Nintendo’s next generation is off to a great start

Nintendo’s next console is going to have a kickass library of games to start. Last night, when there was absolutely nothing else of note happening in the world, Nintendo announced that its still-unannounced Switch successor would be backward-compatible with existing Switch games. The announcement is an early sign that Nintendo might be able to avoid the painful transition between consoles and better unify its growing ambitions.

Backward compatibility is not a guarantee of success. The Wii U could play most Wii games, and it still ended up being a failure. But it’s a feature that benefits both consumers and the industry at large. In Nintendo’s case, its inclusion was never a sure thing. While bestselling hardware like the Wii and DS were...

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