2011’s seminal action-RPG Dark Souls was remastered last May for PS4 and Xbox One. However, the version for the Nintendo Switch had been delayed, with no word about when it would finally be released, until now. We now finally have a release date for Dark Souls Remastered on the Switch, and it’s coming this October.
Shortly before the release of Dark Souls Remastered for the other current-gen consoles, Bandai Namco announced that the Switch port (as well as the exclusive Solaire of Astora Amiibo) would be delayed. Little explanation was given for the pushback of the release date, and until now, no other release date was given. For the meantime, Switch-owning Dark Souls fans have had to subsist on well-designed indie games that have been inspired by it, like Salt and Sanctuary and Hollow Knight.
The quality of the remasters for the other consoles was very high. Thus, it makes sense that FromSoftware wants to ensure that the Switch port is as good as possible. Fitting such an intricate game onto such comparatively less powerful hardware would be quite an effort. It is good that the developers have ensured that it wasn’t rushed out the door before it was ready.
Dark Souls relies heavily on reaction timing and skill. As such, releasing the game with a sub-par frame rate or murky graphics would not be giving the game the attention to detail it deserves. Hopefully, the Nintendo Switch port will be worth the wait, and deliver on that unique experience on a portable system.
Notably, Dark Souls Remastered will release on the Switch after the Nintendo Switch Online service rolls out this September. This means that anyone who wants to play Dark Souls Remastered’s online features will need to pay a subscription. However, the game will be playable offline, and can be played portably, unlike other ports of Dark Souls.
Dark Souls Remastered for the Nintendo Switch will release on the 19th October of this year.