Horizons Nintendo Switch version of the game?

[jfunkey]

I've been wondering if Frontier had any plans for a Nintendo Switch version of Elite? It is pretty a pretty powerful console. Even if it was only online I would still buy it and I think others would as well. I would really love to hear from F-Dev on this as it has been rattling around in my head for some time.

 

[DNYI]

Surely you jest.

All of the current supported platforms for Elite: Dangerous and the upcoming PS4 release are all designed to run on the x86/x64 architecture instruction set. The Nintendo Switch uses a processor based on the ARM 64 bit architecture instruction set. This would require the game code to be rewritten to make it compatible with the ARM instruction set, a major undertaking. Seeing as Frontier have repeatedly stated that they are not going to rewrite the entire game code so that it will run without certain game critical graphic API's (the reason Elite will run on the unix based Linux OS but not the unix based Mac OS is that Apple will not let several game critical graphic API's run on their OS), expecting them to rewrite the entire game code to run on a instruction set that is mainly being used by smartphones and tablets is probably an exercise in disappointment.

 

[Tryst]

So.... You mean it will never get released for my Gameboy?

 

[DNYI]

So.... You mean it will never get released for my Gameboy?

Not until the Gameboy Ultra edition is released in 2087.

 

[Shadowdancer]

I'm not sure if Nintendo would be very forthcoming about a game that interacts with "outside" services like the live galaxy they don't get to police. They've always had even higher walls around their garden than the other console manufacturers.

That, and I don't think having your Mii as the pilot would be a very nice sight, it'd be like having the bobblehead fly the ship

 

[Dirk D]

Surely you jest.

All of the current supported platforms for Elite: Dangerous and the upcoming PS4 release are all designed to run on the x86/x64 architecture instruction set. The Nintendo Switch uses a processor based on the ARM 64 bit architecture instruction set. This would require the game code to be rewritten to make it compatible with the ARM instruction set, a major undertaking. Seeing as Frontier have repeatedly stated that they are not going to rewrite the entire game code so that it will run without certain game critical graphic API's (the reason Elite will run on the unix based Linux OS but not the unix based Mac OS is that Apple will not let several game critical graphic API's run on their OS), expecting them to rewrite the entire game code to run on a instruction set that is mainly being used by smartphones and tablets is probably an exercise in disappointment.

I don't think so. Switching to ARM 64 should not be a big issue. Most of the code will most likely be C++ anyway. Porting the part that is really depending on the instruction set (like atomic operations, SIMD operations etc.) will need some work but nothing too heavy. Then you have the OS differences but I expect them to have an abstraction layer for that and they would "only" need to port this layer. Most of the game code will be untouched.

The main reason why Horizons is not available on Mac is the lack of a recent graphics API that supports stuff like geometry shader.

The hard part of a Switch port would be that the hardware seems less powerfull than XBox / PS4. I doubt that the Switch could do the planetary stuff.

Edit: Of course the most work would be required to port the rendering pipeline. But this is something they have to do anyway.

 

[amigacooke]

If the Switch is run away successful in terms of units bought, the thought might cross FD's mind.

 

[neonox]

If the Switch is run away successful in terms of units bought, the thought might cross FD's mind.

No, it wouldn't, because the Switch has a different audience. Just think about all the sold Wii Consoles, many of them weren't sold to CMDRs like you and me, they were sold to childrens and "old" people, like my parents ^^

 

[Cmdr RJW]

I've been wondering if Frontier had any plans for a Nintendo Switch version of Elite? It is pretty a pretty powerful console. Even if it was only online I would still buy it and I think others would as well. I would really love to hear from F-Dev on this as it has been rattling around in my head for some time.

Can't see it. The entire conceit of Switch is to be portable, thereby negating the ability to play Elite a large proportion of the time. Can't see a developer/publisher putting the time into porting an online only title to a hybrid platform. Imagine the refund scenario. Also doubledippers wouldn't be tempted - I couldn't play it away from home and I'd play it on my PC in the house.

 

[amigacooke]

No, it wouldn't, because the Switch has a different audience. Just think about all the sold Wii Consoles, many of them weren't sold to CMDRs like you and me, they were sold to childrens and "old" people, like my parents ^^

I am looking at the Wii I bought as I type, and children are the consumers of the future (and the present if they can swing it with their significant adult (or parents as they were formerly known)).

 

[jfunkey]

Can't see it. The entire conceit of Switch is to be portable, thereby negating the ability to play Elite a large proportion of the time. Can't see a developer/publisher putting the time into porting an online only title to a hybrid platform. Imagine the refund scenario. Also doubledippers wouldn't be tempted - I couldn't play it away from home and I'd play it on my PC in the house.

Actually Steep is coming to Switch and it's online only. So I don't see why not.

 

[Eleuth]

It make sense, the comming year working on the switch version. The pc players wait for another two years for walking in ships, landing on planets with an atmosphere, etc[ugh]

 

[Windscreen Smudge]

Look at all of the clueless people citing programming/game design issues as major roadblocks when they aren't... Yay for the internet!

Seriously though there is only one reason that putting ED on the switch would be a crime against humanity and that is the atrocity that is the switch gamepad. You're talking about crippling tens of thousands of people for life at a stroke with acute carpel tunnel syndrome after a few hundred hours of repetitive motion.