Port for Nintendo switch

[kwtwo]

I know this is impossible. But an (even boiled down) switch version of this would be pretty much the best thing ever.

Please tell me that I am right?!?

[schnappkatze]

I was more thinking about the Switch. I always forget that it has a touchpad, I use it 99% of the time as a home console with a normal controller.

[DaBa]

With the current hardware configuration of the Switch? Not a chance. I'm honestly don't think the console would even be able to handle the most basic run up to the rocket launch without slowdowns.

Besides, people tend to forget a very important thing. Factorio, despite being a beloved and popular indie game on PC, is still a niche game from a niche genre as far as the whole gaming audience is concerned. Combine that with the fact that console gamers are a way more mainstream and casual audience than PC gamers, and you can be almost certain Factorio for Switch (or other consoles) would almost entirely be bought only by people who already own it on PC and like playing it there. I really can't imagine your average COD or FIFA player showing any interest in it. Honestly, I doubt they are even capable of actually playing it...

So no, a port won't happen because of hardware limitations and the fact that it's a waste of time from the business perspective. Unless they just want to flex their dev muscles and do it because "eff it why not?", money be damned.

[THE kilroy]

Who has a switch, but not a pc, and knows about factorio, and also wants to play factorio? I think this is a small userbase to ask wube to spend thier hardworking 5years on perfecting.

[Bijou]

lo and behold, today, Factorio was announced as being ported to the Switch

[schnappkatze]

I imagine that another factor is that the devs wouldn't want to compromise and have half-baked version of factorio on the switch that either runs crappy, misses features or has a pretty small maximum size for bases.

But mostly, the missing mouse and keyboard input. As much as I love my switch, I wouldn't want to play factorio on it, even if it ran smoothly.

[Edit]
My comment might have had an unfortunate timing...

[TheDiaz]

Escrito originalmente por schnappkatze:

I imagine that another factor is that the devs wouldn't want to compromise and have half-baked version of factorio on the switch that either runs crappy, misses features or has a pretty small maximum size for bases.

But mostly, the missing mouse and keyboard input. As much as I love my switch, I wouldn't want to play factorio on it, even if it ran smoothly.

[Edit]
My comment might have had an unfortunate timing...

It did. I am quite curious how it will play.

[Pizzahunter]

Escrito originalmente por PunCrathod:

Escrito originalmente por Styles:

this game is less resource-intensive than Rocket League

Ummm. No. The amount of ram and cpu power needed for factorio is leagues above what rocketleague needs.

I'm running a heavy modded game on 15 year old rig, and it runs beautifully. Windows XP to be exact. And it was announced today, it will be coming to Switch.

[PunCrathod]

Escrito originalmente por Pizzahunter:

Escrito originalmente por PunCrathod:

Ummm. No. The amount of ram and cpu power needed for factorio is leagues above what rocketleague needs.

I'm running a heavy modded game on 15 year old rig, and it runs beautifully. Windows XP to be exact. And it was announced today, it will be coming to Switch.

The switch has a low power 10 year old mobile arm cpu. The fact that the devs have managed to optimize factorio enough that you can launch a rocket is impressive. Does not change the fact that simulating thousands of items on hundreds of belts and hundreds of biters running around takes more cpu than tracking 6 cars and a ball.

And your 15 year old desktop cpu is still probably many times faster than the cpu in the switch.

[Lelouch Lamperouge]

I tried the game on Deck, and I wasn't able to get used to the controls. And I Deck has more control options then Deck.

Also............. I don't see a snowflake's chance in hell, that Switch could handle Space exploration :D

[Galileus]

Escrito originalmente por Lelouch Lamperouge:

Also............. I don't see a snowflake's chance in hell, that Switch could handle Space exploration :D

It can't, there is no mod support for switch ;)

[Lelouch Lamperouge]

Escrito originalmente por Full Frontal Alchemist:

Escrito originalmente por Lelouch Lamperouge:

Also............. I don't see a snowflake's chance in hell, that Switch could handle Space exploration :D

It can't, there is no mod support for switch ;)

On switch, you have to pay to play Multiplayer...
Yeah, no thanks. I did the mistake of buying Switch, and the only thing it's good for are fitness games.

[Nico]

Escrito originalmente por Lelouch Lamperouge:

Escrito originalmente por Full Frontal Alchemist:

It can't, there is no mod support for switch ;)

On switch, you have to pay to play Multiplayer...
Yeah, no thanks. I did the mistake of buying Switch, and the only thing it's good for are fitness games.

I personally like the Switch for while I'm in trains or a bus, and Nintendo has quite many great Switch exclusive games. But I wouldn't want to try out fitness games ...

The Switch might have quite mediocre hardware, but for Factorio is is more than enough. Though it obviously will still have quite some issues with huge megabases, but except for that it should run pretty fine. Graphics wise it never had much issues, it was just the cpu for too many things happening in your factory.

Though the missing mod support is actually quite huge, considering that it's a pretty big part of the game.

[PunCrathod]

Escrito originalmente por Lelouch Lamperouge:

Escrito originalmente por Full Frontal Alchemist:

It can't, there is no mod support for switch ;)

On switch, you have to pay to play Multiplayer...
Yeah, no thanks. I did the mistake of buying Switch, and the only thing it's good for are fitness games.

It's also fantastic if you have 4+ people in a room and need an easy party game that does not take long to set up. But yeah... nintendos pay to play online is stupid.

[Pizzahunter]

Escrito originalmente por PunCrathod:

Escrito originalmente por Pizzahunter:

I'm running a heavy modded game on 15 year old rig, and it runs beautifully. Windows XP to be exact. And it was announced today, it will be coming to Switch.

The switch has a low power 10 year old mobile arm cpu. The fact that the devs have managed to optimize factorio enough that you can launch a rocket is impressive. Does not change the fact that simulating thousands of items on hundreds of belts and hundreds of biters running around takes more cpu than tracking 6 cars and a ball.

And your 15 year old desktop cpu is still probably many times faster than the cpu in the switch.

My old rig is a home edition windows xp, 2 gb ram and it won't run Minecraft if that tells you anything, lol. Not trying to be an arse, just saying Factorio doesn't use that much power. It is a very well optimized game, many others can learn a thing or two from it :)

[schnappkatze]

Escrito originalmente por Nico:

The Switch might have quite mediocre hardware, but for Factorio is is more than enough. Though it obviously will still have quite some issues with huge megabases, but except for that it should run pretty fine. Graphics wise it never had much issues, it was just the cpu for too many things happening in your factory.

It would be an interesting statistic to see how big of a megabase the switch can support and on the other hand, how many players actually build that big. Going by steam achievements, only 18% of players have ever launched a rocket and only 10% have completed the achievement for producing 400k Iron plates / minute. Going from that, the proper "megabase" players could be a minority of only 5% or so.

It might as well be that for 95% of players the switch could handle their bases well enough, and since the switch is drawing in a much more casual audience, chances are that an even smaller percentage of buyers on the switch will reach the hardware limits. Especially since I cannot really imagine to build a giant base with a controller, but some people are incredibly patient.