Following word that a remastered version of Dark Souls is headed to Nintendo Switch, gamers around the globe can’t wait to play the game on-the-go. However, anyone hoping for some cross-platform combat, given the success of Rocket League and other titles with such support, will be disappointed to learn Dark Souls: Remastered won’t build any bridges between the major gaming platforms.
Cross-platform has become a popular addition to many multiplayer games, including first-party titles like Minecraft , but its not among the many improvements we’ll see when Dark Souls: Remastered hits stores in May. Bandai Namco broke the news to IGN on Wednesday morning, apparently in response to short-lived rumors to the contrary, though we’re not sure it will have much impact on the community’s excitement for DS:R. No official reason for the decision was provided, but it’s certainly not hard to think of a few:
Sony still doesn’t have any incentive to make the Switch or Xbox One more attractive to consumers. They’re destroying Microsoft in sales and wouldn’t be upset if Nintendo lost a bit of its record-breaking momentum.
FromSoftware doesn’t want experienced PC, PS4 and Xbox One owners, many of whom have enjoyed access to some/all of the Dark Souls catalog for several years, to ruin the experience for novice Switch owners.
Cross-platform support drastically increases the number of potential bugs FromSoftware could be forced to address on/after launch day. Theoretically, it would also increase dev time. The studio already promised a late May arrival, so it’s probably not keen on anything that might jeopardize its ability to deliver Dark Souls: Remastered on time.
And that’s just off the top of the head.
The studio is still doing plenty of other work to its iconic action-RPG to get it ready for the PS4 Pro, Switch and Xbox One X. Dark Souls: Remastered will include all the content from the Artorias of the Abyss DLC. Game performance will be more consistent on all platforms. By default, the game will run at 30fps in 1080p on Nintendo’s new portable console and 1080p/60fps on PS4 and Xbox One. Bandai Namco says the PS4 Pro and One X can even upscale Dark Souls: Remastered to 4K without sacrificing that 60fps frame rate.
For a sneak peek at Dark Souls: Remastered, check out the announcement trailer that debuted during Nintendo’s January Mini-Direct presentation. Then head down to the comments and let us know if you’re planning a return trip to Lordran when DS:R hits PC and consoles this spring.
Dark Souls: Remastered is in development for PS4, Xbox One, Switch and Steam. The remastered action-RPG arrives on May 25.
Be sure to check back with Player.One and follow Scott on Twitter for more Dark Souls: Remastered news in 2018 and however long FromSoftware supports Dark Souls: Remastered after launch.
