Last year, Capcom dashed any hope for a Nintendo Switch port of Resident Evil 7 when producer Masachika Kawata denied that the game was in development for the console. However, it looks like Capcom changed its mind, as Resident Evil 7 has officially been announced for the Nintendo Switch - in Japan, at least.

Launching exclusively on the Switch eShop in Japan on May 24, Resident Evil 7: Cloud Version will only be playable through the cloud. This means that playing the game on the go may be trickier than with other Nintendo Switch titles, but it's still technically possible, as long as players manage to find a stable Internet connection on their travels.

Resident Evil 7: Cloud Edition will let players experience the first 15 minutes of the game for free, but those who want to keep playing will be required to purchase a 180-day pass for 2,000 yen (about $18). By purchasing the 180-day pass, Nintendo Switch owners will have unlimited access to everything that Resident Evil 7 has to offer, and will also be able to enjoy the benefit of cloud saves.

Unfortunately, it seems as though players will lose access to Resident Evil 7 once their pass runs out, and their saves may end up deleted as well. Apparently Capcom is reserving the right to delete saves tied to inactive accounts, and it won't be possible to save any data to the console itself like with other Nintendo Switch games.

On the bright side, Resident Evil 7: Cloud Version will come with all the post-launch DLC that released throughout 2017 for the other versions of the game. This means Nintendo Switch owners will be able to check out the End of Zoe expansion, the Chris Redfield DLC, and the other content that served to further flesh out the game's story at no additional charge.

In the meantime, it will be interesting to see if Capcom has any plans to release Resident Evil 7: Cloud Version outside of Japan, or if it will release a physical copy of the game at some point down the road as well. The cloud-only model may not be for everyone, but if it proves popular, we may see other Nintendo Switch games follow in Resident Evil 7's footsteps.

Resident Evil 7: Cloud Version will launch on May 24, exclusively for the Switch in Japan. The game is also available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Source: IGN