It’s one of the most popular open-world, post-apocalyptic franchises of all time, but none of the major Fallout releases have ever graced a Nintendo platform. Will Fallout ever come to Switch, or is it doomed to never make an appearance on Nintendo’s flagship console?
Is Fallout Coming to Switch?
In a way, the Fallout franchise has already landed on Nintendo Switch, but it’s not in the form that most of the franchise’s fans would have liked. In 2018, Bethesda Game Studios introduced Fallout Shelter to Nintendo’s dramatically popular platform, and as a free-to-play game, it did quite well.
However, to this day, no more Fallout games have graced the Nintendo Switch ecosystem, despite many fans calling for a release to take place. There’s widespread confusion as to why an older Fallout title couldn’t be ported to Nintendo Switch, given that other Bethesda Game Studios titles have been carried across with relative success.
For instance, 2011’s Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has been available on Nintendo Switch for quite some time, and it’s one of the console’s better-performing ports. While there may be some limitations in carrying across 2015’s Fallout 4, which is the best-selling game in the franchise, there seems to be no real reason why Fallout 3 or Fallout: New Vegas couldn’t be ported over.
Since Skyrim was introduced to the Nintendo Switch, Bethesda has followed up with the likes of DOOM and Wolfenstein, so the technical capabilities of the platform are certainly there.
Will Fallout Ever Come to Switch, or Not?
Is Fallout 76 too big for the Switch to handle?
It has been suggested that Fallout 4 or Fallout 76 couldn’t be ported to the Nintendo Switch because of their file size or because of the limitations of the hardware, but that doesn’t mean that older titles couldn’t be successfully carried over.
In an article posted in 2018, it was suggested that Bethesda Game Studios had considered bringing Fallout 76 – its beleaguered MMORPG title – to Nintendo Switch, but reportedly, it ‘just wasn’t doable.’
It seems unlikely that Fallout will ever come to Nintendo Switch. There’s an unwillingness to create some kind of port or a remaster for older titles on the platform, and there are expectations that Fallout 5 won’t launch for several more years. By that point, if the Nintendo Switch (or its successor) exists, it probably still won’t be able to run the game.
Sorry, Fallout fans – you’ll need to make do with Fallout Shelter.
