Can you play Nintendo 3DS games on the Switch?

Before buying a new console like the Switch, the question is whether you can use older games on it. We'll show you here whether you can play your Nintendo 3DS games on the Switch and which other consoles are compatible with the 3DS games.

Nintendo: All the information about the possibility of playing 3DS games on the Switch

If you still have old games for your 3DS console and want to play them on the new Nintendo Switch, this is not possible. Unlike the 3DS, which is a successor to the older Nintendo DS and Nintendo 2DS models, the Switch is a completely newly developed console that is not backwards compatible. Therefore, neither Nintendo 3DS games nor other accessories are compatible with the ninth Switch console.

Switch: You can play Nintendo 3DS games on these consoles

Even though the Nintendo Switch is not compatible with Nintendo 3DS games or digital and physical games from other consoles, you can still play your 3DS games on other consoles.

1. So all games developed for the Nintendo 3DS are also playable on the Nintendo 3DS XL console, since both consoles are identical, except for the size of the screens.
2. It is also possible to use 3DS games on the cheaper Nintendo 2DS without any problems. However, it should be noted here that the Nintendo 2DS does not support 3D effects and 3DS games are only playable in 2D.
3. If you have the new New Nintendo console, this is also compatible with the 3DS games as well as the older DS games.