The Nintendo Switch was a groundbreaking platform when it first released in 2017. A handheld hybrid console, the Switch was a natural progression of Nintendo's core philosophies and design principles, and it was an instant hit when it launched. And while the Nintendo Switch has continued to be an incredibly successful console, public perception of the device has started to shift, and the recent announcement that Marvel's Midnight Suns won't be coming to the Nintendo Switch only continues to stoke those fires.
The Nintendo Switch's actual hardware, at least in the base model, isn't even as powerful as the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, meaning that in 2023, the Switch is vastly overshadowed by its current technical competition. For a while there, this hardware gap wasn't really an issue, as the vast majority of the Switch's library knew how to play to the console's strengths and deliver an impressive experience while keeping within the Switch's technical limitations. But with recent games like Pokemon Scarlet and Violet being technical disasters on launch, it seems as though the Nintendo Switch might finally be showing its age, and that's only further cemented with the cancelation of Midnight Suns' Switch port. However, Marvel's Midnight Suns wasn't the only high-profile port on the way, and its loss could be Hogwarts Legacy's gain.
Marvel's Midnight Suns' Canceled Nintendo Switch Port Leaves The Door Open for Hogwarts Legacy
In an official statement by Firaxis and 2K, it's been confirmed that Marvel's Midnight Suns is no longer coming to Nintendo Switch. No reason is given for the cancelation, but it seems fairly likely that it could be due to the Switch's hardware limitations. Regardless of the reason, losing Midnight Suns is quite the blow for Nintendo Switch players, with it being one of the higher-profile releases in the coming months and one that's already garnered a great critical reception from its release last year on PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X.
No longer selling Marvel's Midnight Suns on the Nintendo Switch might also end up being quite the blow for Firaxis and 2K as well. In a February interview with Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, Take-Two Interactive's CEO Strauss Zelnick commented that Midnight Suns was considered a "commercial flop" by the publisher, and that despite its high critical acclaim, the game just failed to sell enough copies to be considered a success. With that in mind, it would make sense that Firaxis and 2K would want to sell Midnight Suns on as many platforms as possible, and the Nintendo Switch could have been the perfect place for Midnight Suns' strategy gameplay.
That being said, Marvel's Midnight Suns might have faced some serious competition if it did launch on the Nintendo Switch anytime soon. Along with the cancelation confirmation, 2K also announced that Midnight Suns is still being ported to Xbox One and PS4, with a confirmed release date of May 11. If Midnight Suns' Switch port landed on the same day, then it would have been immediately overshadowed by The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which releases just one day later.
But Midnight Suns' Switch port cancelation isn't bad news for everyone. Hogwarts Legacy is still set to launch a Switch port in July 2023, and with Midnight Suns out of the way - and Tears of the Kingdom releasing a few months before it - this port has free rein over the Switch's market for a little while. Hogwarts Legacy has already sold incredibly well on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and it has the potential to tap into an entirely new market on the Nintendo Switch. That is, if it doesn't end up getting canceled as well, which is always possible given the sheer scope of the game and the increasingly obvious limitations of the Nintendo Switch.
Marvel's Midnight Suns is available now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, with PS4 and Xbox One versions releasing May 11.
