No Man's Sky, Hello Games' big turnaround game, is finally out on the Nintendo Switch, six years after its initial release on PC and PlayStation 4.
No Man's Sky Nintendo Switch Release Date: October 7, 2022
The No Man's Sky Nintendo Switch release date was on October 7, 2022.
No Man's Sky has arrived on the Nintendo Switch, and it appears that the game's performance on Nintendo's handheld console hybrid is serviceable. Unlike its original launch back in 2016, No Man's Sky is playable and is not ridden with bugs and glitches. However, that's just the minimum, of course. So, what's in the Nintendo Switch version of the game, and what features have been omitted?
Game Modes – The game will feature most of the same game modes available on other platforms, namely:
- Normal – An infinite journey: explore and survive in a boundless universe
- Survival – A survival challenge: more hazards, smaller inventory, increased costs
- Permadeath – Extreme survival challenge: save is wiped upon death
- Creative – Explore and create freely: no costs, no damage, no limits
- Community Expedition – Undertake a time-limited expedition for special rewards
Multiplayer – Sadly, Multiplayer is not included in the Switch version of No Man's Sky. You cannot party up with friends and explore worlds together, or meet other players in the game in chance encounters.
Performance – This section is most likely the dealbreaker for many. Thankfully, the game is complete on the cartridge/download and is not cloud-based, so performance issues should be more stable in comparison. In terms of frame rate, the game runs mostly at 30fps, with the game experiencing FPS drops when facing large bases outside. The game utilizes a rendering technique that only requires objects to be rendered when the player is facing them. As such, pop up would be an issue here, as objects could only appear just when players turn to face them. In terms of image quality, there is resolution scaling here, again done to maintain the frame rate to as high as possible. Playing the game on bigger screens while docked would make these resolution issues more glaring and noticeable.
Thankfully, entering and leaving a planet is a seamless experience, which is perfect given how that's one of the most exciting features of No Man's Sky. In that regard, No Man's Sky on the Nintendo Switch makes this experience largely untouched even in handheld mode.
One issue with the Nintendo Switch version of No Man's Sky, however, is that the Switch version has a terribly long load time when you play a new game, taking for as long as three to four minutes, although mileage here could vary.
Value – So, is No Man's Sky on the Nintendo Switch worth it? Definitely not if you love playing exploration games with your friends. However, if you're just into relaxing games and exploring on your own in single-player mode, then the Nintendo Switch port is definitely worth your time. There are so many things to do in the game even in single-player, and being able to bring it on the go extends your play time with the game. If you haven't played No Man's Sky on any other platform yet, then this is a good introduction. You could hop on to multiplayer experiences later on on PC or the consoles. However, jumping down from PC or other consoles to the Switch might feel like an awful downgrade that not everyone could live with.
Follow Us
Subscribe