Professor Layton Breaks Nintendo Exclusivity Barrier Across Platforms
By Published Apr 10, 2026, 12:07 PM EDT Ben Brosofsky has been writing for Screen Rant since 2026 and editing since 2026. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor's in Cinema & Media Arts. Writing serves as a much-needed distraction from tackling a backlog of Steam games that will never be surmounted. Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
In the cross-platform age, exclusivity remains the hardest barrier to surmount. While PlayStation has brought plenty of games to PC, and Xbox has started releasing , anything traditionally associated with Nintendo is still unlikely to make it to other platforms.
When it comes to true first-party titles like Mario and Zelda, this situation will likely never change, as Nintendo tends to use exclusivity as one of its biggest selling points. It's still possible for other games associated with Nintendo to show up elsewhere, though, as one franchise is proving after nearly 20 years of exclusivity.
Professor Layton Is No Longer A Switch Exclusive
In a new trailer for the VISION showcase today, the planned Switch exclusive Professor Layton and the New World of Steam revealed a simultaneous release on Switch, Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Steam. The Professor Layton series has been a prominent name in the puzzle genre since its 2007 debut, but the games have only ever appeared on Nintendo DS, 3DS, Android, and iOS.
Professor Layton and the New World of Steam was originally before getting delayed. It now seems like some of that extra time might have been put toward porting the title to other platforms, as well as developing a Switch 2 upgrade for the game.
Nintendo Fans Should Still Celebrate
I've been a huge fan of Professor Layton ever since the first game, and I'm happy to see the franchise expanding its potential audience. I'm not confident that New World of Steam can truly recapture the magic of the original series — Professor Layton always made great use of the — but since that ship has sailed, there's nothing to lose by bringing it to as many platforms as possible.
Xbox users are unfortunately still out of luck, most likely due to Xbox's comparative lack of popularity in Japan, where developer LEVEL5 is based.
There's still no release date set for Professor Layton and the New World of Steam, but the trailer confirms that the simultaneous release will still be happening in 2026. Another highlight is that Joe Hisaishi, most well-known for his Studio Ghibli film scores, will be composing the theme song for the game.
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Hopefully, Professor Layton and the New World of Steam's release date doesn't run afoul of other 2026 juggernauts like Grand Theft Auto 6 or the rumored Ocarina of Time remake. At any rate, the former Nintendo exclusive's availability on PS5 and Steam certainly won't hurt its chances of success.
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