Sandfall wants to bring Clair Obscur to Switch 2, but calls it a 'big technical challenge'

Sandfall Interactive has confirmed it is interested in bringing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to the Nintendo Switch 2. However, the studio is being upfront about why it is not a straightforward port. In an interview with Automaton, the team described it as a "big technical challenge" and made clear that nothing is ready to announce yet.

"It's a big technical challenge because we tried to do something beautiful with the game, but of course, the Switch 2 is not as powerful as the PlayStation or the Xbox Series X," said studio co-founder and CTO Tom Guillermin.

"So, it's an important thing for us to consider, especially given the size of our studio." CEO Guillaume Broche said the studio is genuinely interested in bringing the game to Switch 2, but stressed that it is far too early to announce any concrete plans.

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Much of that challenge comes down to Unreal Engine 5, which powers the game. Lead character artist Alan Reynaud noted that a lot of UE5 features simply do not work on Switch 2, and the team will need to track Epic's engine updates before it can determine what a port would actually require.

One development that could help is Lumen Lite, a lighter version of UE5's global illumination system designed specifically for lower-powered hardware like the Switch 2. "They're introducing features like Lumen Lite now, which is easier to run than the standard Lumen, but these things take time to roll out, so we'll have to consider the updates coming from Unreal Engine to determine what to do," Reynaud said.

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Question #1

Will Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 be released on Nintendo Switch 2?

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Question #2

What technical hurdles does Sandfall cite for porting Clair Obscur to Switch 2?

Sandfall says the Switch 2 is significantly less powerful than PlayStation or Xbox Series X, making it a "big technical challenge" to match the game's visuals and systems. Many Unreal Engine 5 features the game uses simply do not work on Switch 2, so the studio must track Epic's engine updates to see what will be supported. They are watching additions like Lumen Lite, a lighter global illumination option for lower-powered hardware, but those features take time to roll out and may determine what a port would require.

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Question #3

How does Unreal Engine 5 limit a Switch 2 port of Clair Obscur according to the team?

The team said many Unreal Engine 5 features simply do not work on Switch 2, creating a "big technical challenge" for a port and forcing them to track Epic's engine updates before knowing what a port would require. They highlighted Lumen Lite, a lighter global illumination option intended for lower-powered hardware, as a potential help but noted those engine changes take time to roll out and must be considered before moving forward.

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Question #4

What is Lumen Lite and how might it affect a Switch 2 version of Clair Obscur?

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Sandfall has a team of roughly 30 developers, and Broche credits UE5's toolset with allowing the studio to build something that looked and felt like a much larger production. Blueprints, the engine's visual scripting system, was particularly important, allowing designers and technical artists to write game logic without needing to be full programmers. Only four programmers worked on the project, but the entire team used Blueprints. For now, any Switch 2 version depends as much on Epic's Unreal Engine roadmap as it does on Sandfall itself.