Nintendo Switch will not be compatible with WiiU or 3DS games

In a recent interview with Famistu in Japan, Nintendo have revealed their Switch console will not be compatible with current WiiU or 3DS games discs or cartridges – as has been a rumor doing the rounds in the last 24 hours or so since the official reveal.

When asked if the Switch would be compatible with its predecessors the WiiU and 3DS, the answer was very simple (apologies in advance in-case the translation is slightly out):

“Since the Nintendo Switch is not a WiiU or Nintendo 3DS successor machine, you can not play with Wii U disk software and Nintendo 3DS card.”

I suppose the first issue was an obvious one – the Switch will be a cartridge based system and the WiiU uses discs, but the lack of compatibility for the 3DS cartridge suggests that though it may also use the same type of media it will be fundamentally different, with Nintendo not describing the media as a cartridge, but a “game card”.

Just because the physical media wont be compatible, doesn’t mean to say that down the line they won’t go down the Microsoft route of supporting a massive amount of Backwards Compatibility through digital downloads – but as with everything to do with the Switch, we’ll have to wait and see.

Are you excited for the Switch? Are you gutted that it wont be compatible with the media for the WiiU or 3DS? Let us know in the comments below, the RGM Forums or on Twitter.