'Dragon Quest XI' News: Nintendo Switch Version Is Not Expected to Be Released Anytime Soon
RPG will be made available to PC and PS4 players in the west starting Sept. 4
"Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age" is going to make its way to stores in the west later this year, and when it does, PC and PS4 players will be able to get it for their preferred platforms.
Those are not the only platforms that will be able to support the RPG in the west, however, as the game is also currently in development for the Nintendo Switch.
Unfortunately for Switch owners, it remains unclear exactly when the title will be released for their console of choice.
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While the RPG is already set to be released for the PC and PS4 in the west on Sept. 4, a release date for the Switch edition remains unavailable at this point in time.
It's not just fans in the west, too, as the game also remains absent on the Switch even inside Japan.
A statement given to IGN by Square Enix sheds a little more light on what's going on with the Switch version of "Dragon Quest XI."
Square Enix confirmed via the statement that they are indeed developing a Switch version that will be released in Europe and North America, but the process of doing so is going to be a long one from a "technical standpoint."
The developers did not reveal exactly why the process will be an extended one, though there's a chance that the reason they need more time is that they still need to get to know the game engine the Switch version uses even better.
During Epic Games Japan's "Unreal Fest East 2017" event, series creator Yuji Horii revealed that the Switch version is being developed using Unreal Engine 4, Gematsu reported. It's unclear if Horii was really planning to name the engine being used to develop the Switch version of "Dragon Quest XI" during that event, but whether he did or didn't, that revelation is a big one.
Since the Switch variant is going to make use of Unreal Engine 4, then it will likely look similar to the version of the game that will be released on the PS4.
Many Switch owners would probably welcome the opportunity to play such a gorgeous game, but again, it's going to be a while before they get that chance.
A representative for Square Enix spoken to by IGN provided a better indicator of just how far from being ready the Switch version is. According to the representative, the Switch edition is not going to come out this year.
As of now, the representative could only say that the Switch version will arrive "much later."
For the fans who want to see more of this RPG, they can check out a gameplay video released just recently by the developers.