Gab Hernandez 
Stardew Valley update 1.6 is old hat for PC players at this point, but Nintendo Switch owners are still wondering when the release date might come for their preferred platform.
Stardew Valley is one of the most prolific indie successes in video game history. Under the sole development of Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, Stardew Valley went from a humble game inspired by Harvest Moon to a multi-platform juggernaut all its own. Impressively, the game’s success continues without paid DLC or microtransactions.
Every update to Stardew Valley has been free of charge, which has kept players coming back to the farming-themed life sim. While releasing a major free content update for a seven-year-old game was a surprise, Stardew lifers who play on consoles are getting antsy over when the latest patch will arrive.
Is Stardew Valley 1.6 coming to Nintendo Switch?
ConcernedApe confirmed the Stardew Valley 1.6 update will come out on Nintendo Switch, Xbox and PlayStation consoles, and mobile devices, but he hasn’t offered any specific information on a release date.
Although small teams have helped ConcernedApe with ports, the bulk of the work still falls on his shoulders. Given the busy schedule with Haunted Chocolatier and the massive undertaking of Stardew Valley 1.6, the development gap is understandably bigger than usual.
The latest version of Stardew Valley on the Nintendo Switch is 1.5, released in February 2021. For context, the PC version of Stardew Valley released the 1.5 update in December 2020. This meant there were around three months between the PC and console releases. More time than that has already passed since the release of Stardew Valley 1.6 on PC, which has left fans wondering if there’s been a chance of plans.
When is the release date for Stardew Valley 1.6 on Switch?
ConcernedApe has not provided a release date for Stardew Valley 1.6 on the Switch.
There’s already been a long wait between Stardew Valley 1.6’s release on PC and none of the console ports are up-to-date. While the 1.6 update didn’t outwardly seem like it added more than what was found in 1.5 or 1.4, it actually included a major overhaul of the game engine. 1.6 had its share of bugs and technical issues resulting in a variety of issues including regular crashing.
The undertaking has been a colossal effort, with extra work needed to ensure things run smoothly.
These problems may play a part in why the console parts have taken so long. The 1.6 update will likely be a major boon for PC players as it offers greater flexibility for modders. Console players won’t benefit nearly as much, but will still receive a sizable helping of new content. Either way, Stardew Valley players on the Switch will have to wait a while longer.
