2,779 days. That’s how long it’s been since Nintendo released the Switch. Do you know how many Silent Hill games have launched on it in that time? Zero. Not a single one, and that’s mind-boggling to me. Does Konami not know how badly Switch players want to get their hands on one of the most iconic horror franchises of all time – okay, I’m Switch players, but I know I’m not the only one mourning its absence in the wake of the release of the Silent Hill 2 remake.
All week I’ve seen people enjoying the remake, I’ve seen screenshots of James standing outside Brookhaven Hospital, where he’s about to meet a bunch of hot nurses, I’ve seen images of the protagonist walking through the fog, and while I’m about to join everyone as I cave and buy it on PS5, I’m left feeling out in the cold as a Nintendo Switch player – maybe the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 will soothe my soul and give me a spooky surprise.
There are many great horror games on Nintendo Switch, so it’s not as though we’re deprived of spooky treats, especially as there are eleven Resident Evil games on the platform, including Resident Evil Village, RE7, the Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes, and both Revelations. Capcom has even gone one step further, bringing select Resi games to a mobile audience.
Many regard Silent Hill 2 as one of the best horror games of all time, perhaps even the best regarding psychological horror. The story of James Sunderland is truly haunting, taking you on an intense journey that explores the deepest recess of the mind, giving you a glimpse into his psyche through the horrors he encounters. If you don’t want to read too much into it, Silent Hill 2 features Pyramid Head, a king, an icon, and a villain Switch players should be able to encounter outside of Dead by Daylight. No offense to Behaviour Interactive, but that asymmetrical horror multiplayer game is a poor substitute for the real thing.

So why isn’t Konami giving Silent Hills games the same treatment? There isn’t a Resident Evil 4 Remake Switch port, so I never seriously expected there to be a Silent Hill 2 Switch version. Well, as far as Bloober’s remake is concerned, even if I think it should be. However, I certainly think there’s more scope to put the original Silent Hill 2 on Switch or the Silent Hill collection Konami released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
If we put Silent Hill 2 to one side, there are other great games in the franchise that would feel right at home on Nintendo Switch, the most obvious of which is Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. The reason is that the first platform the 2009 title arrived on was the Nintendo Wii, coming to PS2 and PlayStation Portable early the following year. It’s even one of the best PSP games out there, indicating how good it is on a portable console.
Admittedly, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories isn’t the scariest game of the bunch, but perhaps that makes it a good entry point for a new audience. We even named it one of the Switch horror games we’d love to see; that was three years ago, and Konami still isn’t listening.
Then, while it’s not the most popular Silent Hill game, I’m a fan of Homecoming. Is that because it also features Pyramid Head, my one true love besides Geralt? Yes. But that’s not the only reason. I think some of the bosses in Homecoming are truly grotesque (Scarlet lives in my head rent-free), and it’s a shame that not more people know about them. Granted, this entry is from 2008, but old games constantly pop up on the Switch. Capcom has no qualms about releasing various Resident Evil games on the platform, including RE4, which originally came out before Silent Hill Homecoming.
I know what you’re thinking: Capcom did soft remasters on those three games, porting them to the PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, so let’s look at another game. Resident Evil Revelations was released in 2012, the same year as three different Silent Hill games. That RE game found its way on Nintendo Switch just fine, so why on Earth isn’t Konami printing easy money with ports of Silent Hill: Book of Memories, Silent Hill: Downpour, and the aforementioned Silent Hill HD collection, the latter of which features the first three games.
If The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Skyrim can run on Switch, there’s zero reason for the absence of Silent Hill in the performance department. As I already said, Silent Hill on Nintendo Switch would print money, so cash isn’t the issue here, and it’s not like there’s no interest in the franchise anymore, as evidenced by the Silent Hill 2 remake and the upcoming movie.

Numerous Silent Hill projects are in the works, including Silent Hill F, which is due to be the ninth mainline entry in the series following the ill-fated cancellation of Silent Hills – luckily, I still have the PT demo so I can remind myself of what could have been – may it rest in peace. Silent Hills was due to be a PS4 exclusive, while the Silent Hill 2 remake is only on PC and PS5. Not even Xbox players can get it, making me wrought with worry that the Silent Hill drought will continue for Nintendo Switch, even with the release of the next console.
Hopefully, my fears are unfounded, and Konami realizes the potential of giving more people a chance to visit the town of Silent Hill. “Is she really alive… waiting for me?” Give everyone the opportunity to find the answer to that famous question themselves.