Is Porting to Switch 2 Worth the Time? 5ch Erupts Over Sales Comparisons

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The story

A thread titled “Is it really necessary to spend such a long time porting to Switch 2?” on 5ch’s “Hardware/Industry (Geha)” board started out as a debate over how much porting effort third parties have to put in, then snowballed into a full-blown sales showdown pitting Switch 2 against PS5 and Steam. Posters traded specific titles back and forth: Granblue Fantasy: Relink reportedly sold 1.67 million copies on Steam while its Switch 2 version has struggled, Sony’s own Marvel Tōkon supposedly moved only 2,000 units, and there was disagreement over whether the Switch 2 version of Persona 3 Reload has quietly kept selling since launch. Whether Switch 2 actually generates enough demand to justify porting costs stayed unresolved to the end.

What people said

1AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:32
It's just going to be a downgraded port anyway, so who cares
2AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:34
Depends on the game
Something like Monster Hunter Wilds, I'd actually want on Switch 2
3AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:35
That's for the publisher to decide, isn't it
4AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:36
I don't think it's necessary, so it's not necessary
The world doesn't revolve around your personal likes and dislikes, you know…
5AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:37
Feels like Nintendo is quietly funding that Elden Ring delay
6AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:38
Polishing a game to Switch 2 spec means you're also reaching the entry-level PC crowd
7AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:39
And it still won't sell
Nobody's shipping it without a sales guarantee from Nintendo
8AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:39
Because it'll sell way more than the PS version, which already flopped hard
9AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:39
Re: #8
No chance, lol
10AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:40
Funny how people who obsess over 'downgraded ports' and specs are out here gaming on a cheaped-out power supply paired with a 4070
12AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:41
If you don't like it, maybe just boycott every publisher that puts games on Switch 2
13AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:41
'Kikan wo kakeru' [spend a period]?
Shouldn't that be 'jikan wo kakeru' [spend time]? (nitpicking the thread title's word choice)
14AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:41
The 'downgraded' one is the PS5 version
Being compact and portable gives the Switch/Switch 2 version its own unique value right there
15AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:42
Japanese third parties don't really have a choice
They want to sell in Japan, but PS and Xbox don't move units there, so Switch 2 is all they've got
16AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:43
You have to accept the reality here: once it's ported, Switch gets the bonus of a portable mode, while PS5, no matter how you slice it, is just a watered-down PC
41AnonymousSep 1, 2026 08:56
Selling steadily over a long tail like PC games do is the current trend
So having more sales channels is better
45AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:02
Re: #41
Switch 2 doesn't get that steady PC-style long-tail sales though
A lot of titles just flop at launch and stay dead
47AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:03
Re: #45
That's true for physical copies
Digital versions keep selling through discounts
51AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:07
Re: #47
Is that right?
Did the Switch 2 version of Persona 3 Reload, which flopped at launch, actually pick up steady sales after that?
53AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:11
For simultaneous-release multiplatform titles that aren't photorealistic, the Switch 2 version tends to sell better
59AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:17
Re: #53
No way
Switch 2 loses in multiplatform sales even for non-photorealistic titles
62AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:19
Re: #59

Little Nightmares III
Monster Hunter Stories 3
Dragon Quest I & II
Dragon Quest VII
Bokenka Elliott (lit. "Adventurer Elliott")
R-Type Dimensions 3
Granblue Fantasy: Relink
Shiroki Kotetsu no IX (Ix) 1+2 Dual Collection
Honokurashi
Steins;Gate Reboot
Starsand Island

Those are the multiplatform titles where Switch 2 beat PS5
Name one non-photorealistic title where PS5 actually won
64AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:21
The Switch eShop is absurdly easy to browse and buy from, so even if a game bombs on release day, the digital version probably picks up sales during discounts
Honestly I had zero plans to buy FF7, but it was about 2000 yen on sale recently so I caved and bought it
65AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:23
Re: #64
The eShop did get more usable once Switch 2 came along
Guess the original Switch really was lacking in specs across the board
75AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:40
Re: #62
That's PS5 you're talking about
Switch 2 got crushed by PC in sales for stuff like Silksong too
76AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:47
Re: #75
That makes absolutely no sense, darling~ (mock-elegant 'ojou-sama' rich-girl speech, used for comic effect)
77AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:48
Re: #76
Sorry, are you a young lady or something?
79AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:50
Re: #76
What's your basis for claiming Switch 2 outsells PS5 outside of photorealistic titles?
Even Granblue Fantasy: Relink sold 1.67 million on Steam while the Switch 2 version barely sold at all
78AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:49
Re: #77
Who even are you supposed to be?
83AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:51
Re: #78
My joke didn't land and now I'm getting a serious reply, oh my~ (still in that mock 'ojou-sama' speech)
80AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:50
Re: #79
I'm talking about Switch 2 titles that outsold PS5, though?
84AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:52
Re: #80
Then you should've just said 'Switch 2 titles that outsold PS5' from the start
88AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:54
You often see this claim on gaming-hardware boards: '3D RPGs sell on PC as long as they skip Switch 1/2 — release on Switch 1/2 too and PC sales die'

So then why did Visions of Mana sell worse than Trials of Mana, which also released on Switch?
94AnonymousSep 1, 2026 10:11
Re: #88
Because there are… obstacles…
90AnonymousSep 1, 2026 09:57
Even Sony's own first-party, PS5-exclusive Marvel Tōkon
only sold 2,000 copies
Is that even in the black?
91AnonymousSep 1, 2026 10:04
Re: #90
I mean, same goes for Saros — sales are way too low given how many consoles are out there…
92AnonymousSep 1, 2026 10:07
Re: #90
People love to mock PlayStation's first-party lineup, but Q1 sales have stayed rock solid at 6 million-plus units every single year for the past 5 years!

FY22 6.6 6.6 20.8 9.5
FY23 6.6 4.7 16.2 12.3
FY24 6.0 5.3 11.6 5.9
FY25 6.9 6.3 13.2 5.8
FY26 6.0
95AnonymousSep 1, 2026 10:11
Being able to ship on Switch 2 means you can also ship on low-spec PCs
Publishers release on Switch 2 because it recoups costs better than going straight to low-spec PC
It's basically a testbed
Huh? PS5? They're already pulling out of that, aren't they? lol
96AnonymousSep 1, 2026 10:14
Re: #95
The baseline keeps creeping up too, and unless you're a hardcore enthusiast, satisfaction is pretty high
106AnonymousSep 1, 2026 11:04
"Man, porting to Switch 2 takes forever, what a waste of time…"

"That's it! Build to Switch 2 standards first, then the PS5 port will be a breeze!"
107AnonymousSep 1, 2026 11:07
Re: #106
There's no way third parties are going to design around a low-spec, also-ran console like Switch 2 as their baseline

Background and key points of this discussion

Switch 2 launched in June 2025, and its CPU/GPU power sits below the PS5’s. When third parties build simultaneous-release multiplatform titles, they have to scale development down to fit the weaker hardware — which is exactly what fuels the “downgraded version” criticism and the debate over porting timelines. The sales figures cited in the thread (Granblue Fantasy: Relink’s 1.67 million on Steam, Marvel Tōkon’s 2,000 units, etc.) come from unverified 5ch posts and may not match official figures or third-party reporting. There’s also a running disagreement between the claim that “even a launch-day flop can quietly rack up sales through digital discounts” and the counter-claim that “unlike packaged games, Switch doesn’t get that kind of steady long-tail growth” — the unsettled question of how Switch’s digital sales actually behave is part of why this kind of argument keeps resurfacing.

※This article excerpts and summarizes the 5ch (Hardware/Industry (Geha)) thread “Is it really necessary to spend such a long time porting to Switch 2?.”

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