Several weeks ago, Capcom released Monster Hunter Rise, the sixth mainline installment to the franchise after 2017's Monster Hunter World. Although Monster Hunter Rise is only available on the Nintendo Switch at the moment, Capcom confirmed that the game would eventually make its way to the PC.
Now that Monster Hunter Rise is released and is quickly shaping up to be a great game, some players on PlayStation and Xbox consoles are now wondering whether the game will also be ported on these systems. Although Capcom hasn't shot down the release of Monster Hunter Rise on PlayStation and Xbox consoles, the prospect remains unlikely, especially now that the PC port has been confirmed.
Monster Hunter Rise Was Made For The Switch
Given that both Sony and Microsoft just released new consoles, some players wonder why Capcom chose not to release Monster Hunter Rise on the PS5 and Xbox Series X or their last-gen counterparts. According to Capcom, Monster Hunter Rise was explicitly made with the Nintendo Switch in mind, its hybrid functionality that combines a home console and a handheld device. When the studio released Monster Hunter World in 2017, the Switch just came out, and Capcom saw its potential in offering players the flexibility to let players play on their TV or on the go.
This observation became the primary motivation for Capcom to develop another Monster Hunter game that would utilize the Switch's core strength. In an interview, Capcom said that "we think by releasing this on a portable console we've made it a lot more accessible, a lot more east to pick up and play." Additionally, Capcom revealed that Monster Hunter Rise is best played on the Switch, given that players can pick it up, do a couple of quests, and do other things.
Monster Hunter Rise Compensates For Monster Hunter World's Absence on the Switch
It is also worth remembering that while 2017's Monster Hunter World became a massive hit, its absence on the Switch isolated Nintendo players. Although Capcom never mentioned this specifically, it is possible that the studio decided to release Monster Hunter Rise on the Switch to compensate for the absence of Monster Hunter World on the hybrid platform.
Additionally, unlike Monster Hunter Rise, which was made for the Switch, Monster Hunter World used more powerful features that may be too much for the Switch to handle. In previous Monster Hunter games, players are limited to small, numbered areas separated by loading screens. However, Monster Hunter World features complex multilevel stages that include open-world environments best played on the PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
All in all, Monster Hunter World is best suited for players looking for an epic adventure complete with more monsters, bigger environments, and complex graphics. On the other hand, Monster Hunter Rise is targeted at players who are on the go and are looking for a great Monster Hunter game that they can easily pick up and play during a commute, break times, or before going to sleep. In the end, both Monster Hunter games offer a unique experience combined with the classic gameplay that players expect of a Monster Hunter title.
Monster Hunter Rise is now available for the Nintendo Switch, and a PC port is expected to launch in early 2022.