MLB fans who only own the Nintendo Switch haven't had many options over the past few years when it comes to licensed baseball games. While the devs behind RBI Baseball tried their best with multiple releases on the system, many baseball fans either opted to go without MLB licensed simulation style baseball or just move on to another platform. After years in the making, MLB The Show is FINALLY coming to the Nintendo Switch with The Show 22 and we're here to tell you what to expect.
Background Information
Getting MLB The Show on the Switch has been a few years in the making, dating all the way back to late 2019. At the time, MLB announced that the series would be coming to non-Sony platforms. Of course, Xbox was a given, but when Nintendo of America responded to the tweet with a baseball emoji, baseball loving Switch fans had something to be really excited about. It may have taken its sweet time, but it’s almost here.
The Show 22 is set to hit on April 5 on all platforms. This year’s cover athlete is none other than the sensational Shohei Ohtani. Not only that, but the Digital Deluxe & MVP Editions feature Ohtani in an anime/manga aesthetic designed by Takashi Okazaki (Afro Samurai). The standard version of the game will retail for $59.99/¥7,590 ($66 USD) while the Digital Deluxe version will retail for ¥10,890 ($94.51 USD, I haven’t seen a US price listed just yet). Purchasing the Digital Deluxe version on the Switch will grant you a number of extra in-game goodies as well as four days early access to the game, making it available on April 1.
The Switch version of the game will be a 16.6 GB download on the eShop. For those picking up the physical version, the full game WILL NOT be included on the cart. The Show 22 FAQ page says “an additional download is required” but does not specifically say how much space will be needed. For comparison, the one other realistic baseball sim on the Switch, the Japan only Pro Yakyū Spirits 2021, clocked in at 6.5 GB.
Additionally, the Japanese release will not feature a Japanese localization. While this may be seen as odd by some, this is something that Japanese gamers have to deal with every year. To combat this, MLB does provide translation guides with every release that can be downloaded from the web that can get gamers started. Not only that, but they even offer an extremely comprehensive guide to Road to the Show, complete with hundreds of pages of dialog. Obviously it’s not the same as having the game localized, but it’s better than nothing.
In an interesting twist, and perhaps to reconfirm my suspicions that the RBI series is dead, MLB Advanced Media, the same team that has been responsible for publishing the RBI series, has taken on publishing duties for MLB The Show 22 on the Switch. This might not come as a surprise, seeing as MLB also took on the publishing duties for The Show 21 on Xbox last year and are doing the same this year. The PlayStation will be published by Sony themselves (Sony Interactive Entertainment).
Modes
All of the modes found in the PS4 and Xbox One versions of MLB The Show 22 will also be available in the Switch version of the game. Diamond Dynasty, Road to the Show, online play and more are all here. Both cross play and cross progression are fully supported, so if you want to go from playing in handheld mode to playing the game in 4K on either a PS5 or Xbox Series X, you can do that. You’ll just need to have two copies of the game (or in the case of Xbox, have an active Game Pass subscription). Unfortunately, you will not be able to create or play in stadiums from the Stadium Creator - those are just limited to the next-gen versions of the game.
Expectations for Visuals & Performance
MLB The Show has been known for really pushing the envelope when it comes to visual fidelity. While I still think this will be the case with 22, in particular with the PS5 and Xbox Series versions, the Switch version will obviously see some concessions. For another similar simulation style baseball game, look no further than Konami’s Pro Baseball Spirits. The game saw a great looking release on the PlayStation 4 in 2019, and also saw a Vita version. Fast forward to last year, and Konami skipped out on the PlayStation entirely to focus on the Switch. In Pro Spirits 2021, the game still looks great on the platform, but there are some notable differences when compared to previous versions of the game on more powerful hardware. On the Switch, the character models look detailed, stadiums look great and everything overall is fantastic. At the same time, some of the smaller details, such as team logos or more minute details on uniforms are a bit blurry and/or low poly. I expect something similar with The Show 22. Things will look great from a distance, but if you get REALLY close up, you’ll notice some lower quality assets. As for when we’ll actually be able to see the game in action - I wouldn’t expect that until closer to launch, possibly through a Nintendo Direct. Hopefully we won’t have to wait until the game is actually released, though that is a realistic possibility.
Conclusion
Like many of you, I’m really excited to finally get a chance to play MLB The Show on the Switch. If you’re looking for visual fidelity, there are other places to play the game. If you’re looking for the options of being able to play the game on your TV and in the palm of your hands, the Switch version is something you should get excited about. But let’s turn things over to you. Are you planning to pick up The Show 22 on the Switch? Will this be your first time playing the series or are you a grizzled vet? Sound off in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you.
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