The Switch 2 could be the greatest console ever, thanks to one key detail

It was the moment we'd all been waiting for – and here in the UK, that meant a random lunchtime in mid-January. Clearly, you couldn't pick a better time to unveil the Nintendo Switch 2 with a short, sub-three-minute trailer and next to no other details.

As Nintendo product unveilings go, it's about as classically obtuse as you can possibly get – we got to see the new console from a variety of angles, and we now know that on 2 April we'll learn much more in a Nintendo Direct. The hardware itself didn't hold many surprises, either largely thanks to an absolute avalanche of accurate leaks since mid-December onwards.

In particular, the floodgates really opened during CES, just over a week ago, where dummy units and 3D-printed mockups were widely glimpsed. Nintendo doubtless took a dim view of those spoilers internally, but it said almost nothing to give away its thoughts.

Instead, we had to wait until this week to find out officially that the Switch 2 will look much like its predecessor, with a bigger screen, bigger controllers and some new features (like magnetic seals for those Joy-Cons, instead of rails). We only got to see one game running on the console, and while it hasn't been explicitly named as Mario Kart 9, that's what it sure looks like.

Nintendo Switch 2 – First-look trailer - YouTube

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That's a bit of software that will almost certainly be an enormous hit if it's a launch title, given the span of time since Mario Kart 8 launched way back on the Wii U. There's also every reason to be hopeful that it could be accompanied by a new 3D Mario game, a Super Smash Bros. and plenty more.

Still, while I was always going to get hugely excited about the new hardware, and can't wait to get my hands on the Switch 2 (which will be an automatic pre-order for me), there's one detail that was heavily rumoured, and now confirmed, which seals the console as a must-have. It's not anything to do with new more powerful graphical capabilities or that bigger screen – it's all about backwards compatibility.

The word on the street has been that the Switch 2 will work with effectively every original Switch game, and Nintendo has now basically confirmed this. Some small print in the trailer clarified: "Certain Nintendo Switch games may not be supported on or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2. Details will be shared on the Nintendo website at a later date".

That leaves open the possibility of some exceptions, and we might be able to guess some of these, like Ring Fit Adventure which has a peripheral that wouldn't work with a new magnetic Joy-Con. Still, it indicates that the overwhelming majority of Switch games will work flawlessly, and that's absolutely massive.

I'd argue the Switch is in the running for boasting the best console library ever, thanks to the huge volume of exclusives in its locker, as well as nearly a decade of ports and remasters. This has left it with a massive array of older games and cross-gen titles to explore. Some of these may not be at their very best on the ageing hardware, but for all we know they could get a performance boost on the Switch 2.

So, right from the start the next-gen console will arrive with a nearly unrivalled library to enjoy, and only have room to grow from there. This is the same advantage that Xbox bragged about on its Series consoles, with the difference being that its backward compatibility can't match Nintendo's for breadth and depth of quality games, from vintage options to indie gems.

It was the one feature I wanted to see confirmed, and Nintendo did so right out of the gate – but in a few ways, the reveal trailer was nonetheless fairly lacking. Those chronic leaks robbed it of its impact massively, but the decision to only show tiny glimpses of a new Mario Kart, without any mention of a mainline Mario game, or any other options, feels pretty conservative.

I'm not in the camp who thinks Nintendo's being boring by playing it safe, though – after the Wii U debacle, some stability makes perfect sense, and the Switch 2 is no more conservative than the PlayStation 5 was when Sony revealed it. After all, while the big white console might look different, it's functionally the same as the PS4, with upgraded controllers and more power; the Switch 2 sounds like it ticks basically the same boxes, so why gripe about it?

That said, the final question mark for me, one that may linger for a long while, is why there's going to now be a three-month gap before we get more details about the console. It's been pointed out that this announcement means third-party publishers can start to confirm games that will come to the Switch 2, which is significant, but it still feels a little like Nintendo has had to get this out of the door before it was fully prepared.

So, strap in for a good few weeks of more rumours and presumably fewer leaks (Nintendo's able to keep a much tighter hold on software development than hardware supply chains). The next big test for the Switch 2 comes in the form of that Nintendo Direct.