Several years have passed since Professor Layton and the New World of Steam was first revealed, but at long last, developer Level-5 has lifted the lid on its long-in-development puzzle-solving game. A new trailer has provided a detailed look at the game and a release date window of 2026, but the biggest surprise is that the mystery-solving Professor will be looking to crack his latest case on more than just Nintendo hardware, as Professor Layton and the New World of Steam is also coming to PC–for Steam, of course–and PS5.
Previously confirmed for Switch consoles, this will be the first time that a Professor Layton game has been released on a non-Nintendo console and on PC. The series kicked off on Nintendo DS in 2008 and has continued on 3DS and Switch consoles since then, and while there have also been iOS and Android ports, those aren’t technically considered to be consoles–and as well all know, technically correct is the best kind of correct.
Beyond that, the trailer also showed off the game’s new art direction, which blends the traditional look of the series with 3D-animated visuals. We also got a closer look at Steam Bison, a US town fueled by invention and full of steampunk technology. On Switch 2, the game will offer mouse support, and Level-5 says that players can expect to meet a colorful cast of characters while working to solve the mystery that lies at the heart of Steam Bison.
The shift to multiplatform does make sense, as last year’s release of Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch consoles was a commercial hit for the studio, managing to sell over 1.5 million units just seven months after launch.