Skip to main content

There are no plans to bring 'Mass Effect: Andromeda' to Nintendo Switch, for now

The Nintendo Switch looks to have plenty of third-party software support when it launches next spring, and publishing giant Electronic Arts has already pledged to develop for the system, but it appears that one of the company’s biggest 2017 releases — Mass Effect: Andromeda — could be skipping the console altogether.

When asked by Stevivor if Mass Effect: Andromeda would see a release on the Switch, BioWare producer Michael Gamble gave an answer that, while shooting down rumors of the game as a launch title, did

Recommended Videos

“Yeah, not right now, no,” he told Stevivor. “We’re not planning on it. If the Switch launches and everyone’s just yammering for Mass Effect, who knows? We never want to close doors like that.”

In the same interview, Gamble also said that his team has “no plans” for enhancing Mass Effect: Andromeda for Xbox’s upcoming Project Scorpio console revision — developers were extremely tight-lipped regarding software support for the PlayStation 4 Pro prior to its official unveiling, as well, so perhaps this should be taken with a grain of salt.

Though the Wii U at times struggled to keep up with the aging Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 systems when it launched in 2012, the console still got what could be considering the definitive version of Mass Effect 3, complete with its extended ending. The Switch’s rumored technical specifications would certainly make it a challenge to run Andromeda, considering that the game is taking full advantage of current-generation hardware, but we’re holding out an inkling of hope that Electronic Arts and BioWare will decide to port it anyway.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out gameplay from Mass Effect: Andromeda yet, watch the video at the top of this page. Gorgeous environments, investigations, and the most intense combat ever offered in the series are just a few of the features the game has in store. It’s expected to launch in the first half of 2017 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

Gabe Gurwin
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…
The Nintendo Switch 2 could still be vulnerable to the original’s biggest issue
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom runs on a Switch 2 screen.

Nintendo has confirmed that the Switch 2 will not use Hall Effect sensors in its Joy-Cons, and unfortunately, that means it's still vulnerable to stick drift. Instead, the handheld will use analog-style sticks, but Nintendo assures fans they have been redesigned to combat one of the biggest problems of the original Nintendo Switch.

In an interview with Nintendo Life, Nate Bihldorff, Nintendo of America's Senior Vice President of Product Development & Publishing, provided details on what to expect from Nintendo's next console. "The Joy-Con 2's controllers have been designed from the ground up. They're not Hall Effect sticks, but they feel really good," he said.

Read more
Inside the smile factory: Nintendo’s quest to save the Switch 2 from reality
Players laugh together as they play Nintendo Switch 2.

“Our number one value is putting smiles on people’s faces.”

That’s what Bill Trinen tells me just hours after the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct wraps up. True to the company’s own ethos, Nintendo of America’s Vice President of Player and Product Experience is as cheery as can be as we chat about the Nintendo Switch 2. He has good reason to be happy. He’s currently in New York City at the first ever hands-on event for a console that’s been in the works since 2019, surviving the trauma of a pandemic and multiple waves of political turmoil.

Read more
I played 11 Nintendo Switch 2 games. Here’s what I thought of each
Bowser in Mario Kart World.

It's been a whirlwind week for Nintendo fans. On Wednesday, the company fully lifted the lid on the Nintendo Switch 2 with a perfectly executed Direct presentation. That moment of elation gave way to anxiety as players sorted through the console's controversial new pricing strategy. Then came complete panic as President Donald Trump's freshly announced tariffs on foreign imports caused Nintendo to postpone preorders for the system in the United States. You can't blame Nintendo fans for feeling a little stressed out right now.

The saving grace of all this is that the Switch 2 is still slated to launch on June 5 and it's bringing a ton of exciting games along with it. At a press event on Wednesday, I went hands-on with nearly a dozen Switch 2 games, from first-party heavy-hitters to Switch 2 Editions of old favorites. I've posted my impressions of several games throughout the week, but for the sake of ease, I'm rounding them all up in one place. Curious about just how good Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is? How does it feel to drive a wheelchair around with mouse controls? Is Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour really worth a few bucks? You can find all those answers right here.

Read more