A recent job listing at Nintendo European Research and Development (NERD) has hinted that the upcoming Nintendo console could have backward compatibility. The job listing specifically mentions “cross-platform development” for both current and next-generation Nintendo platforms, which implies that Nintendo is not planning to stop making Switch games anytime soon. The legendary game director at Nintendo, Shigeru Miyamoto, has also hinted at the possibility of a backward-compatible system, stating that it is still on the company’s radar.

Possible Nvidia Partnership

Reports have suggested that the next Nintendo system will use an Nvidia-made chipset, which further increases the likelihood of backward compatibility. The Switch is powered by Nvidia’s Tegra X1, and having its successor use a system-on-chip from the same company would make delivering downward-compatible hardware much easier.

Backward Compatibility Options

While backward compatibility can also be achieved through software emulation, NERD’s job listing suggests that the next Nintendo console will have a “high-performance implementation” of cross-platform gaming, making it more likely that backward compatibility will be achieved through hardware.

The Switch was one of the best-selling consoles of all time, but it broke away from Nintendo’s long-standing tradition of offering backward-compatible systems. The Wii U was capable of playing the entire Wii library, the Wii could run GameCube games, and the 3DS could play DS games, while the DS could run Game Boy Advance titles. Despite this, the Nintendo Switch Online library offers gamers the chance to experience older classics on the latest hardware, and its catalog is still growing on a regular basis.

Conclusion

Nintendo’s upcoming console is shaping up to be a significant step forward for the company. While rumors have been circulating for some time that the new console will offer backward compatibility, NERD’s job listing and Shigeru Miyamoto’s comments suggest that this is indeed the case. With a possible Nvidia partnership, Nintendo’s next console could be a powerful, versatile machine that caters to gamers of all ages and interests.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Nintendo’s next console rumored to have?

  Nintendo’s next console is rumored to have backward compatibility, meaning it can play games from its previous console, the Switch.

• What is Nintendo European Research and Development?

  Nintendo European Research and Development (NERD) is a subsidiary of Nintendo that focuses on software development and research and development of hardware for Nintendo’s products.

• What is Nvidia?

  Nvidia Corporation is an American technology company that designs graphics processing units (GPUs) for gaming and professional markets, as well as system-on-a-chip units (SoCs) for mobile computing and automotive applications.

• What is cross-platform development?

  Cross-platform development is the process of creating software that can run on multiple platforms or operating systems, such as Windows, Mac, or Linux. In the case of Nintendo, cross-platform development would refer to creating games that can run on both the current Nintendo Switch and any future consoles they release.