Bloober Team's ONYX: The Dark Grip is a Switch 2 exclusive that only works in handheld mode
The creators of the Silent Hill 2 Remake have a new game — and it's one you literally cannot play on your TV. Bloober Team, the Kraków-based studio per Wikipedia that rebuilt Konami's classic in 2024, has announced ONYX: The Dark Grip, a 2.5D horror adventure exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 and locked to handheld mode only. A 2027 release window was confirmed at a Nintendo Direct.
The lock-in
ONYX puts you in control of Holden, an ordinary person trapped in a fog-covered town. The twist is the perspective: you play as a god-like presence acting on Holden's world rather than inhabiting it directly. That setup is what justifies the hardware constraint — the game uses Switch 2's touchscreen and motion-tilt mechanics in ways that make docked play impossible by design.
Bloober's publishing label Broken Mirror Games is handling the release alongside the studio. Graphically, the trailer suggests something more modest than Silent Hill 2 Remake or the studio's upcoming Cronos: The New Dawn — the 2.5D format is doing real work here, not just stylistic window dressing. Details on actual gameplay depth are thin; the announcement trailer is atmospheric but short on specifics.
Become the Vessel. Become the God.
— Broken Mirror Games (@BMGhorrors) September 9, 2026
ONYX: The Dark Grip is a 2.5D innovative dark adventure game built from the ground up for Nintendo Switch™ 2 handheld play.
Survive through exploration, combat or resource management as an ordinary human and exist beyond the game world as… pic.twitter.com/FZxAyfxcqb
The Switch 2 angle
Handheld-only exclusives are rare. Most Switch 2 games are built to run in both docked and portable configurations, so ONYX is a deliberate bet that the new hardware's unique inputs are worth restricting your audience over. It's a different kind of exclusivity argument than, say, Duskbloods — FromSoftware's Switch 2 multiplayer title — which leans on server infrastructure rather than control schemes.
TheGamer notes the announcement fits Bloober's recent momentum: after Silent Hill 2 Remake earned broad critical approval, the studio has moved quickly to show it isn't a one-remake studio. No US retail partner has been named; Nintendo's eShop will almost certainly be the primary — and possibly only — route to purchase at launch.
ONYX: The Dark Grip is due in 2027.
