Resident Evil 7 Is Coming To Switch...Via Streaming, In Japan

Published: May 21, 2018 2:35 PM /

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Resident Evil 7 is coming to Nintendo Switch...sort of.

Capcom announced the game's release for Nintendo's hybrid console yesterday, but before you start getting excited, there's a couple of massive caveats. First, Resident Evil 7 (or Biohazard Resident Evil 7 Cloud Edition, as it's being called) seems to be slated for a Japan-only release right now; there's no Western release date anywhere in sight. Secondly, true to the name, the Nintendo Switch version of Resident Evil 7 is streaming-only.

The Switch version will work similarly to services like PlayStation Now and Liquid Sky. Users will be able to stream the game to their Switch (make sure you've got a crazy strong Internet connection) rather than downloading it to the console's internal storage or SD card. It makes sense; the Switch's internal storage isn't huge, and Resident Evil 7, being a modern game, is a massive beast by the Switch's standards.

There are a few upsides to this: Resident Evil 7 is likely to look better than the Switch could ever make it look, as the game will be running on higher-end PCs than the Tegra chip inside the Switch. Also, the Cloud Edition of Resident Evil 7 comes complete with all available DLC, so Switch users are getting as close to a complete experience as possible (without actually physically having the game). Playing this one when out and about might be a no-no, though, unless you find a particularly strong public WiFi connection.

This won't be the first time Nintendo has toyed with the idea of streaming games to their consoles. In Japan, MMO Dragon Quest X currently operates via streaming on 3DS and smartphones, and a free-to-play edition of Sega's Phantasy Star Online 2 can also currently be streamed to users' Switch consoles.

There's no word on a Western release for Biohazard Resident Evil 7 Cloud Edition yet, and it doesn't look like it'll be possible to stream the game from other countries, so the outlook is a bit gloomy for people outside Japan. If you're there, though, or if you're planning on going sometime soon, 2,000 yen (about $18) will net you a "180-day ticket". There's also a 15-minute long demo, presumably so you can check your connection and make sure it's strong enough to keep this puppy running.

Do you think streaming is the future for the Nintendo Switch? What are your thoughts on Biohazard Resident Evil 7 Cloud Edition? Let us know in the comments!

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Joe has been writing for TechRaptor for five years, and in those five years has learned a lot about the gaming industry and its foibles. He’s originally an… More about Joseph