Is Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii coming to Nintendo Switch?

The Nintendo Switch is one of the best platforms for RPGs, and you might be wondering if the upcoming role-playing title — Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is coming to the console. The game is set to release on February 21, 2025, and many of you might want to add it to your Switch library ahead of its launch.

However, Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii won’t be available on the Switch. While the Switch is getting its first Like A Dragon game with Yakuza Kiwami, it won’t be able to handle this one. Despite Sega’s recent push to bring older Like A Dragon titles to Nintendo’s console, this latest entry is currently skipping the platform entirely.

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Why Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii isn't coming to Nintendo Switch

A still from Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza (Image via Sega)

The Like A Dragon series has a long and complicated history with Nintendo consoles. For most of its existence, the franchise was strictly a PlayStation-exclusive property, with nearly every mainline game — from the original Yakuza in 2005 to Yakuza 6 — launching first on Sony’s systems. It wasn’t until 2019 that Sega decided to expand the series to other platforms, bringing games like Yakuza Kiwami to PC and Xbox.

Throughout the years, all the big Like A Dragon games of the PS4 generation ultimately ported to Xbox and PC, but Nintendo consoles were always excluded.

That started to change recently with the release of Yakuza Kiwami on the Switch, marking the first time a mainline entry made its way to the system. But despite this shift, Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is skipping the Switch entirely. There are two major reasons for this.

First, hardware limitations. The Nintendo Switch, originally released in 2017, simply doesn’t have the power to run a large game like Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. While Sega managed to port Yakuza Kiwami, the latest entry is built for modern hardware, utilizing graphics and physics that the Switch can’t handle.

Second, there has been a historic hesitancy on the part of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio (RGG Studio). Back in 2022, studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama clarified that Sega was reluctant to bring Like A Dragon games to the Switch because they considered it a console for kids.

Though this position has relaxed over the years — particularly with Yakuza Kiwami now performing well on the Nintendo Switch — the studio still hasn't fully committed to releasing future titles on Nintendo platforms.

Check out: Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii — Mini-games and side activities explored

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Will the Like A Dragon series come to the Nintendo Switch in the future?

The Sea Combat system from Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (Image via Sega)

Despite Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii missed the Switch, there is hope for Nintendo gamers. Following the arrival of Yakuza Kiwami on the Switch, Sega released a survey gauging support from fans on whether they would be interested in additional Like A Dragon games on the Switch. It is a clear indication that the company is weighing bringing more titles of the series to Nintendo's platforms.

But even if next-gen games do make the leap, it's extremely unlikely that current-gen titles will be playable on the current Nintendo Switch hardware. The best hope for a Like A Dragon game releasing on a Nintendo console alongside PlayStation and Xbox is if the reported Switch 2 is capable of playing them.

In the meantime, staggered releases and remasters of older games appear to be the only realistic alternatives for Like A Dragon players on Nintendo's console.

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What platforms will Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii be available on?

Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii runs on Dragon Engine (Image via Sega)

While the Nintendo Switch is missing out, Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii will still be widely available. The game will launch on:

• PC
• PlayStation 4
• PlayStation 5
• Xbox Series X/S

Notably, the game is still releasing on last-gen consoles like the PS4, which raises some eyebrows about whether a Switch version could have been possible. However, considering the scope of the game —including its large, open-world take on Hawaii and real-time naval combat — Sega likely deemed it too much of a challenge for the Nintendo Switch’s aging hardware.

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Check out — How to pre-order Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii: All editions and prices explored