Nintendo says Switch games will be playable on new console

This file photo taken on November 6, 2023 shows a woman looking at a Nintendo Switch display at a Nintendo store in central Tokyo. Nintendo said on August 2, 2024 that first-quarter net profit more than halved as sales for the seven-year-old Switch slowed down and fans keenly awaited news on the hit console's successor.

TOKYO, Japan — Nintendo said that video games made for the hugely popular Switch console will also be playable on a new version whose release date is keenly anticipated by fans.

It comes a day after the Japanese gaming giant downgraded its annual sales forecast as it reported a 60 percent plunge in net profit for the first half of this financial year.

The company has promised news on the successor to the Switch — now in its eighth year — by the end of March.

"Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch," said a post attributed to company president Shuntaro Furukawa on an official X account.

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"Further information about the successor to Nintendo Switch, including its compatibility with Nintendo Switch, will be announced at a later date."

The Switch's online subscription service will be available on the new product as well, it added.

Both a handheld and TV-compatible device, the Switch became a must-have distraction among all age groups during the COVID-19 pandemic, helped by hit games such as "Animal Crossing."

Switch unit sales decreased 31 percent on-year for the April-September period, Nintendo said Tuesday.

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