GoldenEye 007 remastered: coming to Xbox and Nintendo Switch – but there's a catch

Only one version of the new GoldenEye 007 remastered game will have online multiplayer

Updated: GoldenEye 007 is heading to Xbox Game Pass and Nintendo Switch very, very soon.

The cult-classic shooter will arrive on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription service on January 27, as well as Xbox Game Pass (save $20 on a subscription to Microsoft’s service with our Xbox Game Pass Ultimate discount code).

➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: GoldenEye remaster

• 💪 GoldenEye is coming to Xbox Game Pass & Nintendo Switch Online

• 🥂 It’ll arrive on January 27

• 🤔 But it won’t look exactly the same on each console

• 🌐 You’ll have to play on Nintendo Switch if you fancy online multiplayer

The two versions of the game aren’t exactly the same, though. The Xbox Series X|S version supports 4K resolution, 60fps, and split-screen multiplayer, while the Nintendo Switch port supports none of that – only widescreen resolution – but does include online multiplayer.

It’s a weird distinction, made stranger when you consider the game’s original developer, Rare, is now a subsidiary of Xbox Game Studios. It’s probably down to strange, complicated licensing issues.

But at least Xbox players will get the game in some form. The GoldenEye remaster won’t be heading to PS5 at all. Poor PlayStation fans.

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Original story: The long-rumored GoldenEye 007 remaster is finally being declassified, and, surprise, 25 years after the game first launched on the N64, the definitive James Bond first-person shooter is “coming soon” to two console platforms.

You’ll be able to play the forthcoming GoldenEye remaster on Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass and Nintendo’s Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription services. But, this announcement is upsetting at least half of the fans: only Nintendo subscribers will be able to play online multiplayer with four players involved.

Even with that high-end and much more capable Xbox Series X (now available to purchase at a normal price), you’ll be limited to split-screen four-player local multiplayer. 😬 There’s no GoldenEye 007 PS5 remaster via PlayStation Plus, and that’s not unexpected news given the fact that Sony was never a license holder of the original game (like Nintendo) or owner of the developer that made it (like Microsoft).

Shaken, not stirred

There are things to like in both the Xbox and Nintendo versions of this GoldenEye 007 remaster: a 4K resolution (not 640 x 240i) and a native 16:9 aspect ratio (not 4:3).

There will also be a consistent refresh rate to bring the new GoldenEye up to next-gen console standards – at least for a dated 25-year-old remake that’s not entirely built from the ground up. There will also be achievements to unlock on the Xbox version.

If you don’t have Xbox Game Pass (and haven’t snagged the Xbox Game Pass 12-month discount), there’s one more way to get it on the Microsoft console: owners of the digital Rare Replay compilation will have access to the game free of charge.

The GoldenEye remaster has had many false starts, with reports suggesting that licensing issues among Nintendo, Microsoft/Rare and MGM led to a drawn-out process of bringing the classic game to modern consoles. Diehard fans even brought their own GoldenEye 007 remake (one called GoldenEye Source) to the PC. But today’s announcement seems a lot simpler for everyday consumers.