Stardew Valley: What Platform Should You Play On?

Since its debut in February 2016, Stardew Valley has stayed popular among fans of chill farming sims. With regular updates keeping the game from fading in the genre, Stardew Valley remains relevant and interesting. Developer ConcernedApe has gone the extra mile for fans by making the updates, which are as big as DLC packs, free to everyone who has already purchased the game. Because of its success, Stardew Valley ports exist on most platforms, but not all versions are as good as PC.

Games that start on PC often get ported to PlayStation and Xbox consoles if they become popular. However, the success of these ports is largely determined by how they translate the games’ mechanics from mouse and keyboard to controller. For games like Stardew Valley, which relies heavily on mouse commands, this translation can be difficult and create a learning curve for fans who have already played on PC. The PlayStation and Xbox controls for Stardew Valley don’t always feel as intuitive, and icons and items are often hard to see when playing on a TV, as the screen is much farther away, making the pixel graphics blurry and difficult to read.

A console that has handled the translation of Stardew Valley well is the Nintendo Switch. The handheld system makes Stardew Valley fully portable, which is appealing to those who don’t want to haul a laptop around or don’t have time to sit in front of their TVs to play. The controls are smooth, and visibility is excellent on the Switch’s smaller screen – though, like the PlayStation and Xbox versions, Stardew Valley updates for Switch come several weeks to a few months after they drop on PC, which can be frustrating for fans who want to play without spoilers. The Switch version of Stardew Valley also has better right-stick cursor controls than the PS4 or Xbox. It can be hard to see the cursor on a full-sized TV, but it’s clearly visible on the Switch’s screen, making navigation less frustrating. Additionally, while it may be dependent on player preference, the Switch’s analog stick also seems to be in a better position, making it less likely players might accidentally bump it.

Why Stardew Valley’s Switch Port Is Its Best Version

Players can also find portability in the mobile versions of Stardew Valley, available on both Android and iOS. Having a farm in the palm of a player’s hand sounds amazing, but, much like the mobile version of Terraria, the U.I. is clunky and cluttered, as Stardew Valley has a lot of commands that must be smashed into a small screen. Because of this, the display feels cramped, and visibility is poor, making for a frustrating gaming experience.

Of all the consoles with ports of Stardew Valley, the Nintendo Switch seems to have the best, marrying portability with solid gameplay. While the interface for the Switch does take some adjustments for players used to the PC, it won’t be long before they are plowing Stardew Valley’s farms and restoring the Community Center with their Joy-Con controllers. For those wanting to take Stardew Valley on the road, the Nintendo Switch is an excellent option.

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