The free MMO shooter Warframe will have its release on the Nintendo Switch on November 20. The developers have now revealed more information about content, account transfer, and performance.
Warframe has been available on PC for more than five years. Now the Free2Play shooter is coming to the Nintendo Switch and many have wondered if they can transfer their progress. PC players will get this option.
This is how the PC transfer works:
- To transfer the PC account, an existing Switch account is required
- The existing progress on the Switch will be overwritten by the PC account
- Once the account is copied, the accounts of PC and Switch are separated – progress will then not be shared.
No transfer for consoles: Players on the PS4 and Xbox One cannot copy their Warframe account to the Switch.
This is the content Warframe has on the Switch
Content at release: All content that was released up to the update “Mask of the Revenant” will be available on the Switch. This means Warframe will also be released on the Switch with the first open-world map Plains of Eidolon. At this point, the player will have access to 36 Warframes.
The second open-world expansion Fortuna will therefore be released on the Switch sometime after launch.
Beginning of 2019 same status as PS4 and Xbox One: The developers plan for the Switch version to catch up with the PS4 and Xbox One in early 2019. The consoles always receive updates a bit later than the PC.
The Switch will also have the same Prime cycle as other platforms. Prime Warframes are stronger versions of the original models. During Prime Access, these Prime Warframes can be bought or earned for a limited time. The first Prime Warframes on the Switch will be Mesa, Mag, and Chroma.
This is how in-game purchases will be transferred
Purchases on the Switch: All purchased items and all Platinum (premium currency) bought in the Nintendo eShop will be added to the copied PC account.
Purchases on PC: Purchased Platinum on PC will NOT be transferred to the Switch. Items that do not exist on the Switch will also not be transferred from the PC.
This is how the performance of Warframe on Switch will be
30 FPS at 720p: These values are achieved by Warframe on the Switch both in handheld mode and docked to the TV. It will not be possible to use the Switch’s video recording feature, as there won’t be enough resources available for that.
According to early testers on the Switch, Warframe runs smoothly there and the gunplay also seems to be well implemented.
Panic Button is responsible for the port: The studio specializes in porting games to the Switch. They have also worked on the Switch port of Rocket League and Wolfenstein II. For the last 9 months, Panic Button has been working on the port together with Digital Extremes. This has also benefited the PC, PS4, and Xbox One, as performance improvements have been made here as well.
There will be no cross-play
Warframe will not have cross-play between platforms, which is why account transfer is likely only available for a limited time.
Voice chat: However, Warframe will have a built-in voice chat. This means players will not have to use the Nintendo Switch Online app.
Warframe will have its release on the Nintendo Switch on November 20. When the PC account transfer will be possible is still unknown. Warframe is free to play and will also be free on the Switch.
