Overwatch on the Nintendo Switch is a possibility, says Blizzard’s senior producer Pete Stilwell after the announcement of Diablo 3: Eternal Collection.
Blizzard’s senior producer Pete Stilwell says that it is technologically possible for Overwatch to be ported over to the Nintendo Switch. This comes shortly after the official announcement that Diablo 3: Eternal Collection is also heading to Nintendo’s latest console.
The announcement of this Diablo 3 port gives consumers hope that other Blizzard titles could also head over to Nintendo’s system. Blizzard is a company that has been notably absent from Nintendo hardware, yet the release of Diablo 3 could bring the possibility of future games or ports coming to the Switch.
“Anything is within the realm of possibility,” says Stilwell. “Our team was given the task to work on this. If [Overwatch developer] Team 4 picks up that endeavor, that’s on them. As of right now Diablo is our only focus on Switch.”
When asked if Overwatch on the Switch is technologically possible, he said “it is feasible,” and Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan is no doubt a fan of the Switch. Fans hoping for other Blizzard properties such as Starcraft 2 to be ported to consoles might be more disappointed. Even though the Starcraft series made its way to the Nintendo 64 years ago, the experience was quite different compared to its PC counterpart. Porting Starcraft 2 over to current consoles would have to “change the core gameplay,” says Stilwell.
Nintendo Switch owners probably shouldn’t hold their breath too long for the chance of playing Overwatch on the go, however. Being feasible doesn’t necessarily mean that anything is in the works and Blizzard is currently focusing on bringing Diablo 3 to Nintendo’s portable-console hybrid at the moment. Still, the idea of Diablo 3 making its way over to the Switch will likely push the demand for more Blizzard properties to find a home on Nintendo hardware in the future.
We have seen major Triple-A titles ported over to the Switch before, most notably being Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus and Doom within the past year from Panic Button Games. These games had a few drawbacks in regards to their performance compared to their PlayStation 4 and Xbox One counterparts. Regardless, the fact that these games worked so well on a less powerful console, one that is portable nonetheless, is quite impressive. Even with a minor graphical and performance downgrade, the success of the Switch proves that there is definitely an appeal for consumers to take these games on the go.
Overwatch is currently available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
