Is there any possibility that we will ever see Subnautica for Nintendo Switch?
Zisis
Greece Join Date: 2016-04-27 Member: 216066Members
Since the release of the Switch, i am very eager to buy it but apart from Zelda, there is no game that REALLY interests me.
I was thinking of games that i would like to see for Switch that would push me to buy it, if of course the hardware is sufficient enough for them to work.
So, do you developers have any plans or thoughts about porting the game?
Is it possible to do it regarding the technical aspect?
Would you players ever consider buying subnautica for Switch?
P.S: I know that the devs already plan to port the game for PS4, so nobody should expect fast response considering this matter. It is just some thoughts
I was thinking of games that i would like to see for Switch that would push me to buy it, if of course the hardware is sufficient enough for them to work.
So, do you developers have any plans or thoughts about porting the game?
Is it possible to do it regarding the technical aspect?
Would you players ever consider buying subnautica for Switch?
P.S: I know that the devs already plan to port the game for PS4, so nobody should expect fast response considering this matter. It is just some thoughts
Comments
https://forums.unknownworlds.com/search?adv=1&search=subnautica+nintendo+switch&cat=140&discussion_d=1&discussion_poll=1&comment_c=1
Switch is like Scotty, they just dun't 'ave the powr'
But, i think it would pretty good to see UWE making some kind of game for the Switch later on!
Regarding what? I mean subnautica is family-friendly so are most of nintendo's games and switches nature
Yeah I could see Subnautica in terms of style on Switch, but that doggy is just a pupper. It's not like Nintendo never had higher E-rated games on their platform. It's not all stars and mushrooms on there
1. The hardware just can't handle it. Nintendo has, since the debut of the Wii, decided to go with interactivity innovation over raw power upgrades. Where they have punch in the ways and means that players interact with the game world, they're at best welterweights in the processing power department. Subnautica, and all of the beauty that's part of it, needs raw power, and lots of it. When compared to the bygone Endless Ocean and its sequel, you can see the difference: EO did not have graphics anywhere near the standard of Subnautica. In all likelihood, the Switch would have a meltdown if it tried.
2. You'd have to rewrite the game. Converting a PC game to run on the average console of comparable power (AKA "porting") generally is just a matter of making sure it'll fit within the memory and processing limitations of the console, tweaking user interface methodology to be controller friendly, and swapping a few button mappings around. Generally annoying, but not a massive job. The Switch, though, like its Wii ancestry, uses an entirely different input method, one which Subnautica never even considered. It would require an enormous edit to the game's control structure and user interface to make it playable on the Switch (or Wii/U) as opposed to the relatively straightforward changes needed to get it to run on an XB1 or PS4.
3. Nintendo probably won't go for it. "Family friendly" is their key sales line, and while some IPs have bent the limits on that (ZombiU, Resident Evil, and some others), there have been distinct reasons for all of them. ZombiU was an (ultimately unsuccessful) attempt to inject some life (har!) into the WiiU's sales. Resident Evil has been a proven cash cow for ages, and only a damn fool turns down that kind of assured income, especially when your bottom line hasn't been so rosy for a bit. Subnautica, with endless danger, animals trying to eat you alive, widespread loss of life (even off camera), and the body horror of watching an alien disease tear you apart, probably doesn't fit in with the Nintendo ethos.
So, while a game like Subnautica would be a frickin' hoot on the Switch - and might actually even get me to buy one - it's unfortunately very unlikely it'll ever happen.
But that in no way diminishes the other two major problems that will keep the OP's request from happening.
Skyrim was released in 2012, and had a large, experienced development team which did a ton of optimization to make it run well on the Xbox 360. The WiiU, and by extension the Switch, are both faster than the Xbox 360.
Subnautica is being developed for PC and Xbox One, and likely takes advantage of the much higher CPU capabilities of those platforms compared to the Switch. The Switch might be able to pull off the minimum graphics settings at low resolution, but I doubt it would have enough CPU performance for things like the creature AI and base/vehicle power usage without the game being completely rewritten to take advantage of the Switch hardware.
Additionally, the Xbox One basically uses PC hardware now so (theoretically) it's much easier to write a game for one and then port it to the other than it would be to port it to the Switch. Not to mention that the devs don't have any experience with Nintendo hardware.
Realistically, I don't see it happening anytime soon, but it would be entirely possible for a third party to do a spinoff or port in the future if Subnautica is sufficiently successful to justify the development effort. The graphics would need to be significantly toned down and the game heavily optimized, but otherwise there's nothing in the game that would preclude it running on a Switch.
Nonsense. For many, Nintendo was their first taste of horror.
Death is also commonly depicted on screen in many of their first party titles. Just one example:
Such things are also in recent titles. So Subnautica is tame and could easily fit on their system. Performance wise is a different story however. It has enough problems on the other systems.
I COMPLETELY FORGOT I MADE THIS JOKE AND THOUGHT SOMEONE HACKED MY ACCOUNT XD, but yeah would be cool but not enough of that raw natural power
Well, I mean, they have Skyrim... Something tells me you might like bethesda games.... I'm not sure what it is, just something... Wonder what it could be that makes me feel like you like Bethesda games.... That being said you've probably played Skyrim, but maybe adding Skyrim to the switch's library means there's some hope to get ES6 on it as well?