Monolith Productions is about to launch “Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor” for the PlayStation 4, Microsoft Xbox One, and the PC. The game is their follow-up to the successful “Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor.” The next installment has been developed for the current-gen consoles from Sony and Microsoft, but Nintendo misses out again this time around. The studio recently held a press event in Toronto, Canada to showcase the sequel one more time before its October 10, 2017, release. One of the most interesting questions asked during the gathering was a possible Nintendo Switch port of the action-adventure title.
Nintendo Switch port for ‘Middle Earth: Shadow of War’
While most gamers would assume that AAA titles will have a hard time being ported to Nintendo Switch, Monolith Production’s community manager, Andy Salisbury prefers to keep their options open. After all, some big-name games like “FIFA 18” were ported over with some missing features. This is probably due to the hardware limitations imposed by the system’s small storage size and short battery life. Game Rant reportedly asked Salisbury if their team has plans to port the “Middle-earth: Shadow of War” for the hybrid game system. It seems that the developers are interested in the idea.
We expected the game studio to immediately confirm that it is not possible given the size and scale of the title.
Instead, the community manager reportedly gave fans hope when he said, “never say never.” They also explained that their team is “just so laser-focused on getting it out on platforms we’re out on.” It was noted that the latest installment is “so much bigger and so much more complicated than anything we’ve made in the past,” according to the game studio.
Moreover, the developer wants to “get the best experience on every single platform so far.”
Hardware limitations
Based on the comments made by the development team, fans will not likely see a portable version of the game until further notice. Warner Bros. Interactive has not expressed any plans to include the Switch along with other platforms.
Furthermore, the title’s resource requirements to output its graphics and game data are only available on the announced platforms. Prior to its launch, Industry analysts have previously remarked about the hardware limitations of the hybrid console. It was foreseen that some developers will struggle with the capabilities of the device.
Too soon to lose hope
Despite not being confirmed for the Nintendo Switch anytime soon, “Middle-Earth: Shadow of War” could arrive a little bit later. Games like “Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus” and “DOOM” are examples of technically-demanding software that are also headed to the portable game system. Fans can hope that Monolith Productions will do the same in the future.
