Porting to other platforms?

[TypicalHB]

Heyo! Title explains it, but to add a little more detail: I want to make a game and port it to consoles like Xbox or Playstation.

I've read some older threads but im still struggling to understand, or get a straight answer.

I dont care about pricing. Some people in older threads mentioned the price it would cost to release on these platforms. That is not my main concern. I just want the more technical stuff. Say hypothetically, i had the funds to release on these consoles, what do i actually have to do make my game work with the console?

Something to note: The game is single player, so networking isnt an issue. I just want my game to be playable on the consoles.

I really want to make my game with Love, but honestly, im starting to fall out of love with love. I might switch to Monogame, Unity, or Unreal because they make it a lot more clear what platforms are supported. Ill still use love, but not being able to release on consoles is a big turn off for me.

[zorg]

Löve is pretty clear about what platforms it supports though, PC (Windows, OSX and Linux OS-es, and potentially some more) and Mobile (iOS and Android)

Anything else is some kind of an unofficial port, whether it be a web-based one or homebrew for consoles. The very few devs who stuck with löve and wanted to release on a console *not* as a homebrew, they probably implemented löve for themselves on said consoles, and usually due to NDA reasons, that can't be shared publicly (although you might be able to wave your own papers about having the rights to develop for said console, and then *maybe* they might share some insight with you, if not the code... that said, i'm not a lawer)

Homebrew is simpler now for 3DS and Switch due to LövePotion being a very actively developed port.

[glitchapp]

There is a love game ported to nintendo switch: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=93522&p=249459&hil ... ch#p249459

[MrFariator]

Love is possible to port to consoles like Switch and PlayStation, yes, but it's not an "out of the box" solution. In order to gain access to the resources needed for console porting, you need to be able to join the relevant platform's partner program. This has some bureaucratic requirements (having an established company, appearing trustworthy to the platform holders, etc). Not only that, to get the game out to these platforms, your game also needs to pass some certification requirements (game is stable enough and doesn't crash, game's content is within their guidelines, some platform-specific guidelines are upheld, etc).

The reason why you can't find exact details about the due processes is because of NDAs, like zorg mentioned. Engines like Unity and Unreal can offer more out-of-the-box solutions for porting to consoles, but again, you won't be able to know the exact processes until you've met the requirements.

First and foremost, however, you should worry about making a game first. Even if you use another engine that boasts having Switch or PlayStation port capabilities, there's nothing to do with said capabilities if there's no game to port.

This is speculative but I think that to publish on most closed hardware and ecosystems you need to meet high requirements like high quality standards and they will probably want you to "squeeze the hardware" for which love is not the best framework.

This is false. You are not expected to squeeze the hardware by any means, so long your game is perceived to be of good enough quality, and passes the certification process. Of course, platform holders may not highlight your game in their events or social channels unless it's really impressive, but it doesn't stop the game from being put out to PlayStation Store and eShop.

- Steam deck,

Steam deck is pretty much natively supported, because Steam deck is just a portable PC. There isn't anything too special you might need to consider, outside of some control mappings.