A vague Twitter response has many wondering if the rhythm slasher could be heading to the portable console.
Last week Beat Games posted a mysterious tweet featuring a GIF of a Beat Saber block whipping rapidly back-and-forth accompanied by the message “NOVEMBER 7.” Since then the developer has remained quiet, providing commenters with cryptic responses that have only increased speculation surrounding the date.
Within the thread of comments, one user asks whether or not the rhythm slasher would ever be available on the Nintendo Switch console. Beat Games’ response was an interesting one:
“We are definitely having something like this in mind for the future :)”
While the comment — which has already been deleted — in no way confirms an official Switch port of the game, it’s interesting to learn that Beat Games is already been playing around with the concept. The question is whether or not the system can support the intense level of tracking demanded by the experience. While the Nintendo Joycon controls do feature a gyroscope and accelerometer, they are still limited to 3DoF, allowing the console to track their direction and orientation, but not their physical locations.
Anyone who’s played just a few rounds of Beat Saber will tell you that timing and accuracy are everything; even a fraction-of-a-second can mean the difference between a great score and a perfect one. While we have seen the Nintendo Joycon controllers used successfully in more aggressive gaming formats, such as ARMS, it’s tough to say whether or not the controllers would be able to keep up with the fast movements required by the rhythm slasher.
Still, it’s hard to ignore the appeal of a potential non-VR Beat Saber experience, one that could be played on a conventional TV without the need for a headset. There is the possibility of support for Labo VR, though the current VR Viewer does not feature a dedicated head strap, requiring players to instead hold the tablet to their headset manually.
As for what the November 7th date is actually referring to, your guess is as good as mine. While the GIF provided does appear to show a Beat Saber block moving rotating left and right, Beat Games has already stated that the games’ long-teased 360 mode won’t be arriving until December. There’s also the possibility of a Beat Saber x SUPERHOT VR collaboration which Beat Games teased back in October as part of an online poll, though the likelihood of that project existing, let alone ready for release, is slim to none.
Feature Image Credit: Beat Games