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Can you play Genshin Impact on Nintendo Switch?
Genshin Impact is one of the most popular freemium RPGs in the world at the moment, keeping players hooked through gambling-style “gacha” mechanics and an assembly line of new characters. It’s available for a number of platforms — but how about the Nintendo Switch?
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Genshin Impact is slated for the Nintendo Switch, but the port isn't yet available and doesn't have a release date. It may be waiting for a next-generation console.
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Can you play Genshin Impact on Nintendo Switch?
Not yet, at least. The only supported platforms at the moment are Android, iPhone, iPad, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows. People have tried emulating it on the Switch, but that’s an inconvenient and unsupported approach.
Is Genshin Impact coming to Nintendo Switch?
In theory. The game’s developer, miHoYo, talked about a Switch port as far back as 2020, and in speaking to GoNintendo in May 2022, reiterated that one was coming. Nothing has materialized as of November 2023, however.
There’s no official explanation, but in May 2021 rumors emerged that the problem was the weak performance of the Switch. The console dates back to March 2017, and even at the time it had a slower processor than competing Sony and Microsoft systems, much less Windows PCs. Since Genshin Impact has had stability problems on more powerful platforms, miHoYo may be having trouble getting a Switch port to work smoothly — or even reliably.
It’s possible that the company has shifted development towards future Nintendo hardware. A second-generation Switch is rumored to begin shipping in 2024, in which case it might make more sense to transform the port into a Switch 2 showcase.