The Outer Worlds Nintendo Switch impressions

The Outer Worlds is one of the latest games from Obsidian Entertainment. Released back in 2019, this RPG received much acclaim, and was a strong contender in our own Game of the Year race. Though it was only available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation upon launch, The Outer Worlds arrived on the Nintendo Switch last year, allowing players to take the game on the go.

New peril

The Outer Worlds on the Nintendo Switch suffers in a similar vein to so many other titles ported to the hybrid console, as there’s a clear step down in visual quality. Not that The Outer Worlds was a showcase of graphical achievement, but it’s quite clear that the game looks its worst on Switch, though I have to admit, though isn’t a surprise. If you’re not a graphics junkie, and can tolerate a little wonkiness here and there, The Outer Worlds is still quite a joy on Switch.

The Outer Worlds takes advantage of the Switch’s motion control capabilities to introduce gyro-aiming to the game. With a tilt and turn of the console or controller, players can aim their weapons in-game. It’s a feature present in a lot of shooters on the Switch, and one that works super well in The Outer Worlds, especially when you consider that the analog sticks on the Joy-Cons maybe aren’t the best for precise aiming. Of course, the game lets you disable/tweak this feature if you feel otherwise.

A galaxy to explore

It’s a drum we’ve been beating for four years now, but the Switch’s portable capability is a magic that simply can’t be matched. The Outer Worlds succeeded because it’s a dense RPG, with a number of branching pathways and stories to discover. Though the game’s completion time isn’t the longest, the sheer amount of options always encouraged repeat playthroughs. Being able to have a game of that level that I can go and play on the couch or while sitting in the passenger seat of a car is awesome.

The previous point is compounded by the fact that The Outer Worlds’ first DLC expansion, Peril on Gorgon, is also available on the Switch. With new locations and stories to explore, Peril on Gorgon adds even more for players to do.

From a performance standpoint, The Outer Worlds is fine on the Switch. There were a handful of hiccups, but I also experienced those while playing on other platforms. I was also pleased that the game didn’t take an eternity to load as I feared it would.

A universe of options

The Outer Worlds is an excellent video game, and it’s simply fantastic to have on the go. If you can get past the compromise in visual quality, The Outer Worlds’ Nintendo Switch port is worth the revisit.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_