Behind the Scenes: How Porting Studios Get Games onto New Platforms

There are many reasons why you might want a game to run on a number of platforms rather than just one. First, it’s just a smart business move: the more platforms your game is available on, the more sales you can get. Second, players like choices. Many players have multiple platforms — PCs, consoles, etc. So the question of “to port or not to port” is a no-brainer.

Of course, if it were that simple, everyone would’ve done it already. Have you ever wondered why not every single game gets a release across everything that is available? Because getting a game to run well on all of them is not a simple task.

That’s where a game porting studio comes in. These get games to play on new systems so that fans can get their hands on their favorite releases on as many platforms as possible.

In this article, let’s take a look at how porting studios bring games onto new machines.

Understanding Game Porting

Porting is when a game is taken and made to work on platforms other than the one it was made for initially. A game from a PlayStation console can be ported to PC, or from PC to mobile, for example.

Porting is all about revising the game’s code, assets, and controls to accommodate new hardware and operating systems.

Each platform has some technical requirements:

• different processors
• memory limitations
• graphics APIs
• input devices

A studio specializing in game porting gets the game to play on a new platform without sacrificing the core experience. That’s what experts like N-iX Games are to deliver.

The Reasons Developers Choose Game Porting Studios

Developers often prefer to go to specialized porting studios instead of doing the task themselves. Why?

There are many good reasons for that. Porting is technically demanding and time-consuming. It requires an in-depth understanding of the original game architecture and the new platform’s hardware and software environment.

Porting studios have experts who have experience:

• code adaptation
• optimization
• platform certification processes

They can move the porting timeline faster and avoid costly mistakes. Porting also helps the developers to focus on creating new titles or patches while experienced professionals handle the complex platform transition.

To most studios, this means cost savings and fast time-to-market. All of it is critical in the industry, as competitive as the gaming one.

So, how do studios like N-iX Games handle the whole porting process?

Step 1: Initial Planning and Evaluation

A porting company performs an initial evaluation of the original product before coding. The company evaluates the codebase, assets, and architecture of the game in an attempt to learn how it was developed.

The company also checks the technical specs of the target platform, such as the processor type, graphics capabilities, storage space, and input devices. Incompatibilities are picked up early, such as differences in graphics APIs, memory management, or file system structure.

Based on this, companies porting games create a plan with technical goals and figure out what modifications will be needed. They allocate resources and deadlines to ensure the project remains on track, too.

Proper communication with the original developer is crucial during this phase. It helps to establish expectations and confirm any changes to the features or material of the game.

Step 2: Code Adaptation and Optimization

With a plan in place, it’s time to start changing the code to run on the new platform. This task is typically the most technical and complex.

The initial code is normally designed for a specific hardware and operating system. Porting basically means rewriting or adapting parts of the code to support the new system’s APIs, processor instructions, and graphics libraries.

Aside from compatibility, performance is another key part. The studio must get the game to run as well as possible without lag or crashes. This involves CPU and GPU optimization, memory management, and load times. And with mobile platforms, add power consumption and heat management to the list.

Step 3: Controls and UI Changes

Each platform has its own input method. For PCs, it’s keyboards and mice, for consoles — controllers, and for mobile it’s touchscreens. Studios must make the controls and user interface on the target platform feel intuitive, responsive, and natural.

This process generally involves:

• Remapping control schemes. This can be mapping keyboard inputs to controller buttons or touchscreen gestures.
• Supporting new input types. For example, adding aim assist for shooters on touchscreens.
• Rebuilding UI for different screens. Menus, buttons, and prompts must be resized.
• Designing visual elements. Touch-friendly designs assist mobile devices, while consoles can support larger text and more complex layouts.
• Implementing accessibility features. Changes like text-to-speech, resizable text, or custom control mapping allow the game to be more accessible.

With careful controls and UI adaptation, studios make a game enjoyable and playable, no matter where it is being played.

Step 4: Quality Assurance and Testing

The port is tested extensively once it is created to identify bugs, glitches, and performance issues. Quality assurance (QA) engineers test the game on actual hardware to verify that everything runs as expected.

Cross-platform testing is difficult due to the individual quirks and restrictions of each device. The testers look for crashes, graphical issues, input lag, and inconsistency with the behavior of the original game. They also ensure that save data, multiplayer, and in-game purchases all function properly.

Step 5: Final Release and Post-Launch Support

After being thoroughly tested, the game porting studio prepares the game for launch. This involves wrapping the game up for digital release platforms like Steam, PlayStation Store, Xbox Marketplace, or App Stores.

If console porting, the studio helps guide the process of approval and certification of the platform, which can entail technical conformity testing and content requirements.

Once released, the studio can help with patching or updating to fix any issues that arise after the game enters the hands of numerous players. Securing stability and performance over time is key to having a great player experience.

Conclusion

Game porting is a technically challenging, multistep process. It requires expertise, creativity, and good cooperation.

Studios that take up such a task play a central role here. They help to open a game up to new markets by bringing it over to new platforms. All without sacrificing quality, of course.

For game developers, working with a porting studio can be such a saver. It can help save time, money, and stress, all while delivering a great end result that gamers will enjoy.