Miyamoto: PC devs can build Switch ports in 'less than a year'

Super Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto says it would take less than a year for third-party PC developers to port their games to Switch. 

The veteran designer was speaking during a recent investor Q&A, where he explained that the Switch's support of third-party engines like Unity and Unreal means developers should be able to bring their games to the hybrid console with relative ease. 

"Third-party developers who are making software for PC can now easily adapt that software to work on our platform," he commented. 

"In the current development environment, Iʼd say that it would take less than a year for them to port a PC game to Nintendo Switch."

Miyamoto also revealed that Nintendo has merged its home console and handheld software development teams so they can create games in one unified environment.

He then boasted that the company's development teams have now "mastered" state-of-the-art technologies such as the Unreal Engine, suggesting their skills "can now be compared with those of Western developers." 

Company president Tatsumi Kimishima echoed those comments, but added that it's the responsibility of Nintendo's internal team to inspire third-party developers by creating unique experiences of their own. 

"Since last year, we have introduced Nintendo Switch to a variety of different development companies by demonstrating software such as 1-2-Switch. At each demonstration, everyone was interested in the new play styles," explained Kimishima.

"Nintendo will keep on creating unique software. By doing so, I believe we will encourage third-party developers to create a number of quality software titles for Nintendo Switch."