No Man's Sky is coming to the Nintendo Switch, which many people — especially those who've played the ambitious spacefaring saga on other platforms — are a little sceptical of. How are they going to fit an entire procedurally-generated galaxy in the comparatively tiny Switch?
Hello Games' Sean Murray took to the studio's blog to detail the process behind the game's development, including the fact that it's been worked on in secret for years:
For the last couple of years, a couple of members of our small team have been secretly working on the Nintendo Switch version of No Man’s Sky.
No Man’s Sky is built around procedural generation, which means the console generates everything you see. This makes it so much harder to bring our game to something like the Switch. There have been so many times where we’ve gone home one day convinced it was impossible, only to have someone stride in the next day with a unique technical solution. Honestly I think this team never seems happier than when they are trying to do near-impossible things.
So it's not just us that thought it was an impossible task! But the question is — like many other gigantic games, will this one be coming to the Switch as a cloud-streamed game? Murray doesn't say, but it sounds like that might not be the case. Check out this bit from the blog (emphasis ours):
Every time I pick the Switch up and seamlessly jump from planet to planet, from star system to star system, I have to pinch myself that I am playing on the Nintendo Switch, and that I can take it with me wherever I go.
Many of our community have Switches as their secondary gaming device and we are pleased to be able to offer them an alternative way to play, either at home docked, or on the move.
The cloud games require internet to stream, so they're not particularly portable without a stable internet connection.
However, Murray also says there's more information to come:
There’s so much more we have yet to reveal about the Switch version, and there’ll be more announcements to come as we get closer to release.
Either way, we're excited to see this gigantic sci-fi adventure game come to Switch.
Will you be getting No Man's Sky on Switch? Tell us in the comments!
[source nomanssky.com]
Comments 92
They would have came out and said that from the start if that was the case, and since it looks like thats how it really looks on the switch.
Good lord it looks nice, I already have it on the ps4 and 5, and I haven't played the game in a wile, this would be perfect for jumping back in.
All cloud games on Switch are explicitly labeled as cloud games. This is a native port.
Cannot freaking wait (unless it’s an iCloud game). I’ve dreamed of this coming to Switch.
This is the game I have been waiting for since the Switch was first released. I truly hope it will be great!
Like @Snatcher said if this was a cloud version they would've said it already.
It pleases me that some devs are still taking time to put effort into switch ports.
What can someone work for 2 years at a port to make it a cloud version?
This was one of two points during the direct yesterday I said "NO WAY!"
I'm thrilled this is happening - if it has decent frame rate I'll be looking to buy it. So many great games coming to Switch this year!
I will probably get this as long as it is not a cloud version
Looks native to me. The music is ace! I dare say I might give this a go.
Yeah, I don't think there was any question. It's definitely a full Switch port. It looks so good, I can see why the question is being raised, but Nintendo's always been pretty forward about cloud versions of games. I'm glad the Switch is still getting "impossible" ports.
I won't be buying it as I have it on PC but glad and amazed it has been ported.
I picked up the game a couple of years after release so never really saw it in the bare-bones stage. If you like the idea of exploring and resource gathering, fixing ships, buying ships and more then I'd definitely get it.
The only downside for me is the fauna generation (they all start to look bery samey after a couple of planet visits)
Oh and hopefully you can play offline as is my preffered way. If you dislike the idea of coming across galaxies called poobumwee or hitler references...sigh.
this is a real catch-22.
if it is a cloud version, it will only be playable for a select few with perfect internet.
if it's a proper release, there is no way a game with a scope this massive will run smoothly on Switch.
@Gwynbleidd PC version doesn't need that good of machine does it? Especially after recent patches.
I run a 10-12ish year old system with a AMD Rx570 on high 1080p.
The game is only 12GB on PC, and that's the top-tier version.
The Switch will manage just fine.
The visuals looked heavily downgraded from my PS5 version, so I'm guessing it won't be cloud-based.
I'm with those that doubt it's cloud. I mean, I don't know how the heck it would NOT be cloud, but as far as I know, every single game that's come to Switch in cloud form has been specifically denoted as such from the very first reveal. So, fingers crossed it's native somehow.
@Snatcher Remember , when they annouced NMS on PS4 - new wonder of the world ...
With how things went for the original launch I don't think there's any way they'd hold off on telling us if it was a cloud version. Too much bad history with overselling to make that kind of mistake a second time after the herculean effort they've made to salvage their reputation.
Weather predictions say clear skies, no mention of cloud, nor of man. Setting up a stream or getting a company that does that on it, doesn't take 2 years of tinkering.
They've probably learned from over-promising, so benefit of doubt and if it's good and gets a physical release, I'll get it for the first time.
No thank you I'll never support Cloud gaming for as long as I live. After that Disaster with Kingdom Hearts I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole and I have GB Fibre Optic.
I am happy that it is not a cloud game
This is cool that it's being ported to the Switch, but after enjoying the improved performance and load times on the PS5 version, I don't think I could handle the load times on Switch.
If I were to play this on the go, I'd at least play it on the Steam Deck over the Switch. Cool its coming though because I think it's a great game and the dev team have done some amazing work and an equally amazing come back with this game.
Spoiler Alert: Their creative technical solution around the Switch's graphical and processing limitations was to make No Man's Sky on Switch a 2-D, top down SHMUP while in flight, and a 2-D, side scrolling platformer while on the ground.
Get excited for No Man's Sky Switch Edition, coming soon.
@dleec8 you are joking right?
I don’t think this is a cloud version but it’s native
I don't think Hello Games' would had wasted 2 years optimizing this game for Switch just so it could be a cloud version. It's not like Square Enix who just lazily throw them all onto the cloud waiting for people to get sucker by em. It may likely just be a digital release though similar to Doom Eternal.
There's no if/probably not cloud, it's straight up a native port. Every single cloud game thus far has 'cloud version' in the title or at least clearly stated as such in the reveal.
Zero chance it's a cloud version
@Kang81 them latest reports on the steam deck battery is worrying.
As the lone individual whose Switch is their primary, and only contemporary, gaming device, I very much appreciate what they're doing and look forward to this release.
no cloud version in the title means its not a cloud version most likely
@Specter_of-the_OLED well a digital release imo is better than a cloud version
if it were a cloud version they would of said so in the direct but they didn't so it's native
@RubyCarbuncle Can you tell me where it says its a cloud game?
While I’m excited and likes the content that was showcased, I also remember that Ark Survival Evolved was also ported to the Switch.
@anoyonmus Yeap and the good thing is being digital means it may likely get a chance of a physical release too if the demands are there. Hopefully Doom Eternal get a physical release soon, I don't like the disc versions.
It obviously isn't a Cloud version, if you look closely the game resolution texture resolution and such is quite low, and there would be no reason for this if it was a cloud version, and it also wouldn't take 2 years to get it up and running.
Why would the console have to produce everything if it is streamed? A computer-server would produce everything in that case.
It would be cool to have it on the go, but I don't think i'm okay with the graphical downgrade after playing it on the PS5 and PC. Sometimes graphics do matter.
I doubt this is a cloud version, I think its the real deal.
I will keep an eye on this one 🙂
"Many of our community have Switches as their secondary gaming device." Hmm ... 103 million in sales suggests more people have it as their main gaming device. Also, let's take anything these people say with a grain or two of salt. They're not exactly about delivering what they promise.
Obviously it's not a cloud game, it would have been said so in the reveal trailer. A cloud version wouldn't take anywhere close to 2 years.
@RubyCarbuncle It's not a cloud game.
It would have been labeled a cloud game. Right at the end of the quote he says at home or on the go, so that answers that one.
Honestly I might get this. It looks just as good as Jedi fallen order on the ps4(base) and that looked great.
@Burning_Spear
Actually he is probably right on that. Most people I know have the switch for first party Nintendo and a Xbox,PlayStation or pc for everything else.
@Snatcher It didn't but I'm treating it as if it is. The headline stated "will it be a Cloud version" I'm going by that.
@RubyCarbuncle Why, there is no proof supporting that, no one works 2 years a a cloud version.
@blindsquarel Yep, the on the go part just proves its a native port, but if i'm wrong i'm wrong.
@RubyCarbuncle That is not a good way to judge a game. Why would they develop a port for two years just to make it cloud? Did you even watch the trailer? It's so obviously downgraded, albeit still good looking, compared to other versions of the game.
@HotGoomba
I will admit This is the first time I have seen the game, but the graphics look really good. The other versions must be something else if they are heavily upgraded.
If they add a Samus armour and ship, I'll get this day one.
A cloud version wouldn't even bother complaining about the technical limitations of the Switch to handle procedural generation. Sean is kinda infamous for his non-answers. I am REALLY interested to see the finished product tho. This could be huge. The trailer shows actual Switch gameplay on planet. And its handling the pop-in-building differently than Ps4 or Xbox. I'm not sure what wizardry they are pulling off here, but it has huge potential.
I remember when this game launched, it was a complete garbage fire, it’s so much better nowadays. A cloud port would undo all that good will
Why am I not surprise Nintendo Life is trying to create a news story? Cloud would have been stated from the beginning. Plus… would it really take two years to develop a cloud version of this title?
No Man's Sky, in its latest iteration, looks like how I wish a Star Wars game would play, or EVE Online for that matter. This game has evolved so much since its initial inception, and it's a game I am seriously considering picking up at launch!
I might get this on a discount. Way to many other games coming for me to consider full price unless it launches around 40$
@HotGoomba I am not judging anything I'm just giving.my view on Cloud Gaming because it was mentioned in the headline that's all. My statement is clear now is it not?
These quotes along with the announcement itself makes it abundantly clear that it isn’t a cloud game. How much more obvious can it get?
@TimeGuy
It’s called a nice clickbait title. Nintendolife is very good at this hard to master tactic.
Cloud is a total dealbreaker for what could be my favorite game of the year.
Heavily doubt it’s Cloud with what info has been given with being two years being worked on too
Any mention of cross saves? I think this is the way to go. I don’t mind buying the same games twice if I can keep my progress across platforms.
Pretty wild that this is running natively on Switch.
Makes those Kingdom Hearts cloud versions even more insulting in retrospect.
This is pretty irrefutable evidence it's not Cloud.
It would be a PR nightmare if they stated they worked for 2 years on a Cloud game.
@Astral-Grain
It won’t be, just classic Nintendo life clickbait.
Watching the trailer, I think (to me) it seems fairly obvious this is running natively on the Switch. I've played the original on PS4, and the newer version on Xbox1X. While a major downgrade graphically, it still looks very nice. However you can see things like jagged edges, reduced textures, reduced resolution, etc. all over in the trailer. I also cannot imagine anyone working for 2 years on a port of a game, finding ways to downgrade it for lesser hardware, only to then run a downgraded version of a game from a higher powered device over a cloud service? That just doesn't make much logical sense. Why would you need to find ways to work around the Switch hardware limitations if you were just going to run the game on more powerful cloud based systems instead? But the important thing to me is, if the trailer really is anything to go by, it appears to look and run quite smoothly. I am very much looking forward to more info on this Switch version!
If the game runs good enough, count me in
It's great to see the Switch still getting Impossible ports and I'm definitely looking forward to this, but after this would it be safe to say that nothing is impossible for the Switch anymore?
I mean I remember that about 2 or 3 years ago
I'd asked people on Twitter if games of this scale were possible on Switch and somebody said no, but then we got games like Starlink and Morphite which I guess has lead us to where we are now. So what's next? X4? Everspace 2? EVE Online? Elite Dangerous? Maybe even Star Citizen? Probably not, but a guy can dream.
Also, it might be nice to get a Switch compatible Hotas for games like this.
P.S. I can't wait to see what the folks over at Digital Foundry have to say about this.
After rading this:
"... This makes it so much harder to bring our game to something like the Switch. There have been so many times where we’ve gone home one day convinced it was impossible, only to have someone stride in the next day with a unique technical solution. Honestly I think this team never seems happier than when they are trying to do near-impossible things."
... how could you believe, that this could be a cloud version? 🤨
I remember a couple of years ago it was rumoured to be coming to the Switch but Hello Games gave a non answer to the question and nothing was ever said again. Seems like there was a reason for that non answer now. Had the PS4 version since launch and while it was still really a beta then it really has grown so much since then, I got the game dirt cheap on disc because no one wanted it and the moment the Next update launched all those used copies suddenly went up in price. Admittedly I haven't played it too much over the last year or so but the game is worth the investment just because of how much time has been put into improving the game.
I applaud this. Finding ways to make games work in spite of the less powerful hardware through optimisation and innovative solutions is brilliant and back to basics programming.
However it needs to be put in perspective. This is not a reasonable expectations for many teams or games. Having staff working for over 2 years on a port for a single platform just isn't realistic in most cases. It's only possible because Hello games made so much money initially on No Man's Sky they've been able to support it, and staff for years.
Definitely a native port lol not even the biggest bums could spend 2 years on a cloud game
This one was certainly unexpected.
Not sure if it's my kinda game though. I'd have to do some homework, as I never really followed this game's development.
@TheBigK you are not alone 🤝
I think like most people I’ll get it if it’s not cloud and if it performs decently
Why would anyone think this is a cloud version? I get that we've had a half dozen cloud releases but that doesn't mean every single 8th gen game is cloud.
They spent 2 years optimizing, saying some days they were ready to give up, then someone would waltz in the next day with a solution. You don't do that if it's a cloud version. You do that for native ports. You also don't spend 2 years making a cloud version.
It's native, and it seems to be a passion project for the devs. It looks really good for being on Switch, too. They killed it.
Really weird that there are discussions about it being a cloud version or not. It is very clearly not a cloud version. Aside from the lack of cloud labels, you can just have another look at the trailer, the resolution is very low and it looks blurry (like most big games that have been down ported to the switch)
Still a very impressive port and from the little footage we have, frame rate does not look terrible.
@westman98 except marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. Geez, you had to squint to see the subtext to know it was a cloud version in the E3 trailer
@JaxonH
The fear of cloud will henceforth be a constant one I reckon
Sound native
Might dubble dip, as the game is the current fave of my kids, which currently play it on the PS4, making it possible to play it on the go, or me having the TV to myself (worth a try at least)
I’ve wanted to play this for a good while, but I don’t have a powerful PC or other consoles, so I’m nervously looking forward to this.
Please be good, please be good, please be good 🤞🏼 …
@blindsquarel If you were part of the NL live chat when it first got revealed, you would know a lot of people were skeptic it was native, and I was definitely one of them. This skepticism was seen on Reddit and other places as well, and articles like this one clear up that skepticism.
You keep using that word "clickbait" but I don't think it means what you think it means.
They like to keep the major details like cloud gaming a secret until release. It's just the way it is kate.
I would love to play No Man's Sky on Switch. I was actually always really positive about the Playstation version when it first came out, and I'm really pleased to see that it's proven its detractors wrong and grown into the fine game that it is. I'd pass if it was a Cloud version, but if it's native (and it sounds to me like it is) I'm in.
@serouj2000
"Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: Cloud Version" is the name of the Switch version of the game. It doesn't get more clear than that.
I'm 1000% Buying this day one. This is the best switch news I've heard in a while and this be my new main game for sure. Especially after seeing Boba Fett and Mandalorian, this is going to be so fun.
@westman98 it wasn't called that in the E3 direct
Seriously, I'm hoping it's not a cloud version that maybe this should practically confirm it right? I don't think a cloud solution had been in development for so much time, I think this is an example of secret keys of development. You can't bring cloud games with you anywhere, and that's the key of the Switch. That's what should make a portable version of No Man's Sky possible, hopefully it's a new impossible port what we're seeing here.
Besides, there's a simliar game on Switch called Starlink, and Virtuos did an excellent job on that port.
Another thing, a cloud version on Switch would have a higher resolution than the one seen in the trailer.
@kobashi100
I haven't read them yet, but my brother did mention it to me.
**Edit** Did a quick Google search.
I'm still not too concerned, even playing indie games, I only get about 3 hours tops on my Switch.
My Switch and upcoming Steam Deck aren't devices I generally use or will use away from an outlet or at least having a large battery pack with me.
I mostly use my Switch on lunch break at work or while being in the same room as my wife while she watches some boring TV show.
I'm probably not the most common type of user for the Switch/Steam Deck though.
@Daniel36 Maybe these videos can help:
Gamespot Reality Check:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVl1Hmth3HE
IGN search results:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=No+Man%27s+Sky+-+How+does+it+actually+work+-+IGN+First
These developer comments absolutely confirm that it's a port and not a cloud version. There wouldn't be Switch-specific technical problems to solve for a cloud version.
Besides, No Man's Sky has been available as a cloud game on phones and tablets for two years already on Game Pass.
This is NOT cloud. Understandable at reveal to question on but this Is such a poorly written mess of an article I have to wonder how it got past the editors.
Hello Games wouldn't have to make a blog post about their triumphs in porting to Switch is it was just a cloud version. Furthermore the released trailers have no disclaimers around cloud.
Huge drop In quality since Jon left. Holy ***** this site sucks
Tap here to load 92 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...