Factorio - Nintendo Switch™ 2 Edition out now!

[Roland88]

Currently, when playing the Factorio demo on Switch 2 and having the UI size set to 125%, the possible technologies list is a bit cut down.
Does the increased resolution in the Switch 2 version mitigate that?

[Dylan J. McGrann]

I feel it would be ideal for some kind of resolution setting in the actual game. It’s pretty annoying having to change it for the whole system every time you play for one game. Maybe even a 1440p setting if that’s enough to enable the rest of the graphics effects.

Also, because the resolution is different now, the UI scale is very different on Switch 2 and auto scaling is just a bit too small in both handheld and docked mode. And what is annoying is fixing the scaling saves the same setting for both handheld and docked mode, so every time I switch between docked and handheld I have to change the scaling each time. I feel docked mode and handheld mode should have their own independent UI scale setting.

Mouse mode I quite like. But I do feel it would be significantly improved if it could automatically switch between mouse mode and gamepad mode. Games that do this seem to be using both the optical sensor and the gyroscope to determine what orientation the player is using the controller, but I don’t really know how other games are doing that. Still, some kind of auto switch to mouse mode would be a huge improvement, though the current method still works well for what it is. I agree though that maybe we should have an option to get the normal hot bar too.

Generally though it’s an amazing update and the game no longer feels very compromised on Switch 2. The game looks and runs great, and handheld mode is especially upgraded. I moved all my saves from my Mac to Switch 2 as that’s where I foresee playing 95% of the time from now on.

[TenienteRipley]

I feel it would be ideal for some kind of resolution setting in the actual game. It’s pretty annoying having to change it for the whole system every time you play for one game. Maybe even a 1440p setting if that’s enough to enable the rest of the graphics effects.

I think the same. The change in resolution must be made by the game, not by us adjusting the system's resolution. This is like nearly all the games that work on consoles that let you choose different options. A toggle button between 4k or 1080p in-game.

[BumblebeeMan]

Thanks a lot for that awesome release, Twinsen!
You guys actually made me buy Factorio and Space Age a second time, even though I already own the PC versions on my Steam Deck.

I agree with some of the feedback others have already provided:
+1 for "in-game resolution setting or 4K30 / 1440p60 with enabled effects"
+1 for "automatic mouse mode detection"
+1 for "scaling 200% in docked mode is too small"

But I would like to share some of my own suggestions:

- Have you considered adding a “Swap ZR/ZL and Y” option, similar to the L/R and A swap? (Like left and right mouse buttons)
- Would it be possible to recognize GL and GR (Pro Controller / Charge Grip back buttons) within the game? Unfortunately, they can’t be mapped to left/right SL/SR, and Factorio doesn’t recognize them when pressed for in-game button remapping. I would love to map copy and the blueprint menu to my back buttons.

[Roland88]

I moved all my saves from my Mac to Switch 2...

Silly question. How would I go about doing that? I played a bit on PC, still unsure of the Switch 2 purchase due to the UI scaling (as I wrote above).

[WujekPawel]

I must say, mouse joy con option is the best. I love playing factorio on switch 2!

[TenienteRipley]

Thanks a lot for that awesome release, Twinsen!
You guys actually made me buy Factorio and Space Age a second time, even though I already own the PC versions on my Steam Deck.

I agree with some of the feedback others have already provided:
+1 for "in-game resolution setting or 4K30 / 1440p60 with enabled effects"

Yes, please!!!

[huiAPPOAJ]

I have to agree with others that the controller UI is simply atrocious and needs a lot of polish to become intuitive and enjoyable to use on the Switch. I haven't found any UI/UX designers in the game credits, maybe that's why it's so bad? I have hundreds of hours on PC and I wanted to buy for Switch but from the demo alone I was devastated and won't buy the game until the default controls and UI are fixed.

Here are my suggestions to make the game more pleasant to play with a controller:

- there needs to be a highlighted option whenever you enter a menu (title menu, settings, inventory etc.)
- whenever you exit a menu, the last selected option in the menu in the hierarchy above it should be highlighted (e.g. go from Settings menu to Audio, then back to Settings = Audio is highlighted)
- overall lack of permanently visible button hints, the hints are only visible while the option is highlighed which is useless on a controller
- like someone else already suggested, ingame the confirm and cancel buttons should be settable to RZ and LZ as you cannot control both the cursor with your right thumb and press the buttons... ergonomics. I was thinking that it would be even more comfortable to be able to switch between cursor and character controls with the left thumb stick but then you couldn't build while moving which is a nice feature
- it would be nice if the cursor popped up automatically whenever you open inventory or similar menu ingame, it's a torture to go through the items with a d-pad every time especially with the top row of useless buttons like character color picker, logistics, search, reset and close window where the selection tends to jump
- all the inventory, electricity and other similar menus should allow switching menu tabs with L/R bumpers for faster navigation and change the layout of the windows accordingly

Overall the UI is very cursor oriented which makes sense but I think many functions could be put under properly hinted buttons and submenus, being able to control the cursor with the mouse function on S2 JoyCon is not an option as it's a gimmick that's only function is to make your carpal tunnel condition worse. I'm looking forward to you fixing the UI so I can buy the game and play it on the go.

[WujekPawel]

Switch 2 edition :

I can’t join any server. I keep getting the message: “Could not establish network communication with server.” It happens every time, no matter which server I try to connect to.

[Loewchen]

If you have technical issues open a Technical help topic instead please.

[NGMZero]

I moved all my saves from my Mac to Switch 2...

Silly question. How would I go about doing that? I played a bit on PC, still unsure of the Switch 2 purchase due to the UI scaling (as I wrote above).

in my case with the Nintendo switch (base game only), I created a lan game, joined it in the switch, and saved. I had to repeat that for each map and/or unofficial scenarios, I also shared blueprints that way.

[Laincito]

The update is great overall, but the mouse mode still needs an important improvement. The right stick should work like a PC mouse wheel, allowing zoom in/out and scrolling through the interface. The current behavior is quite uncomfortable, and this single change would make a huge difference in usability.

It would also be very helpful if the quickbar could be set to always remain visible when using the controller + mouse mode, not only in the keyboard + mouse mode.

[Konaire]

As someone who has just bought the SA, but who previously beat the Switch-1 version, I just have to chip in regarding controls.

I can understand those who are discouraged by controls to the point of abandoning the game. It was the same for me. The whole philosophy changes when you move away from keyboard and mouse, and it can be very frustrating.

At the same time, what helped me is remembering the controls learning curve on PC (which was also substantial), and giving the game another go. Now I can comfortably say that after some time, trust me, controls on switch are fine, even without the new mouse option, once you accept that it’s just a different game on Switch. For one, it’s much slower (I certainly would not attempt a death world run).

What was the deal breaker for me originally was performance, where the lag started to be noticeable in the endgame with a regular-sized base and a decent chunk of map uncovered. Hoping that it’s gonna be different with the SA!

That said, some of the things mentioned here would definitely go a long way to making the game more user friendly. I would especially second using the bumpers to switch between tabs and having default button selected in menus!

[Edgeworth]

Have you considered releasing a demo for the Switch 2 version so people can experience the mouse control support?

The reason I ask is because I think it’d be really beneficial for you. The Switch 2 is still in its early phase and there’s not an abundance of Switch 2 software, so anything that does have a Switch 2 version will get people interested but without a demo people might pass it by. Even worse is they might try the Switch 1 demo and be put off by the controls not realising how much better the joy con mouse controls are in the Switch 2 version.

There’s a Reddit thread calling Factorio the Switch 2’s best kept secret and most people are in an agreement that the mouse control implementation is the best on the Switch 2, with one user saying Factorio should have been the tech demo for the Joy Con’s mouse functionality.

https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch2/s/9WXO6E6F0E

I think you’ve come in on the ground floor with releasing this game on the Switch 2, like I said there’s not an abundance of Switch 2 games and there really isn’t many that have utilised the joy con mouse functionality in this way. Strategy games on console can be mixed experiences because the games are designed for a mouse and that conversion to controller never quite hits the mark. Factorio is perhaps the first strategy game of its ilk to deliver an experience near enough like for like with PC and it really proves why the mouse functionality of joy cons are worthwhile. I think if more people knew about it and had a chance to experience the mouse controls and core gameplay (which is obviously addictive as hell), you might find a whole new audience that buy the game. Factorio doesn’t go on sale, and I respect that choice, but that means you do miss out on those people that might have looked at it and thought “I’ll add it to my wish list and wait ‘til it goes on sale”, but that can be easily remedied by a free demo of the Switch 2 version, because then they’re getting free access to experience the game, so it removes the waiting for a sale barrier, and those users and then getting access to the best version of the game (as opposed to the Switch 1 version) and then once the user tries out those unique Switch 2 features like mouse support, 4K res, and the core gameplay loop grabs them, they won’t have any qualms about paying full price for the game, instead of waiting for a sale which might not happen.

So yeah I definitely think releasing a Switch 2 demo is worthwhile

[Panzerknacker]

I am wondering one thing; if I were to buy Factorio on Nintendo Switch right now, is there a way to install version 1.1.110?

[eugenekay]

I am wondering one thing; if I were to buy Factorio on Nintendo Switch right now, is there a way to install version 1.1.110?

No, retail Switch units do not have any mechanism to install software outside of Cartridges / distributed through the Nintendo store. Even if you had a copy of the 1.1 version of the game you would need to have a Modded console to install it.

[Panzerknacker]

Ok wow that blows. So you're forever stuck with either your current version of the game OR the latest version on the Nintendo servers.

This is a huge downside not mentioned enough TBH.