Capcom has fully given up on the Nintendo Switch for Monster Hunter: Wilds

The Nintendo Switch, although it’s still one of the most highly sought after consoles, hasn’t been receiving much love recently. Triple A games launching onto the platform suffer its dated and archaic hardware, almost a decade old at this point, and all the attention is now pointed at its successor. Capcom are the latest company to deride the console, saying it wouldn’t allow Monster Hunter: Wilds to utilise “the technology to its limit” as current-generation hardware does.

In a recent stakeholder question and answer session, Capcom was asked if the game will be limited to “there non-portable consoles,” such as the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. In response, Capcom said the following:

Monster Hunter has bounced from console to console. For younger generations of gamers, it was Monster Hunter 4 on the 3DS that first introduced the game, or Monster Rise many years later on the Nintendo Switch and PC. Nintendo gamers will be disappointed to learn that they won’t be able to play Monster Hunter: Wilds at all on their consoles. With the Nintendo Switch effectively having been phased out following a pre-emptive announcement of its successor, but said successor still very much un-confirmed, Nintendo is in a sort of limbo state at the moment.

For external developers, the prospect of launching a game on the console seems pointless and futile. Not only is the hardware incapable of matching current industry standards, but the longevity and shelf-life of new games is virtually non-existent. It’s a different story for Nintendo’s in-house developers. Nintendo essential titles such as Legend of Zelda and Mario will continue to see launches while the console still has legs, and other titles in the same lane as Emio: The Smiling man will continue to release too.

Capcom’s decision to pass on a Nintendo Switch release for Monster Hunter Wilds makes nothing but sense; Mortal Kombat 1 saw an absurd release on the console, while even Tears of the Kingdom struggled to hold its own. Had the company chosen to pursue hardware dating back to 2017, there’s just no chance the game could have exhibited a shared and even experience across all platforms.

About the Author

Amaar Chowdhury

Amaar is a gaming journalist with an interest in covering the industry's corporations. Aside from that, he has a hankering interest in retro games that few people care about anymore.