendo was conservative about the OG Switch games that would work with Switch 2. While the majority of the 122 first-party Switch games would work without a hitch, 80 percent of the 15,000 third-party games that Nintendo tested with Switch 2 worked on startup and needed further testing back in April.
A week before the console launched, Nintendo issued an update on backwards compatibility, noting that 92 games exhibited an issue on startup, with a further 37 starting up, but having in-game compatibility issues.
Since the console’s release, Nintendo has updated the Switch 2, which saw improvements to the console’s backwards compatibility, with further software updates expected to further improve the experience.
Up next: Nintendo is focusing on the Switch 2, but isn’t retiring the original console just yet
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.