Orbitals Debuts on Switch 2 on Sept. 3, Starting at $60

Q: Will Orbitals' strictly asymmetric co-op mechanics completely shut out players hoping for a solo experience?

Yes. Based on everything officially disclosed so far, Orbitals does not offer a true solo mode and is designed around mandatory two-player play. Shapefarm has repeatedly described the game as “built from the ground up for two players” and for “asymmetric 2-player co-op.” The core mechanics rely on Maki and Omura using different tools, coordinating puzzles, and sharing responsibilities such as piloting and combat. Preview coverage also consistently describes it as “co-op mandatory” rather than a single-player game with optional multiplayer. That means players hoping to experience the full adventure alone are, at least for now, effectively shut out. No official material in the release announcements, eShop descriptions, or “Ways to Play” guidance mentions AI companionship, character swapping for one player, or any dedicated solo setting. What Orbitals does do is lower the barrier to finding a partner. One copy can support local co-op, Local GameShare, online GameShare, and the free Global Friend’s Pass, which lets another player join the full game at no extra cost. There is also a free local co-op demo in the Friend’s Pass app, and the developer has pointed players to its Discord server to help them find partners. So the answer is that solo players are excluded from the intended design, but not from access in a broader sense: the game is making partner-based play unusually easy, even if it is not making solitary play possible.

1 articles · Updated · Vooks · Aug 12

$60 is the entry price for Orbitals when the co-op adventure launches exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on Sept. 3, with a $75 Deluxe Edition and a $22.50 upgrade pack also listed.
Physical copies cost more, ranging from $78 at Harvey Norman to $89.95 at EB Games and the Nintendo Store, while Amazon and Gamesmen list it at $79.95 and JB Hi-Fi and Officeworks at $84.
A free Friend Pass is meant to widen access to the retro-anime styled game, which also supports local play, Local Game Share and online Game Share.
The pricing spread highlights digital as the cheapest option, with some retailers effectively offering about $10 off the highest physical list price ahead of release.