Tom Guillermin says Sandfall Interactive wants Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 on Expedition 33 Switch 2, but the studio sees a “big technical challenge” ahead. That puts the game in the same conversation as other Switch 2 ports that have required extra engineering work, even as Nintendo’s console already runs some modern releases with minimal compromises.
Tom Guillermin on the port
“big technical challenge” is how Guillermin described the job in a new interview with Automaton Media. For players, that means the question is not whether Sandfall Interactive likes the idea of a Switch 2 version; it is whether the studio can make the game fit the hardware without a costly rewrite.
Alan Reynaud added that many of the Unreal Engine 5 features used by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 simply do not work on Switch 2 at present. He said, “They’re introducing features like Lumen Lite now, which is easier to run than the standard Lumen, but these things take time to roll out, so we’ll have to consider the updates coming from Unreal Engine to determine what to do.”
Unreal Engine 5 limits
Unreal Engine 5 is the core issue here. Sandfall Interactive built its RPG around features from that engine, and the problem is not a generic porting exercise; it is the mismatch between what the game already relies on and what Switch 2 can support today. Reynaud’s mention of Lumen Lite points to the kind of tooling shift that could eventually make the port more realistic.
That leaves smaller teams in a tighter spot than publishers with larger budgets. A time-consuming port can be absorbed more easily when there is money and staff to spare, but Sandfall Interactive is now waiting on engine-level changes before it can decide how far to push the project.
Switch 2 port pressure
The same console is already carrying other demanding releases. Resident Evil Requiem and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth are described as running on Switch 2 with minimal compromises, and Onimusha: Way of the Sword will launch on Switch 2 at the same time as on PS5 and Xbox Series X. That makes the obstacle around Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 look less like a hardware ceiling and more like a software and production problem.
Borderlands 4 was indefinitely delayed on Switch 2 for additional development and polish time, and Strauss Zelnick later said it had not been cancelled. Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition also slipped after hands-on impressions from Gamescom raised serious red flags, though Elden Ring is now due on Aug. 28. Those examples set the bar for what Nintendo’s console can get, but they also show how much work third-party support can demand.
For now, the practical read is simple: Sandfall Interactive wants the Switch 2 version, but the studio is waiting on Unreal Engine updates before it can decide what that actually looks like. Until those tools arrive, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 remains a technical question, not a finished port.
