Fact Check: Is Need for Speed Unbound on Nintendo Switch?

Need for Speed Unbound, the newest chapter in the long-running and iconic arcade racing series, has finally been released. Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, the stellar Need for Speed Heat, the game offers players the street racing experience, complete with some of the most intense cop chases in NFS history.

Need for Speed games have always been about self-expression and celebrating the street racing culture, two things that NFS Unbound does with remarkable quality and finesse. The game also has a unique art style that mixes the traditional photorealistic visuals, courtesy of DICE's Frostbite engine, with a heavily stylized graffiti-like aesthetic. This sets it apart from most modern racing titles.

Developed by Criterion Games, Need for Speed Unbound is the first NFS title to be released exclusively for the current-generation consoles, i.e., PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, alongside Windows PC.

Since the game's announcement, some fans have been curious about a potential Nintendo Switch port of NFS Unbound. This is because Criterion Games released a Nintendo Switch port of their last Need for Speed title, NFS Hot Pursuit Remastered.

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Is Need for Speed Unbound currently available for the Nintendo Switch?

It is no secret that the Nintendo Switch is a massively underpowered console hardware. It sometimes struggles to run last-generation titles like Doom Eternal, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and Mortal Kombat 11, let alone a current-generation exclusive like Need for Speed Unbound.

While the console can run some of the biggest titles from the seventh console generation, it struggles to surpass the modest 30fps mark, even at a sub-720p resolution target.

Only select games, such as Nintendo's own first-party titles like Bayonetta, Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros., and a few third-party games like Cuphead, offer a flawless 60fps gameplay experience.

Suffice to say, Nintendo's current console hardware is not capable enough to run NFS Unbound.

Criterion Games were able to port their previous title, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered, on the Switch, with rather crisp visuals and a solid framerate. This was because the game was originally an Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 title, which was remastered for PS4 and Xbox One consoles.

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Criterion Games could release a cloud version of Need for Speed Unbound for the Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch may be underpowered, but that does not mean Need for Speed Unbound cannot be made available on the handheld console.

Games like Hitman 3, Control, and even the new Resident Evil titles like Resident Evil Village are playable on the Nintendo Switch, thanks to the power of cloud gaming.

While these games are way beyond the scope of the Switch's hardware, cloud gaming allows one to play these graphically demanding titles on the handheld console as long as they have a stable and fast internet connection.

EA and Criterion Games could very well release a cloud version of Need for Speed Unbound for the Nintendo Switch. It won't require a significant graphical or performance downgrade to make the game playable on Nintendo's handheld console.