The First Console Release For Civilization VI Arrives Today

Today is a big day for the Civilization franchise, as Civilization VI is coming to consoles for the first time. Though the Civilization franchise has mostly been confined to PC and Mac throughout its multi-decade history, Civilization VI has done a lot to change that, launching on iPad last year and iPhone in October. As of today, Civilization VI is also available on Nintendo Switch, which marks the first time since Civilization II that a mainline game has been made available on consoles.

For that reason, the announcement of Civilization VI for Switch took us by surprise. Still, its turn-based strategy gameplay does seem like a better fit for consoles than something like real-time strategy, and when thinking about it a little deeper, the Switch becomes a solid platform for something like Civilization VI.

Though games of Civilization can carry on for hours (or days if we're talking about older entries in the series), its turn-based design means that it's really easy to pick it up and play for a few turns before setting it down again. The Switch's portability means that you can now use Civilization VI to fill the gaps in your day, which is something we imagine quite a few people are going to take advantage of.

Does this Switch launch mean that we'll eventually see Civilization VI launch on Xbox One and PS4 too? That's unknown, but it certainly isn't outside the realm of possibility. If the Switch can run this game, the Xbox One and PS4 definitely can, so here's hoping that it isn't long before we get an announcement confirming ports for those platforms as well.

In any case, there's a few things you should know about Civilization VI on Switch before you dive in. Though there are a number of DLC packs launching alongside the game (four of which are included when you buy Civ VI), its first expansion, Rise and Fall, isn't available on Switch. We don't know if it ever will come to Switch either, so be prepared for the possibility that it won't.

Another thing to consider is that there isn't any option for online multiplayer. That isn't entirely surprising given the length of Civ games, but regardless, if you want to play multiplayer, it'll have to be through LAN with multiple consoles. If those caveats aren't enough to dissuade you, then you can pick up the Switch version of Civilization VI today from Amazon for $60.

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