After what seems like an eternity, it’s starting to feel likeHollow Knight: Silksongbeing released is an actual possibility and not just a collective hallucination by the community. While it started out as an expansion of the original game in which a fan-favorite boss, Hornet, was playable,Silksonghas become its own title that promises a world larger than that of Hallownest and its surrounding areas. It’s an ambitious promise, given thatHollow Knightis still one of the largest Metroidvanias ever made and has become a genre-defining title that everyone else labeled as the gold standard.
Although it might be hard to believe now, given its popularity,the originalHollow Knightdidn’t release to clamor and worldwide acclaim. While it launched to moderate success, it took a while forHollow Knightto become the grand success it is today. The game’s quality was undeniable, but launching with some performance issues and facing several strong competitors limited the traction it could pick up. Still, the game managed to find a community and explode into the bug-filled title that changed the Metroidvania genre forever, largely thanks to the Switch.
Hollow Knight: Silksong Will Learn From The Original’s Switch Success
The Console Helped Hollow Knight Explode
At first,Hollow Knight’s late February 2017 release date was hurt by the much-anticipated launch ofZelda: Breath of the Wildcoming out roughly a week later, burying it under the hype of that year’s Game of the Year winner. Ironically, Nintendo would be the one to help cultivateHollow Knight’s success, since, a full year and a half later, a Switch version of the game came out. Indie and third-party developers helped round out its roster for Nintendo’s new console, andHollow Knightpicked up steam as an underground gem.
Hollow Knightreleased on August 07, 2025, receiving a Switch release on July 09, 2025.
The Switch release helped the game massively,selling 250,000 units in the first two weeks on the new console,as Team Cherry revealed toIGNat the time. By February 2019,Hollow Knightwas at 2.8 million units sold, compared to the 1 million units it had sold on PC by June 2018.Hollow Knighttook a while to become a huge success, but the fire of its slow burn remains alight, and all the game’s hype should ensure that a massive launch is in store forSilksong. Thanks toSilksonganticipation,Hollow Knighthas become one of the biggest names in the gaming industry.
Xbox acknowledges this, and the Xbox Games Showcase usedfreshSilksonggameplay footagetoshowcase the new ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X handheld consoles, which slot into the same PC-based market as the Steam Deck. This is an important bit of news for both handheld andSilksongfans, the latter of whom are used to searching high and low for updates. Highlighting a 2D indie game instead of a more demanding title that could show off the handheld’s power indicates that Xbox acknowledges the original’s success on the Switch and seeks to replicate it somewhat with the Xbox Ally.
Handhelds Have Treated Hollow Knight Well
It Could Be The Perfect Way To Experience Pharloom
The ROG Xbox Ally andHollow Knight Silksongare launching before this holidayseason, and while there aren’t any specific dates for either as yet,Silksongcould launch on the handheld device if it comes first.The Switch proved thatHollow Knightthrives on handheld consoles, and this could do quite a lot for both parties.Hollow Knightis a perfect pick-up on-the-go game, with players able to stop whenever they get to a new bench, and the IP is large enough to aid a console launch, meaning that both will benefit from this.
With benches resetting enemies, there have been a few comparisons toHollow Knightand Soulsborne games with their Bonfire systems.
It should also be noted thatSilksongis launching on a myriad of platforms, unlike its predecessor, which released solely on PCand took a long time to come to consoles. It wouldn’t be surprising to seeSilksongbreak all sorts of sales records, considering how many platforms it will be on and the sheer speed of the hype train, which is finally charging toward its final station. WhileSilksong’s launch almost matching the ROG Xbox Ally’s release is a massive deal for Xbox, it isn’t the only handheld console that will benefit from the game’s release.
Given allHollow Knight’s success on the first Switch,Silksongshould be a hit on the Switch 2, and the pair seem to work in perfect harmony this time around. By the time Nintendo fans have gotten through the initialSwitch 2 launch titlesand are ready for something new,Silksongshould be launching, and when the holidays come around, a lot of people might have a Switch 2 on their Christmas lists. It’s almost a perfect situation for both and will help the already massive launch ofSilksongbe even bigger.
Silksong On The Xbox ROG Ally Is The Right Call
It Has The Perfect Artstyle For Handheld Consoles
A part of the reason whyHollow Knightwas so good for handheld consoles was its gameplay loop. It was all action with distinct breaks at the game’s many benches, and while there was dialogue, it didn’t lock players in the cinematics until they got toHollow Knight’s endings. These made it the perfect game to put down and pick up again. WhileSilksonglooks to add loads of new features, its core gameplay loop looks the same, running through the deadly dungeons to get to the next bench, and that means it’s still perfect for handhelds.
While it’s great to play something aswell-reviewed asClair Obscur: Expedition 33on handheld consoles,Hollow Knight’s 2D, side-scrolling gameplay and clear outlines make it much more readable on a smaller screen. Stylized indie games tend to be perfect, visually speaking, for handheld consoles, withHadeson the Switch being a great example of this as well. This makesSilksongthe perfect title to get people looking at Xbox ROG Ally, especially becauseHollow Knightfans are always busy looking at scraps of news anywhere they can.
Consoles usually need a significant launch title to get people excited about the game, and while it isn’t an exclusive,Hollow Knight: Silksongwill play this part for the Xbox ROG Ally. It is the perfect handheld game, and it could essentially be the perfect Metroidvania as well if it ends up being an upgrade on its predecessor. Xbox has learned from what made the originalHollow Knightso successful on the Switch, and repeating this cycle of success withHollow Knight Silksongwill only benefit both parties.
