ZeniMax Online Studios has ruled out a native Nintendo Switch release for The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO), citing the massively large install size of the MMORPG.
The comments came during an interview at PAX Australia 2018 and were reported by GameSpot.
ESO is developed by ZeniMax Online Studios and published under the Bethesda umbrella, while Bethesda itself has a track record of bringing big AAA titles to Switch, beginning with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on November 17, 2017.
At PAX Australia, ZeniMax Online Studios Game Director Matt Firor explained that the technical and storage requirements of ESO make a Switch port impractical.
Firor told GameSpot that the game’s current footprint — approximately 75 GB — prevents a workable version on Nintendo’s hardware.
He said he would personally like to see ESO on Switch, but the size and platform constraints make that impossible at present.
GameSpot also noted that some of the largest existing Switch games occupy far less space by comparison.
For example, NBA 2K19 is reported to be just under 32 GB on Switch, making ESO more than double the size of one of the platform’s largest releases.
The Nintendo Switch console ships with 32 GB of internal storage on its standard models and supports expandable storage via microSD cards, but physical game card and practical install limitations remain a factor for very large titles.
The announcement formalizes a longstanding question about whether MMO-scale experiences can be brought to Nintendo’s hybrid hardware.
ESO originally launched on PC in April 2014 and later arrived on consoles; ZeniMax Online Studios built the game as a continually updated online experience with large asset and patch requirements, which contribute to its substantial storage footprint.
For Switch players, Bethesda’s history of supporting the platform remains notable — Skyrim’s port demonstrated what the console can handle — but ZeniMax’s comments make clear that not every large-scale online game can be adapted.
As of PAX Australia 2018, the developer’s position is that ESO’s size prevents a feasible Switch release.
Sources: GameSpot interview with Matt Firor at PAX Australia 2018; release date information for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on Nintendo Switch.
The comments came during an interview at PAX Australia 2018 and were reported by GameSpot.
ESO is developed by ZeniMax Online Studios and published under the Bethesda umbrella, while Bethesda itself has a track record of bringing big AAA titles to Switch, beginning with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on November 17, 2017.
At PAX Australia, ZeniMax Online Studios Game Director Matt Firor explained that the technical and storage requirements of ESO make a Switch port impractical.
Firor told GameSpot that the game’s current footprint — approximately 75 GB — prevents a workable version on Nintendo’s hardware.
He said he would personally like to see ESO on Switch, but the size and platform constraints make that impossible at present.
GameSpot also noted that some of the largest existing Switch games occupy far less space by comparison.
For example, NBA 2K19 is reported to be just under 32 GB on Switch, making ESO more than double the size of one of the platform’s largest releases.
The Nintendo Switch console ships with 32 GB of internal storage on its standard models and supports expandable storage via microSD cards, but physical game card and practical install limitations remain a factor for very large titles.
The announcement formalizes a longstanding question about whether MMO-scale experiences can be brought to Nintendo’s hybrid hardware.
ESO originally launched on PC in April 2014 and later arrived on consoles; ZeniMax Online Studios built the game as a continually updated online experience with large asset and patch requirements, which contribute to its substantial storage footprint.
For Switch players, Bethesda’s history of supporting the platform remains notable — Skyrim’s port demonstrated what the console can handle — but ZeniMax’s comments make clear that not every large-scale online game can be adapted.
As of PAX Australia 2018, the developer’s position is that ESO’s size prevents a feasible Switch release.
Sources: GameSpot interview with Matt Firor at PAX Australia 2018; release date information for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on Nintendo Switch.
