Nintendo Faces Pressure to Prioritize Backward Compatibility With Future Consoles
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Backward compatibility is now an expectation for new consoles, but hasn't always been standard. Nintendo's record is mixed.
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The PS2 made backward compatibility popular. But later PlayStation consoles largely abandoned it due to costs.
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Xbox made backward compatibility a priority last generation via emulation. This pressured Sony to promise PS5 would be compatible.
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Players now see their library and purchases as the platform, not the hardware. So compatibility across generations is increasingly important.
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The Switch 2 needs extensive backward compatibility to transition Switch owners and compete with rivals. This will challenge some of Nintendo's traditional instincts.