Unless you've been living under a rock recently, chances are you've heard of a little game called Palworld.
Launched via early access on January 18th, 2024, the Pocket Pair-developed game has since completely dominated the games industry, selling over 5 million copies within its first three days of sale, and becoming the hot topic for internet discourse.
Given its many similarities to a certain Nintendo franchise called Pokémon, you might be wondering whether Palworld can be played on the Nintendo Switch. It can't — read on to find out more.
Is Palworld on Nintendo Switch?
Palworld is not available on Nintendo Switch.
Currently, you can play Palworld on Steam via Early Access and on Xbox Series X/S via Xbox Game Preview. Palworld is available on Xbox Game Pass on day one.
The game is expected to remain in early access for at least one year from its initial release date.
Is Palworld Coming to Nintendo Switch?
Probably not, but who knows?
Given some of the controversy surrounding Palworld's release (more on that below), the game has already caught the attention of Nintendo. There are an awful lot of questionable games on the Switch eShop, but given the similarities between Palworld and Pokémon, developer Pocket Pair might not want to incur Nintendo's wrath with a Switch release.
From a technical standpoint, it's unclear whether Palworld could even run on the Switch. Chances are that if the game were to launch on a Nintendo system, we'd be looking at a release on the inevitable Switch successor.
What is Palworld?
Palworld is a survival game where you collect creatures called 'Pals', of which there are over 100 variations. It takes place in an open-world environment via a third-person perspective and you'll be spending much of your time gathering materials, crafting tools, and building bases.
Like Pokémon, you can capture Pals by battling them in combat and throwing a 'Pal Sphere' at them. You can also purchase Pals and trade them with friends via online connectivity. Pals in your team can be summoned at later points to assist in battle, or to help out with crafting and building.
Why is Palworld controversial?
The main reason Palworld has proven to be controversial is its stark similarities with Pokémon. Not only does Palworld share many gameplay features with Game Freak's iconic RPG franchise, but developer Pocket Pair has been accused of copying Pokémon designs for some of its Pal creatures. Heck, even Pokémon's former chief legal officer reckons the game is "rip-off nonsense".
It's also drawn some criticism for its use of guns and shock humour, leading many to refer to Palworld as 'Pokémon with guns'. Some have also drawn comparisons with the studio's previous work on a game called Craftopia, which shared many similarities with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.