• Light/Dark
  • Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.

Mark of the Ninja: Remastered has disappointing performance (framerate) on Switch

ScOULaris

ScOULaris

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,573
mark-of-the-ninja-remastered-nintendo-switch-20180320-800x445.jpg


UPDATE - The developers have responded:
Klei Entertainment said:
There have also been some discussions about the framerate on the Switch. While we spent months trying to claw back the milliseconds to make it work, ultimately the original game assumed sequential execution in all of its gameflow, and we realized there was no chance we could reach 60FPS without rewriting the entire game engine.

In the latest patch we have fixed the issue where the framerate would sometimes flip from locked and unlocked during docking and undocking. Because we were not able to achieve a full 60FPS, the game is locked to 30FPS for a better user experience rather than flipping between 60FPS and 30FPS
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Discussion surrounding Mark of the Ninja: Remastered's performance woes on the Switch had begun to dominate discussion in the game's OT, so it was agreed that this topic would be better suited to its own thread. Separating this from the OT serves a few purposes.
  1. It allows the OT to serve as a central hub for discussion pertaining to the game itself rather than its performance issues on one particular platform. After all, the game performs at a locked 60fps on Xbox One, PS4, and PC. Hell, the original game even held 60fps on the Xbox 360.
  2. It will serve as a hub for Switch MotN performance discussion, gathering everyone's impressions and thoughts on the matter in one place that might be useful to any Klei devs lurking about.
  3. It gives the issue more visibility to potential buyers of the Switch version who prioritize framerate in games like these and want a final verdict on the Switch port before spending their money.
So, let's get the facts straight about MotN's Switch port before moving forward:
  • The game appears to be rendering at a native 720p in handheld mode and 1080p in docked mode.
  • The game defaults to a 30fps lock in handheld mode and an unlocked framerate with a 60fps cap in docked mode.
  • In docked mode, the game very rarely stays at 60fps, and the fluctuations are very palpable resulting in frequent judder during camera movement. Handheld feels more stable thanks to its 30fps lock, but it's less responsive due to running at half the framerate.
But wait, there's a twist!

It was discovered that you can sort of force 60fps in handheld mode by docking and then undocking your Switch mid-gameplay. Once you've done that, the game will target 60fps in handheld in the same way that it does in docked. It's not a 60fps lock by any means, but it's definitely hanging around 60 a higher percentage of the time than it does in docked. This is probably due to the overhead savings of rendering in 720p in handheld mode, and frankly I think it feels better this way than both docked and the default 30fps handheld mode.

So this bug could be due to one of two reasons:
  • The game is supposed to run at 60fps in handheld, but a bug causes it to run at 30.
  • The game is supposed to run at 30fps in handheld (for more consistent performance and longer battery life), but this docking/undocking bug causes it to stay at the docked mode's 60fps capped framerate with drops.
Honestly, I'm inclined to think it's the latter reason. If the game was meant to run at a frankly jittery 60fps cap at all times on Switch in both docked and undocked modes, I don't see how a 30fps mode would've somehow sneaked into the release build of the game. But I can totally see them targeting 60fps in docked mode while scaling down to 30fps in handheld and missing a bug that causes the game to not switch FPS caps properly when going from docked to handheld.

_____________________

So that's where the Switch version of MotN stands as of today, performance-wise. Hopefully this thread will give potential buyers the info they need to help make their purchasing decision. If you don't mind 30fps in a game like this, then by all accounts the Switch version is totally fine. If 60fps is important to you and you have the ability to play the game on any other platform, then you will probably be better off doing that instead.

We've seen developers promise post-release performance fixes for their indie Switch ports in the past (e.g. Dead Cells), so I guess it's within the realm of possibility of something similar happening with Klei and MotN. There's no doubt in my mind that this game could hold a stable 60fps in both docked and handheld modes with more optimization. If I had to guess, the game was developed primarily for Xbox One, PS4, and PC and then quickly ported to Switch on a tight deadline.
 
Last edited:
takoyaki

takoyaki

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,677
Very helpful, thanks OP. Wasn't sure whether to buy it for Switch or PS4.

I'm sure there will be patches down the line, but I'll stay clear of the Switch version and get in on PS4 then.
 
Mr.Fletcher

Mr.Fletcher

Member
Nov 18, 2017
9,488
UK
I'm very glad this thread exists because more people need to know about these issues.

This is a 2012 game, running at a shoddy framerate on new tech six years later. It's not a cheap game either. At £18 here in the UK, we're certainly being charged top dollar.

It's still a wonderful game but how can this acceptable? I don't want to sound entitled or brash, but it's just not good enough if you ask me.
 
King Onion

King Onion

Member
Oct 27, 2017
252
User Warned - Driveby Posting
I feel like it's more notable when a game performs well on Switch at this point.
 
AwRy108

AwRy108

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
438
Thank you, OP. Game just went from Wish List to "Wait For Patch" list.

StealthieOne said:
Soooo glad I'm not sensitive to this..
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Sensitive or not, it's clear that the issues are related to a rushed port and not hardware limitations; in other words: it wasn't thoroughly tested for basic functionality on the platform, so they don't deserve your money yet.
 
New Fang

New Fang

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,542
ScOULaris this video of the Switch in docked mode seems to suggest it's not running with an uncapped framerate, but rather a locked 30 with poor frame pacing.

 
AnimeJesus

AnimeJesus

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,170
So disappointing that this is so commonplace for the Switch now...so many games (Hyper Light Drifter, Gungeon, Dead Cells, etc..) I've looked forward to and even waited to play on the switch are shoddy ports. Was really looking forward to this game, but gonna wait now and see if the framerate is addressed eventually.
 
Mr.Fletcher

Mr.Fletcher

Member
Nov 18, 2017
9,488
UK
StealthieOne said:
Soooo glad I'm not sensitive to this..
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I think it's the pricinple for me. I've bought the game, I'm half way through it and I'm loving it.

But I bought it six years ago and that original release performs better than this port.

I can't remember how much I paid for it at the time, but I wouldn't be surprised if I've paid more for it this time (could be wrong).

Imagine Nintendo selling us Super Mario Galaxy Remastered next year for full price with the framerate cut in half... they'd be riots.
 
OP
OP
ScOULaris

ScOULaris

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,573
New Fang said:
ScOULaris this video of the Switch in docked mode seems to suggest it's not running with an uncapped framerate, but rather a locked 30 with poor frame pacing.

Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Hm. That video does call into question my initial assumption of there being a 60fps cap in docked, but until I see further confirmation of the contrary I'm sticking to my claim. I'm unable to measure the FPS myself, but to my framerate-sensitive eyes it definitely appears to switch from a 30fps cap to a 60fps one when going from handheld to docked.

Framepacing could definitely be contributing to the excessive judder in docked mode either way, though. That's for sure.

If we want someone who does this for a living to get to the truth of the matter, there's only one thing to do...

Paging Dark1x !
 

Take5GiantSteps

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,291
Ohio
They should have made sure the switch version ran well over the other versions considering that sales are likely to be higher on that platform. Glad that I just did the $5 PC upgrade instead of dropping $20 for the switch version.
 
New Fang

New Fang

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,542
Kabuki Waq said:
what was the issue with dead cells ?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
You will hear wildly differing takes on this. Some will say the framerate is dropping frequently on certain maps, and almost never a consistent 60. Other people will say it's just occasional stutters.

I'm inclined to believe it's more frequent because the developers added in a 30fps lock with the last update. The devs are saying they believe they can get it to a smooth 60 and that update could arrive by "November at the earliest".
 
Nocturnowl

Nocturnowl

Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,072
I never expected this to be one of my disappointments of the year, but here we are.
I've taken lesser frame rates than what I was used to before, but that was usually due to a hardware downgrade (EG: DKCR from wii to 3ds)
This one is hard to justify, especially with that UK price tag being hefty, hope this is something they can sort out in the future with a patch.
 
Andromeda

Andromeda

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,844
ScOULaris said:
Hm. That video does call into question my initial assumption of there being a 60fps cap in docked, but until I see further confirmation of the contrary I'm sticking to my claim. I'm unable to measure the FPS myself, but to my framerate-sensitive eyes it definitely appears to switch from a 30fps cap to a 60fps one when going from handheld to docked.

Framepacing could definitely be contributing to the excessive judder in docked mode either way, though. That's for sure.

If we want someone who does this for a living to get to the truth of the matter, there's only one thing to do...

Paging Dark1x !
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
What kind of TV do you have ? And what settings ?
 
Kabuki Waq

Kabuki Waq

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
4,821
New Fang said:
You will hear wildly differing takes on this. Some will say the framerate is dropping frequently on certain maps, and almost never a consistent 60. Other people will say it's just occasional stutters.

I'm inclined to believe it's more frequent because the developers added in a 30fps lock with the last update. The devs are saying they believe they can get it to a smooth 60 and that update could arrive by "November at the earliest".
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...


oh damn. Thanks
 
TheMoon

TheMoon

|OT|
Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,775
Video Games
EricOfSeattle said:
So disappointing that this is so commonplace for the Switch now...so many games (Hyper Light Drifter, Gungeon, Dead Cells, etc..) I've looked forward to and even waited to play on the switch are shoddy ports. Was really looking forward to this game, but gonna wait now and see if the framerate is addressed eventually.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Occasional framedrops/slowdown =! shoddy port

reserve these words for when they're appropriate or they lose all meaning.
 
No Depth

No Depth

Member
Oct 27, 2017
18,257
Whelp, I'm passing and hoping word about a possible fix in the future resonates loud enough for me to take notice.
 
julian

julian

Member
Oct 27, 2017
16,743
I was really looking forward to this too. Real shame. I'll keep my fingers crossed for a patch.
 
Atolm

Atolm

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,826
Hmmm. Strange. I can run the original at 720p60 in low power mode (4,5watt) on my GPD Win 2 and the Switch GPU has more muscle than that.
 
Wamb0wneD

Wamb0wneD

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
18,735
Doom running on 30fps is understandable, good even considering what that game provides.
Mark of the Ninja though? I love the game but come on...This is ridiculous.
 
Alric

Alric

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,944
I definitely want the game so I'm hoping to keep following this thread to see if any fixes come.
 

Deleted member 3017

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
17,653
SinCItyAssassin said:
None of these ports are even remotely shoddy.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I would say two of those ports have some performance issues. The third, Hyper Light Drifter, is mostly solid, with just the occasional issue. That one's a pretty great port and is a pretty easy recommendation. The other two are "fine", but could be better. Dead Cells is at least getting some performance patches in the future.

Mark of the Ninja is probably the biggest disappointment of all, as I expect a lot better from a studio like Klei....especially for a last-gen remaster that originally ran at 60fps on Xbox 360.
 
Last edited:

Take5GiantSteps

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,291
Ohio
OrbitalBeard said:
I would say two of those ports have some performance issues. The third, Hyper Light Drifter, is mostly solid, with just the occasional issue. That one's a pretty great port and is a pretty easy recommendation. The other two are "fine", but could be better. Dead Cells is at least getting some performance patches in the future.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Little Mac is back. That change didn't last long lol.
 
RedAhmed

RedAhmed

Member
Jan 9, 2018
3,273
That's sad news, I hope the devs will work on a patch ASAP. I was still considering a purchase, so this is a good excuse to keep my wallet safe lol.

Above posts remind me that Enter the Gungeon has constant framerate issues for me, it's never solid without hick-ups. I hope that will get fixed as well.
 
AnimeJesus

AnimeJesus

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,170
You must log in or register to reply here.