Cities: Skylines launched in pretty rough shape on Switch back in 2018. It has been a long wait in the years since for an improved experience on our beloved Nintendo hybrids, and later this month, it sounds like we’re getting it.
Cities: Skylines – Expanded Edition is set to launch on Switch 2 on 28th October, fully revamped for the console with updated performance, visuals and controls. This includes boosting buildable tile limits from the original nine to a beefy 25, performance/quality options (targeting 60fps and 30fps respectively), mouse mode implementation, and more.
On top of the tweaks, the new edition will contain 10 previous DLC expansions and content packs, for even more skyline variety.
Here’s a rundown of the game’s key features, courtesy of Paradox Interactive and Tantalus Media:
– 25 Buildable Tiles: Expand your city across a much larger area, increased from the original 9-tile limit.
– Map Editor: Create and customize your own landscapes and maps before you start building.
– UX Improvements: Use precision placement, a distance indicator, and updated snapping options for more refined construction.
– Environmental Controls Panel: Adjust atmospheric elements in real time, including time of day, rain, fog, and environmental coloring.
– Quick Selection Tool: Swap quickly between essential tools and assets for smoother city management.
– Graphics Options: Choose between a Performance Option targeting 60 FPS with upscaling and adjusted quality settings, or a Quality Option targeting 30 FPS and prioritizing visual fidelity.
– Keyboard and Mouse Support: Build with keyboard and mouse input alongside traditional controller configurations.
– 10 DLC Expansions and Content Packs Included: Expand your city with a collection of additional content included in the Expanded Edition, from the After Dark, Snowfall, Green Cities, and Sunset Harbor expansions to Map Pack 3, Country Road, Pearls from the East, Deep Focus Radio, Carols, Candles & Candy, and Match Day.
All of this will launch on the eShop later this month for £41.49 / $49.00 / €41.00, with a 70% discount available to all those who own the Switch 1 version until 28th April 2027.
“Cities: Skylines – Nintendo Switch Edition has so much potential and offers a fine alternative to SimCity’s broken reboot,” we said in our 2018 review of the original Switch launch, “but this game needed to be revamped and re-approached for Switch in a way that doesn’t turn it into a performance quagmire”. Here’s hoping that things are altogether more enjoyable on Switch 2 in a few weeks.
