Olimar fans can finally rest in peace, as Nintendo has at last released Pikmin 4 for the Nintendo Switch. Launched on July 21, 2023, the game is the latest title to come out from the veteran development team over at Nintendo EPD and the studio behind DNF Duel, Eighting. Pikmin 4 marks the fourth main installment of the Pikmin series. Reviews of Pikmin 4 have been fairly positive, making it another great Nintendo first-party title. But playing the game on the Switch can sometimes be annoying due to hardware limitations and screen size. That’s why many players are wondering if the game can be played on a PC.
One of the many great things about PC gaming is the amount of freedom you get. Having the ability to add mods, delete and copy saved files, mess around with configurations, and such are just some of the amazing features of PC gaming. And best of all, a good enough PC can run most console games at a higher frame rate with much better graphics, provided there is an emulator available to run those games. Now, the Nintendo Switch is certainly in its last years as the rumors for the next Nintendo console ramp up. Pikmin 4 might just be one of the last few first-party titles we are going to get before the next console launches. So, is Pikmin 4 playable on PC? Let’s find out!
Pikmin 4 on PC: Is It Playable
If you are wondering whether Pikmin 4 can be played on PC officially, we have bad news to share. It is a Nintendo-exclusive title and most likely will not see its arrival on other platforms, including PC. Due to its exclusivity with Nintendo, this makes it pretty much locked to that specific platform only.
Nintendo isn’t particularly known for porting their games to PCs, or any other platform for that matter. When it comes to exclusivity, they are the poster boys for it. So, if you were thinking of playing Pikmin 4 on a PC by buying it through official channels, then it’s better to abandon that thought.
Any other way?
While officially there’s no hope, one workaround is there, as always: emulators. Unless you have been frozen in time for the past decades, you must have heard of these things, even if you haven’t tried them yourself. However, if you are still unaware of them, just think of them as software that can emulate or mimic another device to run applications on a particular device. Like most other consoles, the Nintendo Switch also has emulators. For PC, currently, we have two that can run most Switch games, and that too at a much better FPS and resolution. You can check out Yuzu and Ryujinx emulators for all your Nintendo Switch emulation needs. Right now, these two are your best choices if you want to play Pikmin 4 on your PC.
That said, now you know whether you can play Pikmin 4 on your PC. For more info and guides on Pikmin 4 and other Nintendo Switch games, don’t forget to bookmark DigiStatement. Also, read: How to play Pikmin 4 on PC via Ryujinx Emulator?