Capcom confirms the obvious reason why Monster Hunter Wilds isn't coming to Nintendo Switch
In a stakeholders meeting, representatives state handheld platforms can't push "the technology to its limit".
It looks like Monster Hunter: Wilds is skipping portable gaming platforms - including the Nintendo Switch - due to the technical limitations of the hardware. This was stated in a stakeholders meeting in response to a question asking about the game's absence from consoles like the Nintendo Switch.
The response reads as follows, "One concept we’ve incorporated into this title is aiming to portray the maximum of the world of Monster Hunter by utilizing the latest technology to its limit. To that end, the platforms capable of realizing that concept are currently the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Going forward, we will provide more thorough details regarding these concepts and themes when we release information on the game. We hope you look forward to it."
It's sensible reasoning all-in-all, with various other companies attemtping to bring their franchises to the Switch in the past with little success. Just look at the Mortal Kombat 1 Switch port for one of the more hilarious examples of technical limitations getting in the way of a good time. The strength of that console has never been its power, or the graphical fidelity its been able to push out, but the core arsenal of killer games of high quality. If bringing Monster Hunter: Wilds to the Switch means a significantly worse game, then maybe we're better off.
Maybe with the Switch 2 things will change, but even then that console is unlikely to match the hardware push of other companies like Microsoft or Sony. Nintendo is playing a different ball game! So while you won't be able to play Wilds on your Switch, I'm sure plenty of other cool games will be present there instead. Also, with Nintendo hoarding all its exclusives, there's plenty you can play on the Switch that's just not available anywhere else.
Let us know how you feel about this! Do you think it's a good idea for publishers and developers to skip the Switch, or should lower-powered ports be a high priority?