Analyst: Nintendo Switch will be easier to develop for than PS4, Xbox One

By Gabe Gurwin December 22, 2016

Pachter Factor Episode 47: The Power of Nintendo Switch

In stark contrast to the Wii U, it appears that Nintendo’s upcoming Switch console will actually be easier to develop for than its competitors, at least according to famed industry analyst Michael Pachter.

Speaking on his YouTube show Pachter Factor, Pachter, who works as a game industry analyst for the firm Webush Securities, answered a question on the extra work developers will have to do in order to move games from the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One to the Nintendo Switch. Though he agreed that the Switch will likely not be easy for simple port jobs because it almost certainly won’t use a PC environment like the other two consoles, Pachter isn’t convinced that developers will mind.

“I’ve actually heard from developers that Nintendo is the easiest of the three to develop for,” he said. “The issue is going to be processing power. If the processor is a lot slower, and it doesn’t use the same configuration of cores and the same graphics capability, they have to do something different.”

This means either “dumbing down” the PC and console versions of the game to run on the Switch, or creating an entirely new game for the platform. Unlike the success Nintendo saw with performing this task on the Wii, Pachter doesn’t believe that third-party developers will be willing to develop entirely different versions of a game in 2017. If this is the case, the Switch could very well go the route of the Wii U and fizzle out quickly.

“You saw the lineup — I don’t even remember — 30 publishers are supporting the Nintendo Switch? It was a big number,” Pachter added. “So the question is, are they supporting it with NBA 2K8, or are they supporting it with FIFA 18?”

We’ll find out closer to the Switch’s launch, but conflicting reports from the Wall Street Journal’s Takashi Mochizuki and Eurogamer make it unclear exactly how much power difference we’ll see — the portable configuration’s screen could sport a 1080p display, and not the 720p display that many had assumed.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

Gaming

Every rumored video game console: Nintendo Switch 2, PS5 Pro and more

A PS5 sits on a table.

History would tell you that 2024 isn't a year where you should expect a lot of new game consoles. We're smack dab in the middle of a console generation and we've already seen the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series S get upgrades during it. A wave of brand new consoles is likely four years away if the precedent set by previous generations holds up.

And yet, we're swimming in hardware rumors these days. Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo all have rumored systems in the works. On top of that, we're on the verge of an early second generation for portable PCs like the Steam Deck. Companies like Lenovo and Asus are also plotting follow-ups to their own devices. It's a lot to keep track of, with scattered reports sharing rumors about the status of each. To help you stay on top of the news, we've rounded up every major gaming device that's currently in the works. You can expect to see some -- if not all -- of these in the next year.
Nintendo Switch 2

Gaming

World of Goo 2 might just be the Nintendo Switch’s next must-own co-op game

A built structure in World of Goo 2.

When I sat down to demo World of Goo 2 at this year’s GDC, I noted to the developers on hand how surprising it was to see a sequel after so long. “It’s been, what? Ten years?” I said. I was very far off the mark: They noted that the original World of Goo launched in 2008. After playing a few levels (and having an existential crisis over time’s rapid passing), I’d find myself wondering how such an obvious slam dunk didn’t come sooner.

Like its predecessor, World of Goo 2 is a physics-based puzzle game where players craft structures from little, gooey critters. It presents a series of engineering challenges, as poorly built structures will topple under the weight of all those jiggly little pals. Rather than reinventing that concept entirely, World of Goo 2 adds some wild new ideas onto that stable structure that opens up its puzzle potential. The result is a chaotic co-op game that’s a perfect fit for the Nintendo Switch.

Gaming

How to transfer data from Nintendo Switch to Switch OLED

Pokémon on Nintendo Switch OLED.

If you've picked up a new Nintendo Switch OLED, you already know that it's a substantial upgrade from the previous iterations of the console. What you may not know, however, is how to transfer your data from your old Switch to your new Switch OLED.

Unfortunately, the transfer process isn't as straightforward as you might expect, so it can be confusing to get things going. However, we've got all the details on how to migrate your user data from one Switch to another, even if you don't have access to your previous system and best Switch games. Here's how to transfer your data from your Switch to the Switch OLED.
How to transfer data from Switch to Switch OLED
Step 1