Using Switch 2’s widely-disliked Game-Key Playing cards was defended by a Ubisoft developer who labored on the Nintendo port of Star Wars Outlaws.
Writing on social media, Ubisoft audio architect Rob Bantin shared the actual cause why the Nintendo Switch 2 model of Star Wars Outlaws makes use of a Game-Key Card — a bodily cartridge that requires homeowners nonetheless obtain the recreation, slightly than together with the full factor on the cart.
The reply? It is all due to the Switch 2’s information speeds, and the way rapidly the {hardware} can learn data from its bespoke cartridges, versus video games downloaded to the console’s inner reminiscence.
“[Star Wars Outlaws game engine] Snowdrop depends closely on disk streaming for its open world environments, and we discovered the Switch 2 playing cards merely did not give the efficiency we would have liked at the high quality goal we have been going for,” Bantin wrote.
The knowledge has come as a shock to some Nintendo followers who’ve beforehand grumbled over the use of Game-Key Playing cards, that are cheaper and due to this fact more and more widespread amongst builders of bigger video games which might in any other case require extra expensive cartridges with elevated reminiscence capability.
“I do not recall the price of the playing cards ever getting into the dialogue – in all probability as a result of it was moot,” Bantin continued.
Whereas not a complete cause for all builders to use Game-Key Playing cards, Bantin went on to clarify that it was necessary for Ubisoft and its Snowdrop growth group, particularly as Outlaws was initially developed for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Sequence X/S — console platforms that had quicker SSD reminiscence on board.
“I feel if we might designed a recreation for Switch 2 from the floor up it might need been totally different,” Bantin stated. “Because it was, we might construct a recreation round the SSDs of the preliminary goal platforms, after which the Switch 2 got here alongside some time later. On this case I feel our management made the proper name.”
Final month, Nintendo launched a contemporary fan survey that quizzed Switch 2 homeowners for his or her opinions on shopping for digital video games as an alternative of boxed copies, and particularly requested for suggestions on Game-Key Playing cards, following their less-than-stellar preliminary reception amongst followers preferring their bodily video games to embrace… properly, the full recreation.
First launched final yr to a blended response and lackluster gross sales, Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot lately blamed Star Wars Outlaws disappointing gross sales efficiency on the “uneven waters” of the sci-fi saga’s personal fandom.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s Information Editor. You can attain Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or discover him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social