The Outer Worlds was one of 2019’s most acclaimed role-playing games, but it initially only launched on Xbox One, PS4, and PC. The promised Switch version will finally arrive this March, however, and it could very well be the only game in the new franchise on Nintendo’s console.
Releasing for $60 on March 6, The Outer Worlds will be available at retail and on Nintendo’s eShop. The retail version will not contain a game cartridge, and will instead carry only a download code. Considering the size of the game, players will need to make sure they have a MicroSD card to install the game unless they have next to nothing on the system already.
Though created on a smaller scale than the Fallout series — developer Obsidian Entertainment created Fallout: New Vegas — The Outer Worlds draws clear inspiration from it in terms of its storytelling and world-building. Set in a remote area far from Earth that is under the direct control of a corporation, the game offers unique twists on the first-person role-playing formula. There is a system in place that cuts players’ stats based on mistakes they’ve made, for instance, while allowing for ability point gains to offset the reductions. Story-based DLC is coming this year.
Obsidian Entertainment and publisher Private Division announced the Nintendo Switch version in 2019. This was after Microsoft acquired Obsidian, making it a first-party studio developing games alongside the rest of its internal teams. One of its upcoming projects is Grounded, a survival game planned for launch on Xbox One and PC this spring through the preview program, Microsoft’s “early access” system that allows players to purchase a game ahead of release.
Despite being a subsidiary, Obsidian Games could potentially still release games on competing platforms. Speaking to Game Informer in 2019, head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty said it hadn’t ruled out still offering first-party games on other platforms. This could include a sequel to The Outer Worlds if Microsoft determines that the game would benefit from the added platforms. Ori and the Blind Forest and Cuphead both eventually made their way to Nintendo Switch after launching as Microsoft exclusives, and the latter even received a special costume in Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
