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Game Development · head to head

CryEngine vs Nintendo Switch Online

CryEngine logo

CryEngine

Game Development

Build worlds, break limits. Professional game development engine.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
N

Nintendo Switch Online

Gaming

Online play, classic games and more

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only CryEngine has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CryEngine a royalty of 5% of Gross Receipts is payable to Crytek on every game built with CRYENGINE; Nintendo Switch Online individual plan is $19.99 per year but access to GameCube, N64, Game Boy Advance and SEGA Genesis titles requires the $49.99 per year Expansion Pack tier

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CryEngine and Nintendo Switch Online actually diverge.

Attributes where CryEngine and Nintendo Switch Online differ
AttributeCryEngineNintendo Switch Online
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, Playstation, Xbox, LinuxWeb
CategoryGame DevelopmentGaming
Founded1999Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in CryEngine

  • Advanced graphics
  • Physics engine
  • AI system
  • Animation tools
  • Flow Graph visual scripting
  • C++ and Lua support
  • Entity component system
  • Sandbox editor

Only in Nintendo Switch Online

Nothing recorded that CryEngine does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

CryEngine

  • Building photorealistic first person and open world games with real time global illuminationnot Nintendo Switch Online
  • Developing with full engine source code accessnot Nintendo Switch Online
  • Sandbox based level design with what you see is what you get exportnot Nintendo Switch Online

Nintendo Switch Online

No use cases recorded yet. See the Nintendo Switch Online review.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

CryEngine

  • A royalty of 5% of Gross Receipts is payable to Crytek on every game built with CRYENGINE
  • Royalties are waived only on the first USD 5,000.00 of Gross Receipts per year per game
  • Royalties are calculated at source on gross receipts before any publisher or platform deductions, so a developer receiving 70% of USD 100,000 still owes USD 4,750
  • Military projects, gambling, simulation, science, architecture and serious games are excluded from the standard licence and are not covered as Games
  • The licence forbids combining CRYENGINE with code from other game engine providers
  • Supported platforms are limited to those Crytek announces at its sole discretion, listed in the agreement as Windows, Linux, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
  • Support is only provided against payment of a separate Support Fee that Crytek may change at its sole discretion
  • Crytek may modify the licence agreement at any time, with the only remedy for disagreement being to stop using CRYENGINE

Nintendo Switch Online

  • Individual plan is $19.99 per year but access to GameCube, N64, Game Boy Advance and SEGA Genesis titles requires the $49.99 per year Expansion Pack tier
  • Family plan pricing of $34.99 or $79.99 per year caps membership sharing at 8 accounts

Pricing, plan by plan

CryEngine

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full engine access
    • Source code
    • Asset library

Nintendo Switch Online

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Nintendo Switch Online review.

Which should you pick?

Choose CryEngine if

  • You need advanced graphics.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Playstation, Xbox, Linux.
  • You also want physics engine.
CryEngine review

Choose Nintendo Switch Online if

Nothing in the data separates Nintendo Switch Online from CryEngine on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Nintendo Switch Online review

Questions people ask

Is CryEngine or Nintendo Switch Online better?
Neither clearly leads. CryEngine starts at Free and Nintendo Switch Online at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CryEngine or Nintendo Switch Online?
CryEngine has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for CryEngine and On request for Nintendo Switch Online.
Does CryEngine or Nintendo Switch Online run on more platforms?
CryEngine runs on Windows, Playstation, Xbox, Linux. Nintendo Switch Online runs on Web.
Can I use CryEngine for free?
Yes. CryEngine has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Nintendo Switch Online starts at On request.
What is CryEngine best used for?
CryEngine is most often used for building photorealistic first person and open world games with real time global illumination, developing with full engine source code access, sandbox based level design with what you see is what you get export. Of those, building photorealistic first person and open world games with real time global illumination and developing with full engine source code access are not what Nintendo Switch Online is typically brought in for.
What can CryEngine do that Nintendo Switch Online cannot?
CryEngine covers Advanced graphics, Physics engine, AI system, Animation tools.
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