Nightdive Studios is not ready to abandon the original Nintendo Switch, but the remaster specialist admits that supporting the nearly decade-old console is becoming increasingly challenging.
The studio has released several notable remasters on Switch, including Doom 64, Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster and System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster.
With Nintendo Switch 2 now available, however, Nightdive is increasingly designing around the newer hardware’s additional performance capabilities.
Nightdive Will Keep Supporting Switch 1 When Possible
Speaking to Nintendo Everything, Nightdive project manager and producer/director Grover Wimberly IV acknowledged that the original Switch’s aging hardware presents growing development challenges.
“With Switch 1 – and I say this with all respect to Nintendo players – Switch 1 is getting harder and harder as it’s an old console,”
Wimberly said. He added that Nightdive will continue making an effort to support the system
“as long as we’re able to.”
The studio sees Switch 2 as the better platform for its technically demanding remasters. Wimberly explained that the newer hardware allows games to offer smoother frame rates, improved textures and faster loading, while also supporting features such as mouse controls.
Nightdive also wants the transition between Nintendo platforms to be straightforward for existing players. Wimberly said players upgrading from Switch 1 versions would not need to purchase their games again in certain cases, while their save data would not simply be wiped during the transition.
The studio’s next major remaster, SiN: Reloaded, is scheduled to launch on both Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. The project will showcase the improvements Nightdive can deliver on the newer hardware, while the studio continues trying to keep its games playable on the original system.
For Switch 1 owners, Nightdive’s comments suggest that support is likely to continue where technically practical, but Switch 2 will increasingly provide the preferred experience for the company’s future remasters.
