TOKYO: Nintendo said Wednesday that video games made for the hugely popular Switch console will also be playable on a new version whose release date is keenly anticipated by fans.

It comes a day after the Japanese gaming giant downgraded its annual sales forecast as it reported a 60 percent plunge in net profit for the first half of this financial year.

The company has promised news on the successor to the Switch — now in its eighth year — by the end of March.

“Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch,” said a post attributed to company president Shuntaro Furukawa on an official X account.

“Further information about the successor to Nintendo Switch, including its compatibility with Nintendo Switch, will be announced at a later date,” the post added.

The Switch’s online subscription service will be available on the new product as well, it added.

Both a handheld and TV-compatible device, the Switch became a must-have distraction among all age groups during the Covid-19 pandemic, helped by hit games such as “Animal Crossing”.

Switch unit sales decreased 31 percent on-year for the April-September period, Nintendo said Tuesday.

AFP