The popular cat-led adventure game Stray is coming to Nintendo Switch, but it doesn't look nearly as good as its Xbox, PlayStation, or PC counterparts. Stray's Switch announcement came as part of June 18's Nintendo Direct, which pleased fans with exciting new game reveals for The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Mario and Luigi: Brothership, and a long-awaited look at Metroid Prime 4: Beyond after years of silence.

Stray lets gamers play as a lonesome cat wandering through a dystopian, cyberpunk city home to a population of human-like robots. The title made a huge splash when it was initially released as a timed PlayStation exclusive in 2022, going on to be nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards next to the likes of Elden Ring, God of War: Ragnarok, A Plague Tale: Requiem, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and Horizon Forbidden West. Stray made its way to Xbox consoles in August 2023.

Related

Stray 2 Needs to Strike While the Iron is Still Hot

There's no word on whether a Stray sequel is in the works, but time is of the essence if hype from the adorable original is to be capitalized on.

During the June 18 Nintendo Direct, Stray received a 30-second trailer announcing its upcoming arrival on the Nintendo Switch during the 2024 holiday season. While the title is a visual stunner on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, Stray's Switch port seems to have been hit with heavy graphical downgrades. Although Stray's atmospheric lighting still looks excellent on Switch, the environmental textures shown in the trailer look flat and muddy, as does the main character's fur. One shot in particular of the cat walking down one of the game's main streets covered with bright lights and neon signs looks especially jarring.

Stray Looks Subpar on Nintendo Switch

It's possible that, with the game aiming for a holiday release, developer BlueTwelve still has time to improve the Switch version's graphics ahead of launch. However, expecting Stray's Switch port to look as good as other console versions isn't realistic. The Nintendo Switch is seven years old and regularly struggles to keep pace graphically with PS5 and Xbox Series X and S. It's for this reason that Nintendo fans have been speculating about the next generation of Nintendo consoles, and whether Switch's successor, Switch 2 or otherwise, is going to be announced in the very near future. Thankfully, Nintendo has recently told fans to expect official information about its next console at some point this fiscal year.

Despite its graphical woes, it's nice that cat lovers on Nintendo Switch will finally get to play one of the best feline-centric games ever made. With Stray's Switch release targeting this holiday season, fans can expect a concrete release date at some point during the Fall. Switch gamers have tons more to look forward to for the rest of 2024, with a new Zelda game in September and a Mario and Luigi team-up in November.

Stray

Stray is a beautiful 2022 Indie release from BlueTwelve Studio that follows the life of a stray cat lost in a dystopian cyberpunk world. Players hop into the paws of the feline itself, using their wits and some platforming to progress through an intense and engaging story.

In Stray, a wandering cat finds itself in a secluded city filled with robots, machinery, and mutated bacteria. Aided by a drone friend, B-12, the cat seeks a way back to the surface. The game features a third-person perspective, and players overcome obstacles by jumping and climbing while manipulating the surroundings to progress.

Platform(s)

PS4 , PS5 , PC , Xbox One , Xbox Series X|S

Released

July 19, 2022

Developer(s)

BlueTwelve Studio

Publisher(s)

Annapurna Interactive

Genre(s)

Adventure

See at Amazon