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GoldenEye 007 is finally coming to Xbox and Nintendo Switch

GoldenEye 007 is finally coming to Xbox and Nintendo Switch

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After years of rights issues, a GoldenEye 007 remaster is here

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GoldenEye 007 is finally coming to Nintendo Switch and Xbox. Nintendo announced today that Rare is releasing GoldenEye 007 HD on Nintendo Switch and Xbox soon as a remaster of the legendary Nintendo 64 title that first launched in 1997.

The remastered game on Xbox includes 4K resolution, smoother frame rates, and even split-screen local multiplayer. Rare says it will even arrive on Xbox Game Pass and Nintendo Switch Online, but online multiplayer modes will be exclusive to the Switch version according to a post on the official 007 site.

Microsoft confirmed the lack of online multiplayer mode on Xbox in a statement to The Verge, and it appears to be because the Xbox and Nintendo Switch versions are actually different. Nintendo appears to be using the original game, whereas Microsoft says it has made a “faithful recreation” of GoldenEye 007. There is no announced date for the GoldenEye 007 release just yet on either platforms.

The classic campaign mode and cheat modes will return alongside support for dual analogue sticks and native 16:9 aspect ratio at up to 4K resolution on Xbox. If you already own a digital copy of Rare Replay then GoldenEye 007 is included and free of charge.

The remastered version of GoldenEye has 4K graphics.
GoldenEye 007 running on an Xbox.
Image: Microsoft
There will be plenty of achievements to unlock in the new GoldenEye 007 version.
There will be plenty of achievements to unlock in the new GoldenEye 007 version.
Image: Microsoft

It’s been a long time coming after an HD remaster was supposed to launch on Xbox 360 in 2008, but licensing and rights issues complicated a deal to ever release it. That HD remaster leaked last year, complete with the original single-player campaign and even local split-screen multiplayer. Now we have an official GoldenEye 007 remaster for the Xbox and Nintendo Switch for the first time.

There have been many attempts to remake the original GoldenEye 007 N64 game, including an attempt by Activision that was nothing like the N64 original. Fans have also successfully remade GoldenEye 007 in various engines, only for one project to be hit by lawyers from rights holders MGM in 2020. Rare, the game’s original developers, even created a spiritual successor, Perfect Dark, in 2000. It was a similar style and upgraded engine but a new and original IP that eventually saw a remaster in 2010.

The announcement of a GoldenEye 007 remaster comes just as James Bond fans celebrate 60 years of the iconic movies. Various events are being held, culminating in James Bond Day on October 5th.

Alongside the GoldenEye 007 announcement, Nintendo is also adding Pokémon Stadium, Mario Party, Pilotwings 64, 1080° Snowboarding, and Excitebike 64 to Nintendo Switch Online.

Update, September 13th 11:20AM ET: Article updated with more details on game features.

Update, September 14th 7:30AM ET: Article updated with confirm from Microsoft on lack of online multiplayer for Xbox, and details on different games for Xbox and Nintendo Switch.