Grandia HD Collection Isn’t on PS4 at Launch Because the Remaster Doesn’t Support 4K

Tomas Franzese June 19, 2019 2:58 PM EST

GunHo explained to DualShockers why Grandia HD Collection is only to coming to Nintendo Switch at launch and not PS4.

For fans of JRPGs, E3 2019 was great. While games like Final Fantasy VII and Trials of Mana hogged the spotlight, GungHo Online Entertainment also showed off Grandia HD Collection, a really competent and crisp looking remaster of Grandia and Grandia II for Nintendo Switch. While fans of the influential series are clearly happy about the announcement, many were surprised by the fact that the remaster is not coming to PS4. As such, DualShockers asked GungHo Online Entertainment’s Director of Game Publishing Takeshi Minagawa about why they decided to only bring the game to Switch at launch and not another popular platform for JRPGs like PS4.

Interestingly, there are two pillars to this reasoning. First off, Minagawa-san thinks that the Nintendo Switch is the console that suits a game like Grandia HD Collection the best. “The Switch seems to be a platform that is revitalizing and reviving the JRPG, even old JPRGs,” he explained. As other older JPRG IPs like the Mana series are finding new life on Nintendo Switch with things like Collection of Mana. this thought process makes sense.

As for a reason more specific to the PS4, Takeshi Minagawa discussed the challenges of making the game support 4K on the more powerful system. “When you look at Nintendo Switch, it only supports up to 1080p. The PS4 is now actually moving into 4K. If we actually tried to convert the original graphics to 4K, one, that’s too much work, and two, we are going to have to think about how we are trying to convert the visuals to 4K while keeping the original essence in it.” With how much work is being done to tailor Grandia HD Collection to modern platforms and screens, attempting to refine the dated visuals even further into 4K is probably a difficult task.

That being said, Minagawa-san would not rule out the possibility of Grandia HD Collection coming to PS4 in the future. “Still, there is a possibility that we are going to convert and try to bring Grandia and Grandia II to PS4 but I think the Switch is more suitable to deliver the older games to the fans. When it comes to the future, we don’t know yet. Maybe we’d think about bringing it to the PS4 and Xbox,” Takeshi Minagawa concluded. If Grandia HD Collection were to come to those platforms, would 4K support be important to you? If you truly want to see the remaster on other platforms, 4K support seems like the hurdle fans would have to give GungHo Online Entertainment the confidence to either ignore or overcome.

If GungHo Online Entertainment ever changes their mind and decides to bring Grandia HD Collection to another console, DualShockers will let you know. Grandia HD Collection is currently in development for Nintendo Switch, though Grandia HD Remastered and Grandia II HD Remastered will be hitting PC alongside the Nintendo Switch collection’s release.