Rumor: Nintendo Switch FIFA is a PS3/Xbox 360 Port
By AJ Caulfield 16 January 2017
Following the Nintendo Switch Presentation on January 12, rumors are circulating that FIFA for the Nintendo Switch will be a port of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
Last night, the Japanese-based software and technology company Nintendo held the official reveal event for its upcoming console, the Nintendo Switch. Amongst the announcements at the Nintendo Switch presentation were the five launch titles, including Splatoon 2 and Super Mario Odyssey, a March 3 release date, and a price point set at $299 USD. While tons of gamers and Nintendo fans alike buzzed about the event’s details, the excitement faded a bit as rumors regarding the Switch began to roll out.
Many who attended the Nintendo Switch presentation on January 12 have reported that one of the console’s launch titles, FIFA, will not be playable in its PlayStation 4 and Xbox One formats on the Nintendo Switch. Rather, the popular Electronic Arts-published sports title beloved by countless players will allegedly be a port of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
One attendee in particular, journalist and deputy news editor at Eurogamer Tom Phillips, reported on his Twitter account shortly after the Nintendo Switch event that Electronic Arts is “testing the Switch waters with FIFA.” Phillips elaborated a few minutes later, tweeting, “I’ve heard FIFA Switch is based off of the 360/PS3 versions which still get made.”
So what does this mean for the Nintendo Switch and its players? If the rumor is confirmed, it means that Switch players will be playing a version of FIFA whose gameplay has not been greatly updated in nearly four years. Additionally, if proven true, this also indicates that FIFA on the Nintendo Switch will operate on EA’s Ignite engine as opposed to the slightly more up-to-date Frostbite engine seen on PS4 and Xbox One. An older generation console port could also mean lower resolution graphics and less modern gameplay in FIFA.
With only five Nintendo Switch games announced at launch, and with the news that the console will not come bundled with a pack-in game, some have argued that Nintendo is taking a few too many missteps in the decision-making process. Players are already feeling limited in terms of game options for the Switch, and combining it with news that FIFA may simply be a PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 port is turning many people away from pre-ordering the Switch — and possibly from ever ordering it in the future. Even more fans are becoming Switch wary, as there have been reports that Skyrim for Switch will also be an Xbox 360/PS3 port.
Despite the concern some fans have expressed regarding the Nintendo Switch, particularly the range and modernity of some of its games, the upcoming console does, however, seem to promise an immersive and unique gaming experience. Pairing traditional console play with the flexibility of on-the-go gaming — and offering one of the year’s most anticipated games, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, alongside the console’s release — the Nintendo Switch seems to have something every gamer can enjoy.
The Nintendo Switch releases on March 3, 2017 for $299 USD.
