Starfield is one of the most anticipated Bethesda games in years, but will it come to the Nintendo Switch?

Xbox gamers don’t have long to go before they get to dive into one of the most ambitious RPGs in recent memory.

Lots of Bethesda games have made their way onto the Nintendo Switch in the past. Many Switch owners are desperate to know if Starfield will ever release on the platform.

Starfield Walking on a Planet

Is Starfield Coming to Nintendo Switch?

No, Starfield will not release on the Nintendo Switch. It’s unlikely to come to Nintendo devices, due to Microsoft’s acquisition of the Bethesda in 2021.

This is the result of Microsoft’s previous acquisition of Zenimax Media for a staggeringly large $7.5 billion.

Despite Starfield’s exclusivity to Xbox consoles and PC, Microsoft has been strengthening their partnership with Nintendo in recent years. This suggests that a Starfield port may not be completely off the cards in the distant future.

Here’s Phil Spencer announcing Microsoft’s ’10-year commitment’ to bringing Call of Duty to Nintendo consoles:

Phil Spencer referenced Microsoft’s promise to ‘bring more games to more people’. There is a definite desire to get their games into the hands of those outside of their Xbox ecosystem.

However, it doesn’t seem as though Starfield would be able to run on the Nintendo Switch’s outdated hardware.

Despite Starfield on the Nintendo Switch seeming like a ridiculous prospect, stranger things have happened. Several highly successful beloved Bethesda published ports have already appeared on the platform including the likes of Doom Eternal, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, and of course, Skyrim.

Player walking on a moon's surface overlooking a planet in the background in Starfield

The Nintendo Switch has also seen several ‘miracle ports’ make their way on the platform during its lifespan. They include The Witcher 3 and No Man’s Sky, a space sim of similar scope to Starfield.

Granted, No Man’s Sky is an impressive feat for sure, but seems less technicially ambitious when compared with Starfield.

That may sound strange for a game that simulates an entire universe, but Starfield seems to be a lot more hand-crafted and specifically curated, with more focused RPG content.

As things stand, the Nintendo Switch probably would not be able to run Starfield in its current form. If it were to ever come out on a Nintendo platform it would most likely have to be on next-generation hardware.

Is Starfield an Xbox Exclusive Game?

Yes, Starfield is exclusive to Xbox Series X and Series S consoles, but can also be played on PC via the Xbox Store and through Steam.

Starfield: Should you get the Xbox Series X or Series S?

Todd Howard, Director of Bethesda Game Studios, praised the team at Microsoft regarding its vision of the future in regards to Starfield’s exclusivity:

“We’re big believers in all of the avenues that Xbox and Microsoft are doing to get games to more people. Whether that’s the integration with the PC, which is huge for us, the cloud streaming and all those things.”

With Microsoft’s huge push into cloud streaming, Howard believes that more people than ever will be able to get their hands on Starfield.

If you’re interested in playing the game on native hardware, your best bet is to either purchase an Xbox console or play Starfield on PC when it releases for all on September 6.