Palworld Eyes Expansion to Nintendo's Ecosystem

Unfortunately for Switch gamers interested in checking out Palworld, it seems a Switch version of the game isn't in the cards. Palworld is an early access survival game that features a roster of Pokemon-like creatures for players to collect. Palworld exploded in popularity upon its early access debut in early 2024, but interest has waned in the months since then. Luckily, new Palworld updates are on the way that could very well prove to be a major shot in the arm for the open world survival game.

On June 27, Palworld is releasing the Sakurajima Update, which is set to be the game's most significant update since its early access launch. The new Palworld update is adding a fresh island to explore, new Pals to catch, new bosses, a new level cap, and dedicated servers for those playing on Xbox. It's likely that the sizable new Palworld update will draw many lapsed players back to the game, but for now, only those on PC and Xbox will get to join in on the fun.

Palworld remains an Xbox console exclusive at the time of this writing, though there are plans for a PlayStation port. With Palworld seemingly coming to PlayStation consoles at some point down the line, fans may be wondering if a Switch port is a possibility as well. Unfortunately, in an interview with Game File (via VGC), Pocketpair's Takuro Mizobe said that it would be hard to port Palworld to the Switch due to "technical reasons." Basically, the Nintendo Switch may simply not be powerful enough to run Palworld efficiently. That doesn't mean Palworld couldn't come to a future Nintendo console, however.

Palworld Unlikely to Come to the Nintendo Switch

While it wasn't mentioned, Nintendo is preparing its Switch 2 console, which should provide a significant power upgrade when compared to the existing Switch. Presumably, the Switch 2 would be powerful enough to run Palworld, especially when one considers that the game is readily available on Xbox One, a console that's nearly 11 years old at this point. However, Palworld's subject matter, which basically offers a twisted version of Nintendo's own Pokemon, may very well keep it from ever releasing on a Nintendo console.

It remains to be seen if Palworld will ever come to a Nintendo console, but the game can still be played on the go. Palworld reportedly runs great on Steam Deck, so PC gamers with one of Valve's handhelds can play the game while away from their desktops. There are also rumors that Xbox is making a handheld, and if those rumors turn out to be true, one has to imagine that Palworld will be playable on it as well.