Nintendo Answers further Switch Questions; No Backwards Compatibility with Games and Controllers

NINTENDO-SWITCH-1.png

Nintendo is clarifying (and not) questions regarding its upcoming home console-handheld hybrid.

Kotaku reached out to the House of Mario with a set of questions which recently replied. Those that stand out the most are:
  • No backwards compatibility with games and controllers for other systems. However, support for certain controllers may be considered for a future update.
  • No games being bundled with Nintendo Switch
  • 32GB of internal NAND memory, a portion of which is reserved for use by the system. The system’s internal memory can be easily expanded as needed using microSDXC cards (up to 2TB, when available on the market)
  • Capture button to take screenshots, which can be viewed and edited before sharing on social media. No video capture at launch but planning to add the ability to record video in the future.
  • Mii Maker app on the Switch
  • No video streaming at launch but is being considered for a future update
  • Region-free

You can read the full response below:

Is Switch backwards compatible in any way? Will you be able to download or play Wii, Wii U, or 3DS games?

The Nintendo Switch system is not backward compatible with games designed for other systems, and is not currently compatible with controllers designed for other systems. Support for certain controllers may be considered for a future update. We have nothing to announce regarding Virtual Console or other types of digital purchases at this time.

How if at all does the Switch connect to Wii U and 3DS owners’ existing accounts?

We have nothing to announce at this time.

Will the Switch be compatible with existing Virtual Console purchases?

We have nothing to announce at this time.

Will the Switch have its own library of Virtual Console games that starts from scratch, or will it bring over the Virtual Console library from 3DS and Wii U?

We have nothing to announce at this time.

How will SNES online functionality work? Which games will it support?

We have nothing to announce at this time.

For those concerned about the 32GB of storage, how will that work for playing downloadable games? How will it work for DLC and patches?

The Nintendo Switch system has 32GB of internal NAND memory, a portion of which is reserved for use by the system. The system’s internal memory can be easily expanded as needed using microSDXC cards.

The SDXC standard supports up to 2TB of storage. (Note that 2TB cards are not yet on the market, but Nintendo Switch will support them when they are.) External USB hard drives are not supported at launch, but we are researching the possibility of supporting them in the future.

If no microSDXC card is used, everything is stored in internal NAND memory. If a microSDXC card is used, game save data is stored in internal NAND memory while data that can be redownloaded, such as digital games, game updates, and DLC, is stored on the microSDXC card. Nintendo Switch game cards are non-writable; game save data is stored in internal NAND memory.

Is there a trophy or achievements system?

We have nothing to announce at this time.

The 3DS has built in games and the Wii and Wii U were bundled with games. Are there any games being bundled with the Switch?

There are no games being bundled with Nintendo Switch.

Every launch is different, and with each one we try to make the best decision for the consumer, marketplace and our company. We believe the hardware configuration at the price point we’ve chosen is a great consumer value. The consumer will have their choice of great software for the system.

How does the Share button work? Does it allow you to capture video as well as screenshots? Will it allow you to stream on Twitch or YouTube?

The Capture Button is located on the Joy-Con (L) controller and the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, and lets users grab screenshots from their games. They can then view, edit (add text of various sizes, colors and positions) and post them to social media. The original unedited screenshot is also saved.


We are planning to add the ability to record video in the future.

Switch won’t have Miiverse - will there be Miis? Or any other equivalent?

While Miiverse will continue to be supported on the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS systems, our approach with the Nintendo Switch system is to make greater use of other established, broadly used social platforms. For example, captured gameplay screenshots can be shared on popular social networks, and social features such as voice chat are possible with smart devices through our app.

There is a Mii Maker on Nintendo Switch. The software to create Mii characters is now located in System Settings, and no longer resides on the HOME menu as a standalone application. You can also create a Mii character from the Profile screen. Making Mii characters is similar to the method used on past systems.

Mii characters can be used to represent a user profile, but are not required. Users also have the option to choose a profile picture from an included library of Nintendo character images. Mii characters can still be used in games if developers choose to include them.

You can send/receive Mii characters through local wireless communication between Nintendo Switch systems, or use an amiibo figure to transfer Mii Characters from Wii U and Nintendo 3DS systems.

Mii characters on the Nintendo Switch system are similar to past iterations, but they have some different options. More facial components and colors for hair and skin have been added, while the following attributes have been removed: creator’s name, favorites, birthday, copying, and “public.”

Will Switch support Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, HBO Go, or any other streaming services?

All of our efforts have gone toward making the Nintendo Switch system an amazing dedicated video game platform, so it will not support any video-streaming services at launch. However, support for video-streaming services is being considered for a future update.

Will online stores be region-free or just cartridges?

The Nintendo Switch system is not region locked, but we recommend that players buy games within their region to ensure full service and support. The user will access the Nintendo eShop that corresponds to the country identified in their Nintendo Account. (Up to eight user accounts can be created on a single Nintendo Switch system.)

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lostboysteve

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ps4 - is powerful enough to support any 3rd party game everyone expects lots of games..thisisfine

xboxone - was to expensive they immediately drooped the price and all the other DRM shit they had, no one was happy xbone has only sold like 25m units ..this is not fine

Nintendo - has to prove they care about hardcore gamers, they spent half hour on 12 switch motion controls nonsense system its too weak for 3rd party games only 1 launch game...in essence Nintendo had way more to prove.......this is not fine

I think you hit it right on the head. A lot of people are going to combat that with "Nintendo has nothing to prove", but that's untrue. There's a lot of companies who have gone through similar. GM made great cars, then for a long time shit cars, then got bailed out, and now they seem to be on track. It took a major overhaul to do this. Nintendo (and any company) can't keep looking at what they've done in the past. "What have you done for me lately?" Nintendo has everything to prove, because we're not talking about handhelds or kid games. If Nintendo wants to produce a system for "gamers", which is what seems to be the goal, they need to prove that they can. Otherwise just stick to handhelds. The thing about the wii is that it was fun. It was different... but that faded quickly. It's still fun, in a group, if you haven't played it in a while. My kid loves it. He's 5. Lol my kid also loves watching me play NHL or PGA... I fear neither of which will make it to the switch and if they do, you'll have to relearn how to play the game. On the other hand, plenty of people like the Wii's goofiness. Most people with kids that I know have a wii, but they also have a PS3 or 4. What Nintendo fails to realize is that they need to make a console that does a lot reasonably well and not just some gimmick like, take it with you when you go jogging. At the end of the day, how many people are relying on their video game system being mobile?


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Sonic Angel Knight

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So in case anyone was wondering, now that nintendo switch is region free, is also possible to access othe region eshops as well. This video explains the process of that by the system allowing up to 8 accounts on the system at one time, that is possible to create accounts with other region eshop access (Similar to playstation store setup on PS consoles)

 

Shawnj

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I bet it's not backwards compatible purely because of all the exploits found in 3ds games, and how they didn't (or couldn't) fix Wii games on Wii U's vWii. Meaning they couldn't fix something like Cubic Ninja from breaking the 3ds portion of the Switch.
Along with the fact that the Switch doesn't have a 3D screen or a second screen, meaning it can't exactly load 3DS games or Wii U games without the ability to connect a GamePad to the Switch, which Nintendo knows better than to do after the Wii/Wii U confusion, as well as the GamePad requiring a lot of support to make function with games.
 

Sonic Angel Knight

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Incomplete title, 2 big Wii U games and the switch name hidden behind the playback.
The nintendo switch logo is in the picture, and this is about Nintendo switch. I even said it was about nintendo switch. Whatever you did was up to you, i explained it clearly and you ignored what i wrote in favor of a huge picture with a video, so i dunno what else to say, besides i didn't make the video. :teach:
 
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Apex

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The nintendo switch logo is in the picture, and this is about Nintendo switch. I even said it was about nintendo switch. Whatever you did was up to you, i explained it clearly and you ignored what i wrote in favor of a huge picture with a video, so i dunno what else to say, besides i didn't make the video. :teach:

He's got a point, Switch really is hidden behind that play button.

Switch is looking less and less appealing every time I hear about it.
 

Sketchy1

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so your going to plug a hdd into the tablet and lug it around? not very portable is it :P
No, nowhere near portable XD
But to be fair, when I originally posted the idea, I did say
1) extreme clutter
2) only worry about 32 GB space when you leave your house. Your obviously not gonna take an hdd with you to a friends house :ha:

But the wire in the first eBay link I posted should allow the switch to use a regular SD, so you don't nesskcerily need an HDD to begin with. It will just look a bit retarded, with an SD hanging loosley :rofl2:
 

Foxi4

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I'm a little surprised that this thing doesn't support Wii/Wii U controllers. They're Bluetooth, there's no magic in them, you can hook them up to just about anything.
anyway nintendo will probably have something in play to make it so only sdxc cards can be used and not adapters
And how do you propose they do that? SD adapters are passive, they're just plastic and copper leads.
 
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