Though it might seem counterintuitive to some, the Nintendo Switch is in many ways the worst choice for gamers who value prior generation games, as both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S have backward compatibility and honor digital purchases made through legacy platforms on current hardware. When the Switch launched, it broke Nintendo’s consumer-friendly streak of maintaining one generation of backward compatibility. The Switch only plays games made for the Switch, and does not support even Virtual Console purchases made through the 3DS, Wii, or Wii U.
Both the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles feature nearly complete backward compatibility with their direct predecessors. Based on announcements made alongside the newly revamped PlayStation Plus, Sony’s gaming ecosystem will also follow Microsoft’s lead in another important way. Players who purchased select original PlayStation and PlayStation Portable games through PSN will have access to those games on current hardware, soon, while Nintendo’s legacy console games remain locked behind the Switch Online subscription service.
Nintendo’s announcement of the 3DS and Wii U store closures hurts access and preservation, certainly, but it also damages consumer trust. For gamers who argue the merits of digital purchases against physical games, physical game advocates are quick to point out that access to digital titles is contingent on the companies maintaining their storefronts. In the case of Nintendo, Switch Online has been presented as the successor to the Virtual Console, which houses a multitude of retro games. A Super Nintendo or Sega Genesis game purchased through the Wii U’s Virtual Console could absolutely play on the Switch, as Switch Online proves the console is fully capable of such emulation, but Nintendo chooses not to provide this support.
Switch Gamers' Prior Gen Digital Buys Are Not Supported, Unlike Competitors
Nintendo has opted against honoring those digital purchases on its current hardware by choice, rather than necessity, which erodes consumer trust in its gaming ecosystem. Since midway through the prior generation of Xbox, the Xbox One pushed hard for backward compatibility, and supported digitally purchased original Xbox and Xbox 360 games that were part of the console’s backward compatibility list, a feature it shares with the Xbox Series X/S consoles. Sony took a similar approach to the Switch with the PS4, which also lacked any form of backward compatibility. The new PlayStation Plus initiative promises to mend fences somewhat. Many classic original PlayStation games are coming to PS Plus, alongside PS2 and PSP titles. For gamers who have supported Sony’s consoles over multiple generations the most exciting announcement was buried alongside the list of some of the legacy games coming to the service in the coming months.
A recent PlayStation blog notes, “Also, players who have previously purchased the digital version of select games from the original PlayStation and PSP generation will not have to make a separate purchase or sign up to PlayStation Plus to play these titles on PS4 or PS5.” This will put PlayStation on similar footing with Xbox, regarding the handling of prior gen digital purchases. A backward compatible original Xbox game like Psychonauts can be played through Game Pass, or without the subscription for those who purchased the game previously. Meanwhile, a Switch user who purchased a retro game like the NES' Super Mario Bros. through the Wii U Virtual Console still needs to subscribe to Switch Online to play that game on current hardware.
Nintendo Devalues Trust In Its Ecosystem, Unlike Xbox & PlayStation
Although Switch Online is better in Japan, with a more robust game selection, adding more games to the service does nothing to address the issue of legacy ownership, for those who invested in Virtual Console games. The concept of game ownership is complex with modern consoles, with physical discs serving as validation keys rather than actual games, for the most part. Digital purchases have the advantage of convenience, and are less wasteful that physical media, but companies need to build trust if they truly want digital purchases to be less suspect for consumers.
An assurance that a digital purchase on today’s hardware can likely be accessed on the inevitable next generation of consoles makes digital purchases a safer investment for gamers. Xbox has taken steps over the past generation to build that trust, and by honoring select prior gen digital purchases, PlayStation is working to rebuild consumer trust. This leaves Nintendo as the sole outlier whose digitally purchased games have no expectation of support on any hardware other than the one they were originally purchased for, making the Nintendo Switch the worst choice for retro gaming fans.
Source: PlayStation Blog