Nightdive Studios has announced that the System Shock remake will launch December 18 on Switch and Switch 2. The developer revealed that a critical decision regarding Unreal Engine made the ports possible, especially with the original Switch.
In a dev diary video on YouTube (seen below), Nightdive explains that the team first planned on utilizing Unreal Engine 5 for the remake of System Shock on Switch 2. But then Nightdive wondered about bringing the classic immersive to both Nintendo hybrid consoles and found out Unreal Engine 4 was a possibility. “Once we made that discovery, we did that big pivot for a few reasons–the biggest was stability,” said developer Thomas Curnow.
Within 48 hours, Nightdive felt vindicated by the choice with Unreal Engine 4, according to the video. That’s because successful builds of the remake were created for Switch and Switch 2 in that timeframe. “I want the game to be just as we remember it,” said producer Justin Khan.
The System Shock remake first launched on PC in 2023 before arriving on PlayStation and Xbox consoles in May 2024. The efforts from Nightdive to resurrect the game were generally well received.
Earlier this year, Nightdive released a remaster of System Shock 2 on PC and consoles, including Switch. Nightdive is a part of Atari, after being acquired in 2023.