Video games occupy a large place in many people’s lives. For some people, it is a way to distract themselves from their daily routine, while others go there to talk to their friends and get positive emotions. New projects and game consoles come out all the time. From time to time people have to switch to a new generation of consoles to keep up with the times because the stuffing of devices matures and games become more and more complex.
This has affected consoles from Nintendo as well. The current version of the device for which there is now active support and development of new games is the Nintendo Switch. The older version of the Nintendo console is the Nintendo DS. If you are a fan of Nintendo and games from them then you probably heard about these devices, you may even have them.
But what if you have a newer console and want to play old games? The developers come up with different ways to do this – from porting games to new consoles and ending with features such as backward compatibility where your new console can run games from old versions without problems. Does Nintendo Switch have such a feature?
What are the main differences between the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo Switch
Before talking about the possibility of backward compatibility we need to take into account all the differences between consoles, because they differ from each other technically and from the point of view of software. Of course, the Nintendo Switch came out later and it is much more technologically advanced. Here are their main differences
- The Nintendo DS was released in 2004 and the Switch was released in 2007.
- Portable Console: In the case of the Nintendo DS, it was originally positioned only as a portable console with no exceptions or compromises. It was only playable in portable mode. In the case of the Nintendo Switch, however, it was made into a hybrid. You could play it either in portable mode or connect it to your TV, take a gamepad or Joycoons and play it like a full console.
- Controllers: The Nintendo DC console only had built-in controllers. There were a few buttons and a touch screen. In the case of the Nintendo Switch, however, its controllers are Joycones. These are technological devices that allow you to conveniently control your console and provide a fairly wide range of different options for use. Also, they can be detached from the console and used at a distance. Another advantage of joykons that you can give one of them to your friend, and the second take himself and play your favorite game together. This is incredibly convenient.
- Two screens: Unlike the Nintendo Switch, the Nintendo DS had two screens. One was a touch screen and the other was a normal screen that usually showed useful information or a map, for example. Also a stylus was available in the Nintendo DS.
- Charging: In the case of the Nintendo DS, it was charged with a cable and a special charger. The Nintendo Switch, on the other hand, is charged with a special docking station.
- Operating Time: Although the Nintendo Switch tries to be a portable console, its autonomy leaves much to be desired. The Nintendo Switch did much better. The Nintendo Switch could hold a charge for up to 10 hours, while the Nintendo Switch could only hold up to 6 hours.
Can you play DS games on the Nintendo Switch
While there are a lot of great, interesting games on the Nintendo Switch, it would be great to dive back into projects like Zelda: A Link Between Worlds or Conker’s Bad Fur Day on your Switch for example. Classic games have always been popular because they associate players with the old days and allow them to be nostalgic.
But, unfortunately, you can’t officially play DS or 3DS games on the Nintendo Switch. The main reason is that the cartridges for these consoles are completely different in size. You simply won’t be able to insert a D cartridge into a Nintendo Switch console. There are also technical problems with the software. This means that to run games from DC or 3DS Nintendo would have to develop an emulator to support them on the Nintendo Switch. They are not interested in this at the moment.
But, there are unofficial ways to play old games on the Nintendo Switch. You will need to find a special emulator for that. After that, you need to replace the Switch software with unofficial versions of the firmware. This will jailbreak the console and you will be able to install the emulator and play games on it. But be careful. This will void your warranty and cause you to not be able to play online.
You can also find guides on how to run the Android on the Nintendo Switch with the help of mods. If you have already done that then you can run the Drastic DS emulator. You should have enough performance to run Nintendo DS games
Is there backwards compatibility for the Nintendo Switch
In the official announcement, Nintendo says that Nintendo Switch will not have any backward compatibility for the games from other Nintendo platforms.
According to them, this is due to problems with the architecture used to create the Switch. Compared to older consoles like the Wii or Gamecube, there may be some official options for backward compatibility with older platforms in the future.
But Nintendo recognizes that there is a demand for older retro games. To this end, they offer to buy an online subscription to such a service. This will give users access to a library of classic NES and SNES games. Of course, it’s not as great as Microsoft’s Game Pass or backward compatibility on the PS5 and Xbox Series X, for example. But these are still some of the best 8-bit and 16-bit games Nintendo has ever made. At this point, it’s the best there is.
