Port Specialist Virtuos Ready To Help Bring Next-Gen PlayStation And Xbox Titles To Nintendo Switch

It'll be great if this does happen, but we'll have to wait and see

I think many more "impossible" Switch ports will be feasible as long as cross-platform titles are being released (games for both Series X/PS5 and Xbox One/PS4). Once we get to the point where games are being developed exclusively for next gen consoles, I think Switch ports might become truly impossible. But I think we'll have at least a couple of years after the release of the next gen consoles before that happens.

@InJeffable I agree, but I do not think it will be as long for Sony exclusives. Given the advantages Xbox has with Backwardscompability and multiplatform games already and going forward, they are under pressure to either once again offer the better value proposition (be cheaper) or to pull people in with exclusives, at which they excelled last gen.

Cross-gen exclusives won't cut it then. Not just because they'll don't necessitate a PS5, but more importantly because they cannot showcase the power of the system. The gap in some regards, particularly in terms of the SSD and sound engine, is more than just one generational leap, but several. I dunno, I don't see away to showcase these features with anything the base PS4 could run, and you certainly cannot put these features at the core of your design then.

That's probably besides the point though, because those exclusives true to their nature would never have made it to Switch anyways. As for 3rd-party content, I think it will indeed be a good while yet. Still, even if the ports keep coming for another 2 years or so, the gap will turn into an obvious abyss and already there is content we'll never see on Switch as it is.

Good to know!
I wonder which is better, Virtuos, Saber or Panic Button...?

@Ralek85 When it comes to the PS5, I don't expect Sony to release any cross-platform first party exclusives. I think they're going to leave the PS4 behind as quickly as possible. But like you said, third parties won't be so quick to do that. And that's how I think the Switch will still be viable for AAA ports for at least a couple of years after the next gen consoles hit. But yeah... After that, I think the Switch will be practically out on its own with only Nintendo exclusives, some indies, and shovelware to support it. That's why I think 2023 would probably be a good year for Nintendo to release the Switch 2.

@InJeffable I think by the time we start seeing the games made exclusively for the new consoles, we'll have another Switch or something so it may still be possible to be ported to.

@InJeffable "When it comes to the PS5, I don't expect Sony to release any cross-platform first party exclusives." - I think "cross-platform" and "exclusives" are mutually exclusive

@monterxz I understand he means Sony exclusives released on PS4 and PS5 almost at the same time.

@monterxz When I said "exclusives" in that context, I was talking about Sony. We could see Sony exclusives that are released on both PS5 and PS4 at the same time, but I doubt we will.

Next gen? Yeah I don't see that as even been remotely possible, cross gen games maybe but doubtful. True next gen games not a chance.

Wouldn't it make more sense to develop games specifically for the Switch in the first place?

I think this next gen is going to have a really slow uptake. Switch will be fine for games that aren't trying to be movies.

I'd Love Dark Souls 3 on the Switch as a starter!

I think everyone's seen the Fortnite default dance by now.
Take a look at just how many different 3D models from other games have been given that exact movement. You could, theoretically, have the same experience with The Last of Us on inferior hardware, as long as the gameplay and the story stay the same. This is exactly why newer games compete with remakes on an equal ground - if an experience was valid years ago, it sure as hell still is now.

Graphics don't mean anything to an experience. If you need graphics that bad, go watch a Pixar movie. If you're playing videogames to have fun, stick with software that's actually fun to play, and not just neat to look at.

@InJeffable I'd be surprised if we spend 3+ years with only cross-gen 3rd-party content. That would be very much unprecedented. I imagine that for a period of up to ~2 years MOST, definitely not all, 3rd-party games will see cross-gen releases, based on a case-by-case basis.

While the underlying SoC-architecture ought to make it easy to upscale projects to next-gen, the other way round, meaning projects conceived from the ground up for next-gen consoles, will be unfeasible to downscale to current-gen devices for the most part.

I cannot imagine that 3rd-parties want to spend the next years, or in other words the 1st half of the entire next generation, being way, way behind the curve.

Having said that, it is quite likely that we are headed for the worst global recession since the 1920s, so in that regard all bets are off anyways. Majority of folks might simple lack the ressources to upgrade at all, devs might have to significantly scale back their productions anyways, so ...

@AlexSora89 Not sure what you are saying, but the focus of next-gen certainly ain't graphics. I mean, that is obviously always a part of the appeal and certainly in terms of marketing, as it is by far the aspect that is most straightforward to showcase, but at least on Sony's end, they have made it abundantly clear, that their focus is elsewhere.

Again, though, we are going to get some nice leaps in visuals, for sure, but most of it gonna be more QoL focused I imagine, like finally locking to 60fps, up to 120fps, with VRR inbetween, image quality improvements all-around, extra details thanks to ray-traced shadows, reflections and so on and so forth.

This is not your typical generational leap this time around imho.

@RPGamer a soon to be dead car baby? WTF?

Anyway, I would love to see them tackle ports of Res 7, Res 2 Remake and Res 3 Remake in that order, pretty please. I'd be happy with current gen ports of PS4 and XBONE stuff, let's not run before we can walk.

While commendable of Virtuos, I don’t think it’ll be possible. Maybe at first, but it won’t be long into the next generation where the downgrades Switch ports will be too much of a downgrade for many.

Hopefully Nintendo is working on a Switch 2. Is love to see two sky’s as well, similar to the XB1 and XB1X. I know it won’t happen, but I’m pretty sure lots of people would pay extra for the higher tiered model.

Quite believable. It's one thing to be realistic about true programming heavyweights that will use all the teraflops to track every sneeze of each of hundreds NPCs or implement ultramegahyperrealistic physics... but just as with the previous generations, what percentage of games will actually do that? The rest will most likely prove scalable like The Witcher 3 - shave off the visual fat, unload some relatively dispensable parts at worst (like Ubisoft reportedly did to let Watch Dogs run even on Wii U), optimize the result properly, and voila. It's no "port to Switch" button and takes time and money - but the growing userbase and the perrenial topicality of the currently nigh-exclusive portability make such things progressively more appealing to invest time and money into. The dedication and enthusiasm of studios like Virtuos, Saber and Panic Button only helps.

But I also selfishly hope Virtuos will continue to address older game ports as well. Especially since they have a great track record with Square Enix and the trace of their seeming involvement was recently found in the patch files of a certain trilogy's Steam version. That alone means nothing, of course... and I'm not drooling, YOU'RE drooling.

Excellent! And similarly it would be great to see doom eternal running on the Magnavox odyssey.

maybe start with bringing some PS4 and Xbox One third party games to switch before saying you plan on bringing PS5 and Xbox Series X third party games to Switch

If they can do it, I say bring it on. More games is ALWAYS good.

I think that it’s good and positive to hear a developer talking in this way. To port next gen to switch would be near impossible though - I totally expect a drop in certain areas of quality but from next gen to switch would perhaps be a little too much.
Whilst ever XBSX and PS5 games still come to the current gen, there will be plenty of games of a high quality coming to Nintendo Switch for at least 12 months, maybe even 18 months.
Both Microsoft and Sony have pretty much said they love having a strong Nintendo around at the top of their game. Having all parties performing well drives quality and competition is good.
Because Nintendo aren’t really taking on the other 2 they can sit in their own niche and Switch has given them the perfect way to do that successfully.
A new switch will need to come - it will need to be more powerful without being too expensive and must have backward compatibility with the current Switch.
I expect they will release this around holiday 2021 or maybe even 2022. Nintendo shouldn’t worry too much about the next gen but jut also guard against complacency.

Can someone break down the switch ports. What's the percentage of switch ports that are from the ps3/360 era vs the ports from the Xbox one/ps4 era. I'm skeptical if most of the switch ports are from the ps3/360 era how many series x and ps5 games can be realistically ported.

@AlexSora89 what if I can have graphics and fun together ?

"Graphics don't mean anything to an experience. If you need graphics that bad, go watch a Pixar movie. If you're playing videogames to have fun, stick with software that's actually fun to play, and not just neat to look at."

I'm also confused how months ago people gushed over how amazing Luigi looked and months before that fans complained about the frame rate of links awakening and now we're going into the next gen acting as if these things don't matter because Nintendo will again be another step behind. I love my Nintendo but Graphics do matter. They aren't the number one thing but they do add to the experience.

How about bring over Dark Souls 2 and 3 first?

There will come a drought on the Switch eventually. This seems to happen with any console during it's last year before the next one comes out. Hopefully, nintendo has something up their sleeves to keep this from happening, and I'm sure nintendo is watching closely at the next consoles coming out...I'm sure nintendo already has their next console lined up. Anyways, the droughts happened in almost every console during the last year before the next ones come out. But, who really wants a full-priced game release on another console, when it's chopped down and cheaper on the others? I agree with what some people said, the Switch will come time for nintendo exclusives, indies and shovel ware...we know it'll happen. Eventually, the next console will come out...I'm just hoping that nintendo makes the next one come at least close to the others, just so all the games come to it.

All in all, exclusives are what is going to sell a console. Nintendo has fantastic IP's, Sony has fantastic IP's and Microsoft (whenever they continue them and not including the lack of first-party exclusives this generation) also has some good IP's. That is what sells the systems, not the graphics or what else it can do. I buy the consoles for the exclusives, not for everything else, and I've always stuck with Nintendo and Sony for that reason. Microsoft was actually always my secondary console.

Can't these guys port the real version of fifa? That would be helpful instead of this legacy version crap

@JLPick agree with you totally, owning sony and Nintendo consoles are the way to go, I could live off both their exclusives without touching a multi platform game

Someone here said that ports from Next-Gen to Switch would still be possible. While that is true, it is more work to downgrade the games. I'm a little afraid that the Switch might lose some steam with the next-gen consoles released. Sure it has it's very unique appeal, one that neither Sony or Microsoft offer (portability) and i sure love it, but i wouldn't count out impressive graphics as something that could make up for a loss of portability.

In essence i just hope Nintendo manages to keep up and continue to receive great third-party support and i feel like making it easier for developers to bring their games over with an improved Switch would help. I want the Switch to thrive and be an established alternative console, because i love portable gaming above all else, gaming-related.

@InJeffable why do you think Sony will leave the PS4 as soon as possible? Haven’t they always supported their last consoles for another couple of years? That feels like more of a Nintendo thing.

Let's not forget Feral Interactive

They may as well start porting the ones in current gen first or maybe some of the best ones from last gen, after all it's not like it'll required much to run remastered ports of Grand Theft Auto 3, 4, 5, VC, SA, CW, LCS, and VCS on the Switch.

If they can do it well, I'll be very surprised tbh. The cpu front would be a huge jump let alone the gpu, 4x the memory, and the fast ssd.

For some people like me, I own one console and one console only. I don't have the time, money or desire to buy multiple consoles, so getting ports on the Switch is a big deal to me. Yes, love the Nintendo first party exclusives and all the indie titles, but there's something about getting games like the Witcher 3, Outer Worlds and DOOM, games that ten years ago wouldn't have been considered for a Nintendo console, not only have them, but have the ability to play them anywhere. So yes, I hope Panic Button, Virtuous, Saber, etc. continue porting over these AAA third party games. The graphic hit to me is the tradeoff to having the ability to play it anywhere.

Also, with the Switch having over 50 million units sold (likely closer to 60 million since that number was released back in January and we are now in April), you leave money on the table by not bringing games over.

What people are not considering, is that 3rd party games will still come to the other consoles for about two to three years. And Microsoft will not have first party exclusives on their new Xbox for two years, they’ve already said that first party content will be shared between both old and new Xbox. So the gap won’t be as big as many are thinking. Also, most likely, Nintendo will make Switch carts with storage size of 32 and 64 GB more cheaper, and with that, 3rd party games will still come to the console. I think we’ll be seeing the next Switch probably around 2023

They mean nextgen, as in ps5 and xbox series x?

leaves in laughter

I'm hoping for all the Batman game including Arkham origins. And also the Sims 4!

Monster Hunter World!

What a wonderful and ambitious thought. I'm hoping they can keep up with putting PS3/4 and Xbox 360/One games on the Switch until then.

Pretty sure it'll happen.
The new games arriving on PS5 and SeriesX will be made with all the same tools as the current generation, and most of them will be possible to scale back for limited hardware in much the same fashion.

I feel that Witcher 3 was kind of the upper limit for what's possible in terms of balancing visuals with gameplay. It's a pretty grisly docked game, but astonishing in handheld. I think it would be a tough ask for PS5/XSX games to be ported, and still play okay.

In terms of true 'next-gen' features that are actually exciting, the big hardware upgrades that matter are SSDs and powerful multu-core CPUs.

SSDs will obviously lead to faster load times, but will also allow assets to be streamed so much faster that they'll be able to do things that haven't been seen before with draw distance and texture pop in.

I don't know if developers will take advantage of the CPUs, but there's at least potential for seeing new things with AI and physics that weren't possible before. It's hard to overstate how much the garbage CPUs in last gen consoles crippled innovation.

Most AAA developers are actually super lazy when it comes to doing new things, so I'm not holding my breath on a wave of innovation, but 'better' graphics are the least exciting aspect of the hardware.

@InJeffable @the_beaver Oh, I'm sorry, I haven't thought that PS4 and PS5 were different platforms since both are just custom PCs with AMD hardware.

I’d like Darksiders 3 the most.

Final Fantasy XV? I guess I haven’t paid much attention

This guys out of his mind if he thinks they’re getting next gen running in any way worth playing on switch. The only ones possible will be the cross gen ones and guaranteed they’ll run like garbage

Gratefull and many respect to all those companies who tried try to pull it of ofcourse.
But if you want to see those games in full glory, buy a next gen console and play as they attended to be played.

@kingbk Just save up money for a good computer to go along with the Switch

If you care about portability and/or don't own another console, then great. But if you don't care about that, plus you own other systems, there's very little reason to buy so many watered-down games on Switch for (usually) the same price and super late.

@MBII can someone please explain to me the just buy a good PC mentality. A good Pc which is as good as a ps5 or series x is twice the money. I have a lap top, a desk top, and rarely use them anymore since most of the time I used them for surfing. But that's what my phone has become. A web surfer and a camera. So for myself at least I could never see myself buying a pc to play high end games just because it's twice as much. Maybe you're using Microsoft word, excel or something that I am not or rarely use.

I gander to guess they are seeing the writing on the wall that if they don't do it someone else would do it. Their bottom line is making money and the more system they get it on the better for their future Developments and Plans.

Don't know why we need to constantly beat the dead horse regarding the Switch versions being the worst performance wise. The system is 3 years old now, I'm sure we all know that by now.

I for one strongly prefer portability and appreciate how these studios can run certain games like Witcher, Outer Worlds etc. on mobile hardware. I'm also not inserted in getting the newer consoles anytime soon, if at all, so I gladly take any ports we get.

@sixrings Dude, are you unfamiliar with the concept of saving up money? I'm not rich but I have a Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and gaming laptop.

Hmmmm how is this going to happen? I don't see how they could port next gen games to an in comparison hugely inadequate and underpowered system? Unless there is a new this just won't work or the ports will be dreadful. maybe they could be 8-bit de-makes, that would actually be cool.

@Savino
Switch 2 in 2021! Okay, yeah, probably 2022 after this whole Corona virus thing gets sorted out.

When will people learn that 'down porting' has very little to do with hardware power and almost everything to do with platform viability. The Switch is a nice little miracle hybrid portable. I am already amazed at what they have been able to pull off.....it is obviously able to pull off some pretty decent ports of current and last gen games, but guess what....if it wasn't selling like mad the last 3 yrs (about 20mil units a year) then it would be about as viable for ports as WiiU…..well slightly more viable as it has much more modern and well supported API and dev tools....but still publishers wouldn't be bothering even trying if the platform was not the hottest in the industry. Nintendo has done a lot this generation to restore relationships and viability with 3rd parties and has also now become the preferred destination (right after pc) for all Indy developments. They will have another new piece of hardware and it would be stupid for it not to be a portable hybrid again as no one else really seems able or interested in competing in that niche. As long as the unit sales success continues then Nintendo will be a viable platform for publishers and the ports will keep coming. The one thing that surprises me a little is that so few publishers are willing to risk unique IP or even unique entries in their popular IP series....games like GTA China on DS or AC Chronicles on PSV...You really think on a system that will likely top 100M units that we would see more dedicated development and not just all ports of the back catalogue. Considering Switch is absolutely dominating Japan, I am really suprised Jap devs have not been more willing to take a risk on new properties.....I guess that's what we have N for. We are still going to be getting a lot of great ports and new N stuff the next two years, then I bet 2022 brings Switch Pro 2.0.....here is hoping.

@InJeffable Nintendo is not foolish enough to not already be working on the Switch Next, based on nvidia tech alone and how much more advanced their new terga lines are, it will blow peoples minds what their new mobile chips are capable of. My guess is 2022 when it comes. I do not see Nintendo ever doing a release along side MS or Sony again as well, so waiting a couple years into a new gen is smart to keep costs down as well as guarantee people will have money to buy a Switch Next.

@Savino
I guess it depends on how much programmers can scale their games to match the mobile specs of the next Switch. I did not think the Switch would be capable of running some of the games it has. But here we are.

Developers can't/won't even port most of this generation's games.
I don't think we'll ever see one true AAA PS5/XSX port.

That will be Switch 2's territory.