Home > News

Developer claims Nintendo Switch 2 is “like a mid-tier PC” and praises “great” dev kit

Civilization 7 producer compares Switch 2 to a mid-tier PC
Rebecca Hills-Duty
Last Updated on
Developer claims Nintendo Switch 2 is “like a mid-tier PC” and praises “great” dev kit
PC Guide is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read More

Table of Contents

The official announcement of the Nintendo Switch 2 has prompted a great deal of excitement amongst gaming fans. Even developers are getting on board the hype train as they look forward to having more powerful hardware to work with.

The original Nintendo Switch was surprisingly adept at punching above its weight class, despite the relatively underpowered mobile-grade processor it was working with. As you might expect, many third-party developers are excited to see what will be possible with the more powerful custom Nvidia chip in the Switch 2.

Prime Day is finally here! Find all the biggest tech and PC deals below.

*Prices and savings subject to change. Click through to get the current prices.

Nintendo Switch 2’s performance might surprise you

This was confirmed during an interview with Game File, where Civilization producer Dennis Shirk spoke about working with Nintendo to port Civilization 7 to the Switch 2. During the interview, Shirk said that his company, Fireaxis Games, was “extremely happy” with the power contained in the Switch 2.

Shirk even compared the capabilities of the Switch 2 to a “mid-tier PC” since it had enough grunt to match the demands of the game. “[Nintendo] knew they wanted Civ on that platform, because it’s such a great showcase for the mouse,” Shirk explains. “And it pairs up so well with our existing PC audience, because we have crossplay.”

There was also plenty of praise from Shirk for the experience of working alongside Nintendo: “Their [software development kit] is great, the customer support, their developer support, developer relations is great,” Shirk said.

This all bodes well for the future of third-party games on the Switch 2. It is also a good sign that we will see some impressive work from first-party developers such as Monolith Soft, who already have a pedigree of producing amazing and expansive games, even with limited hardware resources.

The Switch 2 version of Civilization 7 is scheduled for release alongside the console on June 5, 2025.

666
Steam Deck 2 release

Do you think Valve should release Steam Deck 2 now that Switch 2 has been revealed?

About the Author

Rebecca Hills-Duty

Writing and journalism experience at VRFocus, UploadVR, The Escapist, HTC, PC Gamer, Tech Radar+ and Dexerto. Can sometimes be found playing with retro tech.