Watch: First Gameplay For Apex Legends On Nintendo Switch Revealed

Nintendo Switch owners have had to wait just a tad (read: a lot) longer in order to get their hands on Apex Legends.

While developer Respawn Entertainment has always maintained the stance that it would never rule out a port of the battle royale for Nintendo’s hybrid console, it’s only been since 2020 that publisher EA has outlined concrete plans for the move. As for why the transition took so long? If we had to guess, the hardware housed inside Ninty’s device isn’t exactly what one would dub powerful when compared with Sony and Microsoft’s PS5 and Xbox Series X|S respectively, and we imagine a great deal of tinkering and adjustments needed to be made in order to make Apex perform to a respectable standard on Switch.

Whether that goal has truly been achieved, we’ll just have to wait until launch next month to give a final verdict, but judging by gameplay shown yesterday, the port looks promising, at the very least. Check out the clip for yourself below:

*Apex on Switch intensifies* 👀

Today, during #NintendoDirect, we got our first look at Apex Legends on the #NintendoSwitch! March 9 can't come soon enough. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MLoiamNugW

— Apex Legends (@PlayApex) February 18, 2021

Unsurprisingly, some sacrifices – mostly involving lighting and draw distance – have clearly been made, but generally speaking, Apex Legends on Switch promises to be the very same fast-paced shooter that you’ll already find on other platforms. Come March 9th, you’ll be able to download the game for free directly from the Nintendo eShop, though will likely be required to have an active Switch Online subscription to play with and against folks around the globe. Whatever the case, fans can expect the fine print to be elaborated on further when March arrives.

So, what’s next for the Apex Games? Well, there’s still the unexplored frontier of mobile to conquer, though we imagine that crusade will take a little longer to get started. See here for the latest details.