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Discussion Will Genshin Impact ever actually release on Switch?

Will Genshin Impact ever actually release on Switch?


  • Total voters
    104

Hero of Hyrule

Frieren the Slayer
Pronouns
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Genshin Impact is one of the most popular and profitable games in the world, and with good reason. The startlingly well made and content filled open world game is endlessly generous with content, remarkably engaging to play, and captures the imagination with its rich lore, beautiful world, and extremely popular character design. It’s currently on PC/PS4/PS5/iOS/Android, but it was also announced for the Switch.

That version still hasn’t materialized, and while popular assumption had become that it was canceled, as recently as a few months ago it was confirmed that it is actively in development and being worked on. Genshin Impact does work on other devices in a similar hardware and performance profile as the Switch, so even though it’s a stunning game, it’s unclear what the delay might be - but whatever it is, I’m hoping it gets resolved soon.

In your opinion, when can we expect this game to come to the Switch? Do you think that any expectation of a Switch release is a reasonable one to even hold at this point, after all this time?
 
During the Switch 2 lifespan, but I don't think they'll want to forego the existing Switch install base either, and it'll be cross-compatible.
 
It doesn’t feel like it will release this year and with the gen 2 Switch around the corner, seems like it will be on both.
 
I wish. I've just recently started replaying it after dropping it twice at the start and I've been enjoying it alot. Would be cool to have it on a portable system.
 
0
Game is getting bigger and bigger, i really doubt they are gonna release it on the OG Switch.
Drake though.
 
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The people voting Switch 2 exclusive know Genshin already runs on modded Switch I hope.

Why would they say no to 120m users, it makes no sense.
 
The people voting Switch 2 exclusive know Genshin already runs on modded Switch I hope.

Why would they say no to 120m users, it makes no sense.
iirc that is the Android version, which is using Unity's mobile renderer instead of the console one and has significant visual cutbacks. While they could ship that on Switch, they might not want to if they could wait until the next console and ship it with the high end renderer.
 
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It will, and just like Minecraft, Rocket League, Fortnite, Overwatch, and a host of other 3rdP worldwide hits, it will be embarrassingly late to the Switch party.
 
At this point, i think they'll wait for the Drake model as i can definitely believe the game is too much for the base Switch versions' CPU.
 
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I do believe the Android version can be ported to the current Switch and run at 30fps with low graphical settings and proper optimization.

And boy I do hope they manage to do it. Or at least port it to Xbox Series. The game is becoming too much for my ancient PC and I can't afford an upgrade, a PS5 or a flagship smartphone atm.
 
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Most Nintendo fans (+ fans of other games) and Genshin Impact fans hate each other here in China. The dispute has lasted for three years.

Mihoyo always uses the marketing strategy called "碰瓷营销" in the Chinese market, that is, they take advantage of the dispute to promote their games. They always copy elements from other games and stir up the discontent of fans of that game. Then fans of both games will attack each other on social media platforms like Weibo and Zhihu. The posts and comments will get a lot of reposts and likes so that more and more people will know the Mihoyo game.

The first and major fanbase involved in the "碰瓷营销" of Genshin Impact is the BotW fanbase (basically the Nintendo fanbase in China). Mihoyo's announcement of Genshin coming to Switch added fuel to the fire. After the announcement, many Genshin fans say that 'Nintendo approves Genshin Impact so it is not a BotW ripoff'.

I personally believe that the announcement is more of a promotion strategy than a real attempt to bring the game to Nintendo Switch. Plus I've heard some rumors that Mihoyo's attitude towards the development of the Switch version is negative and the development is rather slow, but there is not a reliable source so take it with a grain of salt.
 
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the development is rather slow
I mean, looking at the Switch version announcement trailer's date and the current date, yeah, it seems that way. Don't know about the rest of your post, but I'd be surprised if they wanted to miss out on a healthy ecosystem like the Switch's/Nintendo's.
 
Switch 2/ switch pro ( whatever you want to call it ) exclusive for sure it seems like they ran into a lot of problems with the switch port on current hardware.

Like with the ps4 struggling I really doubt the switch could’ve ran it well anyways
 
The only reasons I wanted to see this on switch were:
1 - To test the title and see how it performs while running NATIVELY on the system. Not on a hacked switch running android where the performance is obviously poor due to how android there is unoptimized and can only run from a very slow SD card (which is painfully bad to open world games that need to load lots of assets at once).
2 - So shitposters would finally shut the fuck up.

But having played the game a lot on PC (3 accounts, - AR 50, 35 and 32) I got so sick of the wasted potential the game has to this day that I don't even care anymore.

Call me when genshin gets ACTUAL dungeons instead of a single battle arena the size of an anus where the exact same type of enemies you fight on the overworld spawn. Or when they finally decide to create a better game loop for players that are caught up to the mainline quests instead of:
log in -> retrieve expeditions rewards -> dailies (the same 3-5 quests repeat ad infinitum) -> mora/exp farming the same spot against the same enemies -> artifact grinding the same dungeons-> material grinding against the same targets -> log out.
 
Switch 2/ switch pro ( whatever you want to call it ) exclusive for sure it seems like they ran into a lot of problems with the switch port on current hardware.

Like with the ps4 struggling I really doubt the switch could’ve ran it well anyways
The PS4 runs using the high end Unity renderer, there is a much more performant version available using Unity's mobile renderer which is what's deployed to phones / tablets.
 
The mobile renderer seems to do fine on Android Switch @ Low settings, obviously an optimized native Switch port using it would run better.


But they may not be using the mobile one as a base, otherwise I would've expected it sooner.
 
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I was just discussing this with a friend as he simply moved to play it on android instead of wasting. I think the original idea was to develop using the mobile as a base but then the development moved to do more of a custom implementation (something like DQXI for switch) which is why it's taking more time
 
0
Sucks that it's not on there because of the huge install base, but probably Switch 2.
If they COULD put it on Switch, they'd be wizards. The loading times would probably be insane.
 
0
They reconfirmed the Switch development not long ago, so I don't expect it to skip current Switch. I think it will come by next year and be enhanced for Drake, but playable on current Switch too, I mean, it's a mobile game that runs okay on devices way weaker than Switch. Switch is a monster worldwide and has an insane active user base, it'll come late but it will come, and find a very healthy player base here too.
 
0
well they better hurry up or else that 100+ million switch base will move on
Most Nintendo fans (+ fans of other games) and Genshin Impact fans hate each other here in China. The dispute has lasted for three years.

Mihoyo always uses the marketing strategy called "碰瓷营销" in the Chinese market, that is, they take advantage of the dispute to promote their games. They always copy elements from other games and stir up the discontent of fans of that game. Then fans of both games will attack each other on social media platforms like Weibo and Zhihu. The posts and comments will get a lot of reposts and likes so that more and more people will know the Mihoyo game.

The first and major fanbase involved in the "碰瓷营销" of Genshin Impact is the BotW fanbase (basically the Nintendo fanbase in China). Mihoyo's announcement of Genshin coming to Switch added fuel to the fire. After the announcement, many Genshin fans say that 'Nintendo approves Genshin Impact so it is not a BotW ripoff'.

I personally believe that the announcement is more of a promotion strategy than a real attempt to bring the game to Nintendo Switch. Plus I've heard some rumors that Mihoyo's attitude towards the development of the Switch version is negative and the development is rather slow, but there is not a reliable source so take it with a grain of salt.
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Yeah; I do believe is still coming; They didn't reaffirm a couple months ago for nothing.

MiHoyo got hit pretty hard with Covid, and also they got some of their own issues at China to deal with (there was a brief period that updates were halted on Genshin altogether).

This game runs on phones; and if there's anything preventing the port of happening, they'd outright publicly cancel or call the "solution" of a Cloud version, of course (it's a 100% online game anyway.. Phantasy Star Online 2 is already doing the same).
 
0
It will be on the Switch 2 at this point...for a number of reasons. At first, I thought Sony may have paid to block the release in exchange for allowing cross save with PS/mobile/PC back during the release of 2.0 (which is still possible) as that is when the Switch version went silent...but there are several other factors to look at before jumping to that conclusion.

1. Genshin today is not what Genshin was when the game was announced on Switch. The game is far more demanding and the file size just keeps growing as more regions are added. Even the PS4 has it's own problems with optimization so it would be even worse on the Switch. (PS5 runs like a dream though by console standards).

2. It is easier to drop support for older phone/PC models as the game evolves than it is to drop console support. With that in mind, the lowest common denominator becomes the PS4...and I doubt that they would want to lower that bar even further by putting it on Switch. As it stands now, the mobile version SHOULD be able to run on Switch hardware at the LOWEST settings...but who would want to play that on a TV? Most people already have phones for portablity and cross save kind of gives it hybrid functionality already as well...so why force the game on dated hardware that will be obsolete sooner rather than later just to piss off the new fans that start on Switch if they need to drop support?

3. Switch 2 is not that far off, and just waiting to tap into the Nintendo playerbase would be better for the longevity of the game, while also addressing the above two points. We are so late in the Switch life cycle, putting the game on there now would either hold back the future of the game's potential...or make fans mad if support is dropped. It would make sense in the short term, but for a service based game that is continually expanding, the long term is far more important.

And that pretty much sums it up. If Sony has nothing to do with it (and I doubt they really do), then it really is as simple as the above points I have listed.
 
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This is definitely the most convincing argument so far against still going for OG Switch. It basically has no longterm future/outlook on that system, but would still hold back concerted and more streamlined development operations for GI overall if they tried to still support the platform anyways. Going for a more comparable processing power target in form of the new Switch seems like a much smarter choice.
GI is a GAAS after all, so it's not like porting it to OG Switch hardware would be an one-and-done type of deal. As much as I usually hate comments like that, but in this specific case, Switch might just end up holding GI back for real. Which mostly is caused by the kind of game it is.
 
This is definitely the most convincing argument so far against still going for OG Switch. It basically has no longterm future/outlook on that system, but would still hold back concerted and more streamlined development operations for GI overall if they tried to still support the platform anyways. Going for a more comparable processing power target in form of the new Switch seems like a much smarter choice.
GI is a GAAS after all, so it's not like porting it to OG Switch hardware would be an one-and-done type of deal. As much as I usually hate comments like that, but in this specific case, Switch might just end up holding GI back for real. Which mostly is caused by the kind of game it is.
Yeah I feel you on hating comments that use the Switch hardware as a scapegoat, and I am not one who would use that normally myself. But as you said, it has less to do about that alone and everything to do with it being a GAAS game that makes it actually relevant to look at in this case. Especially since we are coming up toward the end of the OG Switch lifecycle, it just doesn't make sense to bottleneck future development at this point.
 
they gonna release on switch 2 and its initial measly userbase and miss out on the massive 120+ million userbase thats still buying games, even relatively compromised ports?
 
they gonna release on switch 2 and its initial measly userbase and miss out on the massive 120+ million userbase thats still buying games, even relatively compromised ports?
Correct, so that they will not have to drop support for a bottle neck and piss off those 120+ million userbase. Just looking at Mondstadt and Lyuie (the two launch regions) compared to Inazuma and now Sumeru shows that the game gets MORE demanding as it expands, and an OG Switch version would hold that back.

Also you are making a bold assumption suggesting that even half of the Switch users would be interested in Genshin, and even half of that lot is not already playing the game on a PS console, PC, or mobile already. That 120+ million you bring up isn't as black and white as you are making it out to be.

Putting it on Switch 2 would be the way to go for the long term. Putting it on OG Switch is only looking at the shoet term and games as a service do not work like that.
 
Some of you are a lot more optimistic than I am. I think Mihoyo had intentions of putting the game on Switch but once they had instant success with the Playstation, PC, and Mobile releases, they went full steam ahead on supporting those versions like the Switch port got less priority. I'm sure the Switch port is still technically being worked on but how much effort is actually going in the port is questionable given the lack of any news about it for over 2 years. I think we are in a situation where is Mihoyo will disingenuously say that it's still being worked on but ultimately will never release it.
 
0
Correct, so that they will not have to drop support for a bottle neck and piss off those 120+ million userbase. Just looking at Mondstadt and Lyuie (the two launch regions) compared to Inazuma and now Sumeru shows that the game gets MORE demanding as it expands, and an OG Switch version would hold that back.

Also you are making a bold assumption suggesting that even half of the Switch users would be interested in Genshin, and even half of that lot is not already playing the game on a PS console, PC, or mobile already. That 120+ million you bring up isn't as black and white as you are making it out to be.

Putting it on Switch 2 would be the way to go for the long term. Putting it on OG Switch is only looking at the shoet term and games as a service do not work like that.
i dont know about you but 1/4 of the switch base is still a lot of fucking people lol. even 10 percent of the switch base being interested in it is a lot. as for putting it on switch 2 and cancelling the switch port it makes perfect sense for the nerds that will camp out on retailer sites and pay premium for the switch 2 on launch. doesnt make sense to the rest of us, particularly when its on even older hardware thats more powerful yes but its very old and getting older.
 
As @Twilight Sword said, the game struggles on PS4 in terms of framerate. Even on PS4 Pro, you now have framerate issues. And frame pacing issues on both consoles.

That's a game that should pretty easily run on PS4, so the fact that it doesn't makes me think that either miHoYo is not good at making console ports or doesn't really care about them because that's not where they make the most of their money. That's why I think it won't release on Switch and it'll probably release on the Drake, but even there it'll probably won't run as good as it should.
 
i dont know about you but 1/4 of the switch base is still a lot of fucking people lol. even 10 percent of the switch base being interested in it is a lot. as for putting it on switch 2 and cancelling the switch port it makes perfect sense for the nerds that will camp out on retailer sites and pay premium for the switch 2 on launch. doesnt make sense to the rest of us, particularly when its on even older hardware thats more powerful yes but its very old and getting older.
It doesn't have to make sense for the people not jumping straight to Switch 2. Publishers do not care about that, they only care about what makes the most business sense. And for a GAAS game, putting it on hardware that will bottleneck future development would hurt the game long term, because it is easier to drop support for older phone or PC models as the game becomes more demanding than it is to drop it on a console.

Imagine a Switch port gets announced, and the next region cannot run on Switch or older phone models. Phone models are easy to phase out, it happens all the time as new hardware is released and it isn't limited to games. Console players are different however, if the game was released on Switch there would be outrage over them dropping support for the console so soon.

Now lets say they take this new bottom line into consideration, and make sure they don't do anything too wild that Switch cannot handle. Now you anger the FAR BIGGER established install based for not innovating and pushing the game forward or time between expansions gets longer, resulting that some would even quit if they felt the game got too stale or couldn't release content fast enough. This goes against the priority of longevity that GAAS need to thrive.

So no, it makes zero business sense for a GAAS game to be put on hardware that is already in the later years of its life if it will further bottleneck future development of the game.
 
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The Android version is already running on Switch via dodgy homebrew. CPU/GPU power has nothing to do with its absence on Switch proper.

Sony have already publicly paid for console exclusivity and have probably paid again for indefinite exclusivity behind the scenes in order to block its release on Nintendo platforms. So you won’t be seeing it on Switch 1 or 2.
 
The Android version is already running on Switch via dodgy homebrew. CPU/GPU power has nothing to do with its absence on Switch proper.

Sony have already publicly paid for console exclusivity and have probably paid again for indefinite exclusivity behind the scenes in order to block its release on Nintendo platforms. So you won’t be seeing it on Switch 1 or 2.

Than the question would be: Why did they allways reconfirm that the Switch version is still in development?
 


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