Updated Unreal Engine 4 Release Officially Adds 'Experimental' Nintendo Switch Support

Good news for the switch but can't let myself get hyped like i did for wiiu. So far the switch is in my opinion being marketed like the wii and its been developed like its predecessor. Nintendo seems to have a thing for motion controls and small control sticks which is fine but i feel like that part is what's hurting the system. Unreal or not the community for Nintendo seems geared toward the couch days and right now they need to keep progressing foward to
Compete with x1ps4.

@BoltedArc This is exactly why the reveal trailer didn't show off motion controls and why the big launch game Zelda doesn't make use of them at all... They're NOT marketing it like the Wii, that's all in your head

Forgive my ignorance on the topic, but isn't Unreal 4 like a hundred million years old at this point? Seems like everything out there has it. Isn't it a bit sad and concerning that Nintendo's newest console can't even run full Unreal 4? I mean, they said they're working on it but still. Again, pardon my ignorance, I'm not much of technical person.

@TheBigK Nope, unreal 4 is the latest version of the unreal engine, so Nintendo Switch is rocking the latest in that family. These development engines are just tools really, a sort of premade environment that makes it easier to create the increasingly complex games. It's not really about power, it's more about modern libraries and environments. f.e., unity has been used to make small low power indie games, and also huge AA games. (unity is an alternative to UE)

@BoltedArc after playing with the Switch at a Switch and Play event this past Sunday, I can tell you that the Joy Con aren't as bad as they look!! After a few minutes everything is fine. (I have long fingers) I would prefer playing with them over the Pro Controller! (It feels weird).

@Scapetti
most of the commercials right now have heavy 1-2 switch presence with all the "it's fun! it's a party! swing your arms!" of the wii.

I think they are definitely going after that crowd thinking they skipped wii U but might want the next "true wii" with motion control at the center again. imho, a gross miscalculation as everyone who bought a wii for motion realized it's obnoxious to have to play games that way all the time and got bored after wii sports.

@ZurapiiYohane64 Unreal Engine 4 will be out for a long time. At least the next 7 years. Epic worked really hard to fix what 3 did wrong and now have something that works. It gets upgrades all the time and new features are added.

@TheBigK Nope, the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii U all had games running on Unreal Engine 3.xx. Version 4 of the Unreal Engine has only been around for about 2 years.

Experimental? That's strange.

The switch will be powerful enough to provide rich gaming experiences. Nintendo IP are always masterful. I will be looking forward to 3rd party exclusives as opposed to ports. Unreal 4 should make this feasible. Unique games like Snake Pass are welcome even if ported down from the 4Kish power twins.

Well that's good news. Not saying it's earth shattering news, or that it should get the haters on board. Just good news. Anything that makes developers jobs easier is ALWAYS welcome, regardless of whether it's used or not.

I have been saying here won't really be news until E3. Let the devs have time to play with this, see the Switch move some units, and I think 2018 should see some games.

At least we should be getting past the "Nintendo consoles are hard to develop for" complaint. I might try to develop a game now...

@BlueKnight07 If you ignore the fact that the Switch's lack of power equivalence with the other two consoles means that developers will have to waste resources to make hundreds-thousands of lower resolution textures for every game they try to port over, then yeah.

Developing a game for only the Switch won't be where the valid complaints will arise. It'll be from ambitious multi-platform game devs. Mainly because there'd be a lot of extra work involved, all while they're just trying to get the game working as good as possible on the two systems made by companies smart enough to understand that success in the gaming industry depends on having close to equal architecture, specifically SO your system doesn't miss out on massive games that become must-haves in the mainstream market.

I just hope that some big name games get ported down to Switch. Portability trumps graphical fidelity for me. STEEP will hopefully be a good example of a next generation game running on Switch.

Great news: the more engine compatibility the Switch has, the better will be for a wide library

@Tarvaax this is already the case when developing for consoles.. devs have to compromise somewhere which is why PC games look better. But wasting resources? I mean theyre business looking to make money. If theres a lucrative market, as with current consoles, then those resources are hardly a "waste". Because you know, common sense.

We already know Atlus is using it. Glad to know I'll be able to experiment with Unreal's Switch support however..

It's definitely a good thing that they are going to be getting official UE support closer to the start rather then a couple of years in.

Well.. Once again, this all sounds good on paper. It's cool that these devs are making these conversations public, and Nintendo showing a positive effort of cooperation. For the sake of variety this is a good thing. So I hope it all works out well for the consumers and developers benefit.

I've said it before and I'll say it again
My hype 4 Switch is Unreal!

For anybody that didn't notice it's actually Unreal Engine 4.15 which is the newest version. This should bode well for third party support on the system.

This can only be good news. Hopefully kingdom hearts 3 please. I dont see why the graphics couldn't be handled on switch even if it isnt top notch hardware. How about the Bioshock Trilogy from 2k couldn't take much to port that either, nor much of an investment. Would allow them to test the waters for fps for switch with minimal investment. Would any of you guys buy it?

Another sign that Switch is a Holiday 2017 release brought forward.

@speedracer216 That simply did not happen. I played Wii Sports with friends and family for years and many people played Mario Kart Wii with the wheel. I would even be willing to guess most people did.

Of all the time the Unreal Engine has been around, I've only managed to experience 2 games and 1 demo that used it:

Unreal Tournament (DC)
Batman Arkham Asylum (demo on 360)
Batman Arkham City Armored Edition

I don't think I've played any Unity games yet, but I do have it on my computer - though I don't know how to use it and my computer isn't built for gaming anyways.

I do have Mass Effect 3 for Wii U, so I'd also like to see what the Cryengine can do on Switch. What version is it up to now and is it coming to Switch?

Also, what is Criware up to with regards to Switch?

I read an article online today that stated its official it didnt mention anything about it still being experimental.

@RickRau5 spot on.

@idrawrobots "That simply did not happen. I played Wii Sports with friends and family for years and many people played Mario Kart Wii with the wheel. I would even be willing to guess most people did."

Agreed. Although not as popular as it once was, I still play Wii U Sports club online all the time and my best friend and I never get tired of Wii Sports golf.

@Koudai1979 CryTek currently cant even pay employees, that's what they get for their engine being hot booty on a summer day. Seriously, its flat out terrible. Make a game in a forest that's an FPS of GTFO of there fast.

They didn't make many games lately, and the engine, respectfully, is pushing future tech all the time, the issue is not much can use it, and the engine is INCREDIBLY limited in terms of support and range for games. The joke about "Can it run Crysis" is because they push future tech so much that it becomes hard to use on current, commercially viable machines.

As such, as someone who has used CryENGINE, seen its benefits, and it's many, many flaws, I wouldn't expect CryTek to be on Switch with their engine. And the same time, nothing lost, because no one uses it, because it isn't commercially viable.

@speedracer216 the first ad I saw and the one most people in the US have seen is the ad featuring Zelda. Compared to the Wii U I think Nintendo is doing a terrific job with advertising. For Wii U most people didn't know what it was and hadn't really heard of it. I'm with you on the motion controls. I've never liked them, and I don't want to play games that way. I've spent the last 35 years training my thumbs, that's not gonna change.

@Robohock If the bioshock trilogy got ported I'd buy a switch immediately.

Well, this is good news. I remember how those from Unreal flat out laughed when someone asked about the possibility of bringing Unreal 3 support to the Wii U.
I'll assume this may help third parties a lot in bringing games, but I'm no techie as to predict if this will help bringing AAA games developed in Unreal, like KH. We'll have to wait and see.

@Louie06 i don't have an issue with the joy con but it just kinda leans backwards towards the wii not that its an issue
Or anything. I think 3rd party has gotten used to the regular xyz controller but im sure they will have support for it.

I think this is the big payoff for Nintendo using nVidia tech at the core rather than going proprietary + IBM. IBM simply didn't care, wasn't involved, and had no relationship in this industry. They just fab the silicon to spec and move to the next customer. nVidia being involved I think opened doors like Epic and Bethesda. It's one thing when "out of touch kiddie Nintendo " calls and says "we'd like your engine to work on our console", but another when nVidia whom they've worked with for years and years walks in and says "here's the new Nintendo, and it's going to be a core tech push from us, and we'll walk you through adapting your engine for it (by the way here's a box full of Titans we're not announcing until next year.)"

@Scapetti I would never go by the reveal, history has taught us that companies aren't exactly honest with what's promised. Like the switch trailer that was found to have false images, I always wait for what happens later to form an opinion because at face value u never know what is behind it. I don't think the system is bad nor the controls but i do think they are sharing the same road as the wii & wiiu.
I will pick one up but after i see some support on Nintendo's part, the system needs games to push it and i hope Ninty doesn't rely on 3rd party support!

@BLP_Software I figured it was a bit harder to use than UE, but I didn't know any of that other stuff. It's a real shame, though, as I really liked what I saw from it in Mass Effect 3 on Wii U. Thanks for the reply.

@RickRau5 I'm with you.