Here's why you won't get a Red Dead Redemption 2 Switch port, according to Nintendo itself

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It's definitely not because the console would self-destruct when running it

We might have The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Skyrim Nintendo Switch to satisfy our open world needs on the go, but there's no doubt that some owners of Nintendo's latest console are daydreaming at the thought of playing Red Dead Redemption 2 on the portable handheld system.

And, according to Nintendo of America's President Reggie Fils-Aime, the idea of Rockstar's technical powerhouse running on the platform isn't totally crazy. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Fils-Aime was asked whether Red Dead Redemption 2 is something that the company would be interested in having on Switch, and his response is perhaps more telling than you might expect. 

"Absolutely. We’d love for it to be there", said Fils-Aime, "but [...] Red Dead has been in development for years, time that predated any communication of Nintendo Switch. So, from the developer’s mentality, they need to move forward and finish the game they’ve been working on and then be in a position to look at other opportunities."

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The takeaway here is that Fils-Aime isn't ruling out the hypothetical possibility of Red Dead Redemption 2 running on a console like the Switch, but suggests the game's absence from the platform is merely a result of poor timing, as Rockstar had been developing the sequel long before there was any talk of Nintendo's unorthodox console. 

Fils-Aime also commented on the possibility of the game, alongside other third-party titles like it, coming to Switch in future, explaining that "any game from a key third-party that’s coming out now, typically that development started well before any conversations about Nintendo Switch. What happens moving forward? We’ll see. But that’s how you wind up with a situation with Red Dead not being available on our platform."

I'm still struggling to get my head around the idea of a game like Red Dead Redemption 2, which pushes the PS4 and Xbox One to their very limits, playing smoothly on Switch without serious concessions to its technical horsepower, but Fils-Aime's comments suggests that perhaps the console is more capable than we give it credit for. Watch this space, Nintendo fans.

For those currently playing Rockstar's magnum opus elsewhere, check out our Red Dead Redemption 2 tips for all the essential pointers to mastering the Wild West. 

Alex Avard
Alex Avard

Alex is a former Features Writer at GamesRadar, which once made him responsible for gracing the internet with as many of my words as possible, including reviews, previews, interviews, and more. Lucky internet!