Skip to main content

'Mastered' Unreal Engine now officially supports Nintendo Switch

unreal engine nintendo switch snakepass01
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Epic Games has released a new update for its Unreal Engine, which adds official support for Nintendo’s upcoming Switch console. While the Japanese gamemaker has been working with the popular developmental engine for some time now, this patch makes things official, and means that we should see a number of UE4 games on the Switch in the future.

One of the biggest problems with Nintendo’s Wii U console was its lack of third-party support, so getting a popular engine like Unreal Engine working well on the next-gen system is a smart move. It also comes at a time when Japanese developers appear to be catching up with the West in learning how to best utilize the Unreal Engine, so it is expected to see much greater adoption among Eastern studios.

Nintendo’s own Shigeru Miyamoto previously stated how confident he was in Nintendo’s command of the engine and said that it would help make porting games from the PC to the Switch that much easier.

This release of Nintendo Switch support is official, though is said to be still in the “experimental” phase. Epic promises that the next release will change that to a “shippable state.”

Along with the addition of Nintendo Switch support in the new 4.15 update for the Unreal Engine, Epic has also improved stability, enhanced developer workflows, and added improvements to runtime performance. We’re told that this improves efficiency during development and should lead to a better user experience post-release.

One big feature that a number of developers will enjoy though, is an improvement to compile times for programmers. Epic claims they have been reduced by as much as 50 percent. While it’s not clear what effect that may have on programmer excuses moving forward, it should be of a real boon to all developers.

Other improvements to the engine include better texture streaming, which should reduce CPU and memory usage, as well as load times; reduced overhead in executing Blueprints; the addition of a new UI blur widget, and new texture streaming debugging visualization tools, among hundreds of bug fixes.

Editors' Recommendations

Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale is the Evergreen Coordinator for Computing, overseeing a team of writers addressing all the latest how to…
The best co-op games on Nintendo Switch
Amazon earth day used Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Nintendo Switch is home to some of the best cooperative games on the market. Whether you’re looking for something fast-paced like Streets of Rage 4 or creative like Minecraft, there’s no shortage of incredible co-op games on Switch. However, finding the best ones can be challenging -- thanks to Switch’s gigantic library, you’ll have to wade through thousands of games before stumbling upon the best.

Below you’ll find our list of the best Switch co-op games. This includes recent releases such as Super Mario Wonder, along with games that can be played both competitively and cooperatively, such as Rocket League and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Regardless of which game you pick, you’ll be treated to some of the best co-op gaming the hybrid handheld has to offer.

Read more
6 Nintendo series that still haven’t made an appearance on the Switch
Pit shoots a bow.

Now that 2024 is here, the countdown is on. Rumors suggest that the Nintendo's Switch long-awaited successor is coming by the end of the year. While there's no official word from Nintendo on that yet, there's good reason to think it could happen. The current lineup of Switch games for 2024 is looking thin, so one could reasonably guess that developers may be off working on Switch 2 games by now.

As I begin to reflect on the Switch's wildly successful life span, I can't help but think  about what a bounty of games its given to Nintendo fans. I'm not just talking about Mario and Zelda games either. Most of Nintendo's franchises have been represented in some form, even if some were just rereleases or oddball spinoffs. We've seen Animal Crossing, Metroid, WarioWare, and even F-Zero get new games on the system. Nintendo left virtually no stone unturned this generation, as it turned just about every franchise it had into a cash cow.

Read more
Which Nintendo Switch should you buy this Black Friday?
How to Preorder the Nintendo Switch OLED.

Believe it or not, the Nintendo Switch is almost seven years old already. While a brand new Nintendo console may be right around the corner, Nintendo isn't pulling support on its system in 2024. We already know we're getting games like Princess Peach: Showtime! and Mario vs. Donkey Kong alongside HD re-releases of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon. So if you don't own a Switch already, it's still a good time to jump in.

Of course, Black Friday is the perfect moment to buy a new console. This year's sales event brings some brand new deals on Nintendo's hybrid system thanks to some strong bundles. There are several options to choose from over three different Switch models. So, which of the Nintendo Switch Black Friday deals should you buy?
Original, OLED, or Lite?
The Nintendo Switch breaks down into three models. There's the standard Switch that usually retails for $300, an OLED model that comes with a significantly improved screen for $50 more, and a Lite model that's only $200 but can't be hooked up to a TV. Nintendo hasn't cut the prices on any of those, but it has dropped some of them into bundles that will potentially save you some money in the long run.

Read more