The Outer Worlds Switch release date is back on, here's when you can play

Update, March 31: The Outer Worlds Switch release date is back on track, and you'll be able to play it early this summer.

Developer Obsidian and publisher Private Division shared the news that The Outer Worlds Switch release date will land on June 5, 2020. The announcement follows just under two months after the companies announced the new version of the game would miss its original planned release date of March 6, due to its development partner Virtuos shutting down offices in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

As it confirmed with some silver-lining news before, the delay means The Outer Worlds will arrive with a physical version on cartridge as well as a digital download on eShop. The full game will fit on the cart, though there will also be a 6GB day-one patch that "will optimize gameplay, provide additional hi-res textures, and include other fixes," so it's worth keeping an eye out for. 

Update, February 6: The Outer Worlds Nintendo Switch release date has been delayed just a week after it was first announced, but we officially cannot be mad about it.

Publisher Private Division revealed in a series of tweets that Virtuos, the Singaporean company creating the Switch version of the game, has temporarily closed some of its worldwide offices in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak. Private Division isn't able to share an updated release plan yet, but it says it will have more info "shortly."

People's health always has to come first over making products, so I'm glad Private Division is being transparent about the whole thing. I'm not sure if or how it's related to the delay, but it's cool that the physical version of The Outer Worlds for Switch will now come with a physical cartridge as well.

Original story, January 30: We knew it was coming, and now we know when: The Outer Worlds is dropping for Nintendo Switch on March 6. 

Obsidian, Virtuous Games, and Private Division announced the Switch release today, revealing the game will retail for $59.99 / €59.99 / £49.99. The game will be available as a physical boxed version containing a download code and a digital version in the Nintendo eShop. It's dropping just over four months after its October 25 release for Xbox One, PS4, and PC, which is an impressively speedy port.

Adding The Outer Worlds to the Switch's library is a genius move for Obsidian, as the console's big-budget RPG list is rather short. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim are the two most notable RPG ports of the last few years, and the Switcher runs surprisingly well on the handheld. Considering The Outer Worlds is a smaller, more approachable RPG than the aforementioned titles, it'll likely run well and look pretty damn good too. 

If you didn't embark on an adventure through Halcyon and learn about the perils of late-stage space capitalism when the game dropped last year, now's your time. I can picture it now: you're heading into work on the run-down NYC subway that pays just enough that you can barely afford your miniscule apartment, while playing a game where almost no one gets anything nice and everyone is a victim of the giant wheel of corporate greed. Phew, it's almost too real.

The Outer Worlds is a genuinely fantastic RPG that can satisfy both casual and hardcore role-players alike. A Switch port has been on the table since the game's launch in late October, and it's great to see it finally happening. 

If you want more role-playing and decision-making, check out our 25 best RPGs.