While Nintendo has never said it is working on a next-generation console, Shigeru Miyamoto hinted at improved backwards compatibility when asked regarding his plans for a next-generation console recently.
In the question-and-answer session following the release of the latest financial report, participants asked several Nintendo executives whether the company considered backward compatibility when developing new hardware internally.
Although Shigeru Miyamoto did not specify which direction the future Nintendo game consoles will take, he also said that from the perspective of technical implementation, backward compatibility is easier to achieve than in the past.
Shigeru Miyamoto said at the meeting, “In the past, we provided a service called “Virtual Console” (Virtual Console), which allowed users to play old games on new game consoles with newer hardware. As long as the hardware remains No change, these games can continue to be played.”
“But like I said before, the publishing rights of games are very complicated, and we will only add games following we have obtained the necessary rights.” He said.
However, games developed for different exclusive game consoles are built in different development environments. Therefore, these development environments may not necessarily be reused following hardware changes. As a result, games developed for older consoles cannot be played on new consoles without additional processing.
Shigeru Miyamoto said: “But now the development environment is becoming more and more standardized. We now have a new environment that allows players to enjoy older games more easily on newer consoles.” He explained that Nintendo’s advantage lies in creating new games. Therefore, when Nintendo releases new hardware in the future, Nintendo hopes to show “unique” games, and these games cannot be created with existing hardware, and only then will new hardware be born .
