MGS 4's Iconic PS3 Easter Egg Missing On Certain Platforms
It Will Be Like The PS3 Never Existed If You Play Metal Gear Solid 4 On Switch
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2’s launch is right around the corner. That means finally, after all these years, Metal Gear Solid 4 will be set free from its PS3 prison. Unfortunately, though, it looks like the version of the game you get on Nintendo consoles won’t be entirely faithful to the original.
There’s still a week to go until the Master Collection vol. 2’s release, but images from the game’s manuals shared on Reddit and spotted by GamesRadar+ have highlighted an interesting detail. The PS3 that could sometimes be seen on the pause menu is still there in some versions of the game, but missing in others.
In the original version of the game, there’s sometimes a PS3 on the table when you pause the game. According to the manuals for the new Master Collection, not only is that PS3 still there on the PS5 version, but it’s also still visible when you pause MGS 4 on PC and Xbox. However, the manual for the Collection on Switch and Switch 2 shows the retro console replaced with GA-KO dolls. Not a PS3, but a MGS mainstay that pops up in multiple games.
If The PS3 Is Gone, Does That Mean The Iconic PS3 Line Is Gone Too?
The difference between manuals doesn’t mean the PS3 has been removed from every version of the game, but it does seem likely that this means the console on which MGS 4 has been held prisoner will be effectively erased from history if you play the game on a Nintendo console. The price for being able to finally play MGS 4 elsewhere is that, on Switch at least, it will be like the PS3 version of the game never existed.
Including PS3 references in the original version of the game wasn’t a problem, as that’s the only platform on which the game was released. There’s also a famous line in the game that references having to swap your disc while playing Metal Gear Solid on PS1. MGS 4 breaks the fourth wall by noting there’s no need for that thanks to the Blu-ray nature of the PS3.
Whether the PS3 has been wiped from the Switch versions of the next Master Collection entirely or not, it will be interesting to see how that iconic line is delivered and whether it has been altered. It could just be left as it is since MGS fans would almost certainly get a kick out of it, or perhaps new lines have been recorded for each platform. My guess is there will be an altered voice line, but PS3 will just be replaced with something like “modern consoles”, or maybe “modern platforms” since it will also be available on PC.