Porting a AAA game to a new platform looks simple from the outside. The game already exists, so the job should be to make it run somewhere else. Anyone who has done it knows the budget depends on a long list of things that only become clear once the work starts, and that is why porting estimates can vary so much from one partner to the next.
These are the main cost drivers we look at when we scope a port, and how to budget for them before you commit.
Performance on the target hardware
Performance work is usually the largest and least predictable cost. The target platform may have less memory, a different CPU and GPU balance, or a slower storage system than the one the game was built for. Getting a AAA game to hold its frame rate can mean reworking streaming, rendering, level of detail and memory use. The further the target hardware is from the original, the more this costs.
Engine version and middleware
If the game uses an older engine version, the port may need an engine upgrade first, and that brings its own work. Middleware for audio, physics, video and anti-cheat needs to support the target platform, sometimes with new licenses. Custom engine changes made during the original development all have to be checked on the new platform too.
Platform requirements and certification
Each console platform has its own technical requirements that a game must meet before it can be released, covering things like save data, user accounts, suspend and resume, trophies or achievements and error messages. Meeting them takes development and testing time, and failing certification means fixing issues and resubmitting, which can move a release date.
Controls and UI
A game built for mouse and keyboard needs a full controller pass when it moves to console, and a console game moving to PC needs keyboard, mouse and a wider range of screen resolutions. Menus, HUD elements and text sizes often need to change for the target platform's screens and viewing distances. This is UX work as much as engineering, and it is easy to underestimate.
Online services and crossplay
If the game is online, the port touches its backend. Platform accounts need linking, entitlements and purchases need to work through the platform's store, and crossplay and cross-progression need agreement and testing across every platform involved. This part of a port is often scoped late, and it can affect the critical path.
Content and build size
Some platforms have tighter limits on download and install size. Reducing texture resolutions, compressing audio or restructuring how content is packaged takes time from art and technical teams, as well as engineers.
QA
A port needs full functional testing on the new platform, along with compliance testing against platform requirements, performance testing across hardware variants and, for online games, testing of crossplay and services. QA is often a quarter or more of the effort on a port, and cutting it usually shows up later as failed certification or launch-day patches.
Timing
A port that launches at the same time as the original version shares the original team's schedule, builds and bugs, and needs close coordination. A port that follows months later works from a finished game, but the team may need to catch up on post-launch patches and content. Both are valid, and each changes the cost in a different way.
How to budget for a AAA port
- Start with a technical assessment of the game on the target hardware before agreeing a fixed budget. A few weeks of profiling and investigation removes a lot of guesswork.
- Separate known work, such as platform requirements and controls, from performance work, which is harder to predict, and give the latter its own contingency.
- Scope online services and crossplay early, with the backend team involved.
- Plan for at least one certification resubmission in your schedule.
- Agree who owns which bugs when the original game and the port share a codebase.
How Rocket Science Group helps with porting
Rocket Science Group is a video games solutions company with more than 25 years of experience across consoles, PC and online games. Our studios cover the parts of a port that usually sit with different partners. Atomic Theory handles engineering, gameplay and UX. Terminal Velocity handles backend and online services. Multiplay hosts game servers and runs live operations for online titles after release. We assess the game first, give you a budget built on what we find, and drive the port through certification and launch.
If you are planning a port, talk to us about it.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to port a AAA game?
It depends mainly on how different the target hardware is, how much performance work is needed, the state of the engine and middleware, online features and the QA and certification effort. A technical assessment on the target hardware gives the most reliable estimate.
How long does a AAA port take?
Timelines vary with the same factors as cost. Simultaneous launches tie the port to the main development schedule, while later ports depend on how much post-launch content needs to come across.
Why do porting budgets overrun?
Most overruns come from performance work that was underestimated, online services scoped late, or certification failures that need fixing and resubmission.
