“PlayStation the video game” is making its grand debut on Nintendo’s handheld console. Mark your calendars for February 13, 2025, when Compile Heart is dropping the Switch version of Hyperdimension Noire: Goddess Black Heart.
Yep, that strategy RPG spin-off from the Hyperdimension Neptunia series, which first dropped back in 2014 on the PlayStation Vita before crawling onto Steam in 2016.
And guess what? There’s no love for Sony this time as there’s zero mention of a PlayStation 4 or 5 port.
This is just another case of former PlayStation exclusives jumping ship and cozying up on other platforms with previous examples being Freedom Wars, one of the most beloved PS VITA titles and Tokyo Clanpool, another Compile Heart gem that’s still in release date limbo thanks to Valve’s ridiculous, hypocritical approval policies that have blocked it from showing up on Steam.
The Nintendo Switch release of Hyperdimension Noire: Goddess Black Heart is only dropping in Japan, leaving gaijin gamers out of luck. But honestly, you’d probably have a better time playing it on a Steam Deck anyway since it’s already on PC. There’ll be a standard edition for 5,280 yen, plus 8,580 yen and 9,680 yen limited editions that’ll probably come with a physical copy and some extra collectibles.
Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart is a tactical RPG spin-off from the Hyperdimension Neptunia series, and it’s the first time Noire (aka Black Heart), one of the four goddesses, takes the spotlight as the main protagonist. Unlike the usual Neptunia games, which are turn-based RPGs with dungeon-crawling, Hyperdevotion Noire is all about grid-based tactical combat, similar to what you’d find in Fire Emblem or Final Fantasy Tactics with lovely chibi visuals.
Noire, or Black Heart in her goddess form, is a core character in the Neptunia series and represents the personification of the Sony PlayStation brand.
Each of the four goddesses, otherwise known as a “Console Patron Unit” or CPU is modeled after a major console manufacturer, with Noire symbolizing PlayStation’s sleek, performance-focused identity. In the universe of Neptunia, she’s the goddess of Lastation, a high-tech realm that mirrors the PlayStation console’s reputation for cutting-edge gaming.
Everything about Noire, her design, personality, and story screams PlayStation. She’s serious and competitive, a nod to Sony’s market position as a leader in high-quality, immersive gaming. This contrasts with the other goddesses who represent competing brands: Neptune for Sega, Vert for Microsoft’s XBOX, and Blanc represents Nintendo.
The Neptunia series was once a loyal Sony PlayStation exclusive, with Compile Heart supporting the Sony brand almost religiously since 2010. But recently, things have changed, and it all started when Sony turned its back on Japan by moving Sony Interactive Entertainment to California.
Now, they’ve been unfairly cracking down on Japanese developers, enforcing censorship on “anime games” that feature attractive characters in revealing outfits, or anything they deem problematic.
This global censorship policy has been in place since around 2017, and it’s still going strong. Meanwhile, they let their Western studios get away with the same kind of content, because apparently, if The Last of Us Part 2 features queer characters, all that brutal violence and explicit sex is suddenly “wholesome family fun.”
Since Sony lost its edge by imposing these ridiculous restrictions on Japanese developers, the Nintendo Switch has surged in popularity, even surpassing the total sales of Sony’s PlayStation 4. The PS4 remains one of the most common consoles Japanese developers still target because of its large user base, but many, including Compile Heart, have had enough of Sony’s abrasive and progressive stance against fanservice.
They’ve made the move to Nintendo, where the censorship policies are far more relaxed. Since around 2018/2019, Compile Heart has been shifting its attention to the Switch, releasing Neptunia titles like Super Neptunia RPG and porting older games in the series, allowing fans to experience them without Sony’s overbearing restrictions.
Neptunia is just one of many casualties of Sony’s global censorship mandates. The franchise has seen censored CG artwork, cutting back on fanservice, one of its trademarks which likely contributed to losing its PlayStation exclusivity.
Now, with the re-release of Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart exclusively on the Nintendo Switch, there’s a certain irony at play. There’s no option for Sony’s latest PlayStation 5 or even the more popular PlayStation 4. Noire, who is the literal embodiment of the PlayStation brand, governs Lastation, a high-tech, industrial world reflecting PlayStation’s focus on cutting-edge hardware.
This was Noire’s first focused adventure, giving fans a deeper look into her personality, leadership struggles, and how she managed her domain. Originally released on the PlayStation Vita and later ported to PC. But now seeing the game come to Nintendo Switch, which is more aligned with her rival Blanc’s domain in the series, is a bit ironic for long-time fans who know the series well.
Releasing Noire’s standalone game on the Switch, without offering it on modern PlayStation consoles like the PS4 or PS5, amplifies the irony even more. Noire is literally designed to promote the PlayStation brand, so not having a “homecoming” release on the hardware she represents feels like a betrayal of both her in-universe role and her real-world brand connection.
The Hyperdimension Neptunia series is all about the “console wars,” where goddesses battle for dominance, and at this point, it’s pretty clear that Noire, or rather Sony, has lost this war to Nintendo, entirely due to Sony’s own policies toward Japanese developers and their globalist censorship rules.
This shift away from Sony by Japanese developers traces back to Sony PlayStation’s stricter content policies, which have been enforced since 2018. This change started when Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) moved its headquarters from Japan to California in 2016, bringing a Western-centric, more globalized view of game content regulation.
Under its old Japan-based leadership, Sony was far more lenient when it came to content that catered to Japanese tastes. However, the move to California marked a turning point, with stricter content regulation becoming the norm, especially when it came to sexual content, nudity, or anything considered inappropriate by Western standards.
These policies hit Japanese developers the hardest, particularly those working on niche genres like JRPGs, visual novels, and anime-inspired games like Neptunia. Games that once thrived on fanservice or mature themes suddenly faced harsh scrutiny. Developers were frustrated by these restrictions, as they clashed with their creative freedom and ultimately hindered sales.
While Sony was clamping down, Nintendo, the historically “family-friendly” company ironically became a far more welcoming platform for Japanese developers. Around the same time that Sony began tightening the reins, Nintendo started adopting a more relaxed approach to third-party content.
Unlike Sony, Nintendo allowed developers to release games on the Switch with far fewer restrictions, even those featuring fanservice or mature themes. This shift, along with the Nintendo Switch’s massive success, made it an attractive option for Japanese developers who felt stifled by Sony’s new rules.
The fact that Noire, PlayStation’s own goddess is now finding a new home on Nintendo’s platform is symbolic of the broader trend in the industry. Japanese developers, especially those creating anime-inspired games like Neptunia, are increasingly leaning towards platforms like the Switch, which offer more creative freedom and fewer restrictions than PlayStation.
This ironic twist highlights the fallout from Sony’s censorship policies and the broader console war dynamics, where even PlayStation’s own goddess finds herself lost to Nintendo.
