We need to remember one thing about the Switch

[Jigu]

It's all a matter of setting your expectations correctly. I don't see anyone expecting PC/PS4/XB1-level graphics for Doom, of course.

On the other hand, it's a matter of how much you want some titles on the go.

Sure, portable for portability's sake isn't enough if the performance isn't acceptable, but it's fair to set your expectations correctly.

 

[KINGOFSHIBUYA Ltd.]

That's why I'm fairly uninterested in ports or multiplatform games. Give me games that are designed with the Switch's strengths and weaknesses in mind. You can make beautiful games on this thing.

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This how I feel. I'd rather play games made with the Switch in mind than downports.

I'm sure games will look and run better, let alone play better, if they're designed with the right hardware in mind. It's why I love first party games (on any platform) so much.

 

[Exile20]

It's all a matter of setting your expectations correctly. I don't see anyone expecting PC/PS4/XB1-level graphics for Doom, of course.

On the other hand, it's a matter of how much you want some titles on the go.

Sure, portable for portability's sake isn't enough if the performance isn't acceptable, but it's fair to set your expectations correctly.

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Have you been in the RL or Doom thread?

 

[Mark H]

I mean just look at the size of the darn thing.
If anyone's expecting PS4 performance they're completely delusional.
Having said that, Doom has shown that with enough downgrades the game can be ported over, and they're still great fun to play on the Switch as long as the dev knows what to downgrade.
And yes, I like the portability aspect a lot that I want more ports like Doom even if they're downgraded.

 

[Thatguy]

Nintendo hides this with art direction and straight up skill. I really hope Nintendo does a Switch Pro that's more capable of PS4 ports. But it's a great platform as is too

 

[Mark H]

Nintendo hides this with art direction and straight up skill. I really hope Nintendo does a Switch Pro that's more capable of PS4 ports. But it's a great platform as is too

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I think NVidia making pretty good money over the Switch deal, as well as their new Tegra being used in car electronics is a good sign that it'll only get better.
I'm going to expect New Switch with XboxOne level of capability within the next 2 years.

 

[Maxximus]

Person says "DOOM on Switch looks great!"

Person 1 interprets: DOOM Switch is a great port and performs well given the limitations of the Switch hardware.

Person 2 interprets: DOOM Switch is graphically equal to XBox One X.

No one is claiming that Switch ports are superior to other consoles/pc but that doesn't mean ports can't be fantastic on the Switch.

DOOM in particular is amazing because it's a current gen port and most optimistic people really only expected last gen ports.

 

[Exile20]

Nintendo hides this with art direction and straight up skill. I really hope Nintendo does a Switch Pro that's more capable of PS4 ports. But it's a great platform as is too

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A portable that can handle ps4 ports will be so expensive and goodluck with battery life.

 

[cw_sasuke]

Underpowered hardware isnt an excuse for bad ports.If you cant get a title on Switch in a satisfying quality, dont bother or expect the game to get bad reviews - its that simple.

Especially when some publishers/devs end up charging more for the Switch release. Im glad that we already have a bunch of showcase titles on the Switch that demonstrate what the hardware i capable off, otherwise we would end with more situations like RiME.

 

[Gianko]

i think Doom has proven that AAA titles can be done on this little console with just some compromises but mantaining the core and the feeling of the game intact!
Switch is an Amazing handled but a budget home console. This means not a bad thing but just that there are on the market high end home consoles and the switch as a budget home console. Same experiences (and same games ? i hope so) but with minor details in the visual. the added value is the portability and in this field Switch has no competitors at the moment.

 

[Thatguy]

A portable that can handle ps4 ports will be so expensive and goodluck with battery life.

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Doom is literally a PS4 port. It's already reality. What I mean is less compromises thus making the port easier to develop.

 

[arbitrary function]

As someone who has been out of the gaming loop for a couple of years it's quite peculiar to see people's obsession with pixelcounts and framerates.

I can appreciate a good-looking game for sure, and it's nice to have a smooth experience but the most important thing is if the game is fun to play. It may be cliché, but nice graphics fade fast if a game doesn't play well.

Maybe it's a false analogy, but in many ways it reminds me of audiophile reasoning, where the quality of sound often seems to overshadow the actual music.

Doom is a recent example where many seem to fixate on the numbers instead of wanting to find out if the game is fun to play. Even though it's not "high fidelity" I would say the game experience is intact compared to my time with the PS4 version.

 

[Deleted member 18161]

There's a lot of concern trolling when it comes to Switch ports.

Switch uses a mobile chipset. It is what it is...

 

[mute]

Nintendo has shown that the hardware is capable of impressive things. This may not always be possible for every game because of engine/other related design decisions that hamper performance on Switch specifically, but I don't think that makes such criticism unfair or invalid either.

 

[chuseph14]

I'm all about power. I put a 1080ti in my PC. But still, 90% of my gaming is done on my switch because it's easy and the experiences are just as good. Power isn't everything

 

[Pixel_Stream]

ive noticed people talk alot less about Switch graphics than with the wii U, probably because we knew from the start it was portable and was sold to us that way since day 1 maybe.

 

[JetBlackPanda]

My Switch is my Nintendo and indie machine. Its incredible and I love it! It fits right into my life between my PS4 PRO and my PC.

A few of my friends are down on it because once again Nintendo is under powered but Nintendo just doesn't care.

 

[SwitchedOff]

I've never been one for the latest and greatest in how the pixels look, so yes, in terms of its number crunching and pixel abilities the Switch is "weak". Conversely though, to me and many others, it's incredibly strong in terms of its flexibility and, more importantly, the games that it currently has along with those that in the pipeline.

It's easily the best console that I've owned for a very long time.

 

[Jigu]

Have you been in the RL or Doom thread?

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Yep. And as much as I like to read my reviews and previews, I always prefer to play it to get the hang of it - if it's that much of a catastrophic failure or not.

Every time I read "my PS2 does this", I wonder why I could never find that magical, winged, overpowered PS2 that runs games like that (even if it's not as good as one expects from that console - the comparison is usually ridiculous. What's next, "My Atari 2600 does this"?)

 

[NeV3rKilL]

You are calling weak a console due to its raw graphics power. That's pretty basic man, you can do it better.

You can say the same for all the platforms except master race which's the true power vanguard actually.

 

[moquedami]

As long as Mario Odyssey, Kart, Breath of the wild, Splatoon, and Arms exist, Switch is no weak console at all.
No perfect games convertion from Xbone or Ps4 games, I can undestand. But Rocket league is not at all as graphically demanding as the games I mentioned before.
Doom is a special case though. It was meant to be demanding from the beginning. And they made a wonderful job with the port, cutting just around the exact amount to keep it enjoyable.
Back to Rocket League, i think it was rushed to meet the November launch (wich seems an important launch window to game publishers). I think they simply cut everything to 30fps to keep the gameplay fluid, expecting to improve graphics and effects later on in patched revisions. This is also respectable and i think it will deliver in due time.

 

[YukidaruPunch]

So people are pissed off that what is essentially a portable tablet device does not match a PS4 in terms of raw processing power?

I, for one, am shocked!

 

[Souplex]

This might be a decent place to ask this question. But I've been meaning to play DOOM forever and my two platforms are XOX (1080p tv) and Switch now.

At first blush, where would most people choose to play it?

 

[SixelAlexiS]

Yep, this is why I'm not really interestead in the Switch, I really don't care of the portable aspect so for me it's just an overpriced home console.

When I will find it used of with a heavy price cut it will be mine 'cause I'm interestead in Mario Odyssey and Zelda BoTW (that's it), so I guess I'll wait quite a lot before I'm going to play those games.

 

[Opa-Pa]

I get that but I don't like the idea that we should be fine with whatever port we get just because the Switch can't do more. I bought RL and is fantastic, I'm fine with the compromises, Doom loses way too much in order to be playable to my taste so I'm skipping it, but it still seems competent enough. Rime on the other hand is an absolute disaster and pretty much a faulty product that shouldn't have been greenlit.

I think people (myself included) expect a minimum amount of quality when a port gets announced, a sense of "they're choosing to bring this to Switch because they know it's possible to do a competent version for it, right?" so when we get a sub native game that can barely hold 30FPS there's obviously disappointment. It's great that devs have the initiative but at one point you have to ask yourself if a port is even worth it given all the compromises involved.

Cases like Rime remind me of the Doom console ports from the 16bit era. Stuff like the 3DO and Sega 32X versions sure were impressive from a technical standpoint... But they were still garbage not worth anyone's time.

 

[gcwy]

The following mantra is helpful when "getting worried " about the Switch:
"The Switch IS A PORTABLE", "The Switch IS A PORTABLE","The Switch IS A PORTABLE","The Switch IS A PORTABLE".

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This is sort of the impression I get from most Nintendo fans here. Even as much as recognising its relatively weak hardware is met with backlash and called 'anti-Nintendo'. Everyone knows it's a portable, but it's completely fair to compare it to other platforms, especially when third party games are concerned.

 

[Imad issa]

I think the backlash comes from certain nintendo fanboys going into every thread and spreading fud like switch is near xbone, switch is half xbone, switch can run every port. that just isn't reality, only demanding games on ps4/xb1 that can ported are 60fps games, and looking at doom, it doesn't even run properly.

 

[TitanicFall]

I recall people thinking Beyond Good & Evil 2 would be on Switch. The magic of FP16.

 

[SmittyWerbenManJensen]

If people actually expect Switch games to look/run as well as PS4 games, then, well, there is something not quite right with said people. The Switch is a tiny tablet, whereas the PS4 is a big box of a console.

 

[MagnesG]

You're likely forgive any miss expectations when you're dealing with a portable system.

With console you will feel entitled to expect everything goes well.

I don't know how to explain it but I'm sure handheld owners can understand the concept in some way.


One hindsight would be your focus or attention are not only for the game screen(portable mode), but also in your surrounding.
So people will appreciate less when graphics or framerates are good compared to the performance for a home console.

Just a guess.

 

[mutantmagnet]

After seeing all the reactions regarding Doom 2016 and Rocket League, it seems that people are expecting something that Switch will never give and it wasn't never meant to give: on pair performance on compared to PS4/Xbone or even a mid-end PC.

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Get real. You're invoking Rocket League as a demanding game. Don't make preposterous statements. Rocket League runs better on weaker hardware than the Switch. That's simply a sign of rushed development. They'll clean it up later.


As for your second point that's a lie. Like 1% would hope to get an on par experience with the stronger consoles. The discussions about what features would get cut back have been more levelheaded than you claim.

 

[Cranston]

Everyone knows this.

People that pretend otherwise are simply concern trolling.

 

[DoggosPuppersWoofers]

I don't understand the need for damage control here, OP.

 

[Tomhan]

I think the most interesting comparison is FIFA18. I own both the Switch and Xbox One version and actually enjoy them both quite a bit but in different ways. The Xbox version has an additional mode, it has better graphics and the gameplay is quite a bit different. That being said, the ability to play a competent version of FIFA on a handheld so I can play it on my commute or in bed is something that I really love. Of course the trade-offs you make for a handheld are going to limit some games too much but in many cases I think they are warranted.

 

[TheMisterManGuy]

We probably won't see much exclusive Switch games except those from Nintendo and their loyalists (Atlus, Level-5, Marvelous). Switch would have to rely on third parties and if Vita is any indication, majority of them will be sub native resolution. To some people, especially PC people, sub native res could be a problem but for people like me, primarily handheld gamers, that's not even a small annoyance. Some of the best games on Vita were sub native and I didn't even notice until somebody told me. world of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest Builders, Hatsune Miku games, Trails of Cold Steel, SF x Tekken, they were all sub native games, just like Doom and Rocket League.

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There's nothing stopping the Switch from getting third party exclusives. It's easy, cheap to develop for, and can do things its contemporaries can't do. So what's stopping it?

OT: The Switch is an interesting case study. It's underpowered compared to the PS4 and Xbox One, yet it's not so underpowered that ports can't run competently. Granted it can't run everything, but if a game doesn't receive a Switch port, it's not always because of processing power, but also engine support. In day and age where most games are developed using flexible, and easy to scale engines like Ubisoft's SnowDrop, Unreal Engine 4, and especially id Tech 6, there should be plenty of PS4 and Xbox One Content that can easily be adapted to the Switch. Whereas something like Final Fantasy XV can't run on the Switch mainly because the engine too rigid. Had it run Unreal Engine 4, then FFXV could get a Switch port with the right downgrades.

 

[FrakEarth]

I'm pretty delighted with Doom

I mean,it's running on something that's thinner than a slice of this and it still looks good (IMO):

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It's running on something 13.97mm in depth, as thin as a DVD case, 3mm thicker than a Kindle Fire HD. Devices like the iPad, which are half as thin, cost upwards from 1.15x more for the base model, and a minimum of 3.2x as much money to buy in the case of the Pro - in excess of £800. The A9 in the cheaper iPads is a powerhouse, but I don't see Rocket League and Doom on that, and even then - although I'd like it to be cheaper, the Switch is probably priced appropriately - given all it comes with. The A10X iPad Pros are premium, you have to pay more to get more. Without taking in to account the extra space that's in an Xbox One or PS4 - purely from a top-down perspective, a regular PS4 is 2.72x as thick in depth, the PS4 Pro is 4x as thick. Loads of room for cooling and other goodies.

It's natural that people would compare games like for like, but when you hold a really good game in your hands that you've previously only played via your HD console on your TV - there's definitely something a bit magical about it.

 

[Easy_D]

I haven't played it but from watching that Digital Foundry video it seemed that Doom was barely making it. In the action packed scenes the FPS dropped to the 20s rather than holding a steady 30 FPS.

And another concern is that I would assume most Switch owners already have another console which will impact Nintendo's ability to sell a lot of 3rd party software. If you have one of the other platforms more than likely you will buy your 3rd party games on the other platforms rather than the Switch. Switch has the advantage of portability but so far Switch's games have not been able to release on the same date as the other platforms because developers have to spend extra time porting it to Switch. Wolfenstein won't be coming out for the console until next year. I would've been tempted to get it on the Switch if it released on the same date, but I decided to play it on PC. The first party Nintendo games are really the only games that will end up being massive hits on the Switch.

I like the Switch, but it's far from a perfect console. I wouldn't be opposed to Nintendo releasing an upgraded version in the next 1-2 years. I would happily buy one if it's in the same ballpark as the other consoles. I think a hardware revision is something that needs to happen so the Switch can remain competitive.

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At the same time, one of the main selling points of the Switch is its portability. But yeah, I bet the Nvidia partnership will continue and an eventual refresh with a more modern Tegra solution seems likely

 

[New Donker]

It becomes an issue of does it look good enough/run good enough for your average consumer.

Remember when streaming started becoming popular and the point was made the quality is good enough even if it's not as good as a Blu ray

 

[Stencil]

Wait, what? Why do we need to remember that? Pedants on the internet can care all they want, but why would you need to inform everyone else...

 

[Deleted member 15538]

There is that point where bad IQ or performance just ruins your experience.

 

[sleepnaught]

My biggest issue with RL was that they said for months it was 720p handheld and it's not. I don't like being lied to. With Doom, it's not a big isssue, but I don't think $60 is a fair price considering it's an older game downgraded significantly with regard to its visuals and performance. Not to mention it's much cheaper on other consoles. That said Im still enjoying the hell out of Doom on Switch.

 

[Dynamite Cop]

Is it really something that people forget? I mean, who gets Nintendo hardware to play multiplatform games? Their first party and exclusive offerings show that you don't need the most powerful tech to deliver a great looking and playing game.

 

[Woetyler]

This is why ill buy multiplats on PS4 or X.

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.

 

[Deleted member 12186]

There were a bunch of people that expected switch to look better than PS4 Pro on the basis of a close price point.

It should be common sense as to why PS4 Pro can do so what it can considering the size and whatnot and why Switch can do what it can.

 

[maximumzero]

If anything the third-party support that the Switch is suddenly getting is irritating, because such efforts would have been widely appreciated on Nintendo's last two consoles instead of throwing Wii owners scraps and throwing Wii U owners fuck all.

 

[Neiteio]

You should check the DOOM Switch OT. People are loving the Switch port, including veterans of the other versions such as myself.

Also, Switch is quite capable if you design to it. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe looks incredible and runs a flawless 1080p 60fps docked/720p 60fps undocked.

 

[Vito]

And when was the last time you bought a PS4 or Xbox game and didn't have to download a massive day one patch?

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To start and play the game?

Never.

 

[dcx4610]

I think it's partially Nintendo's fault for marketing it as a console. It should be marketed as a handheld that you can just so happen dock to your TV.

I still amazed at what the Switch can do for its size. If Nintendo and people treated it as a handheld like it truly is, I think expectations would be more realistic.

Hold the Switch up next to your PS4. Why would that tiny device be as powerful as that big PS4?

 

[borges]

People will find a way to port things to the Switch. Watch.

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Absolutely, but OP refers that Switch wont be able to on pair, not even close, to vanilla PS4/XB1.

 

[Deleted member 21709]

Games can still be gorgeous, look at Mario Odyssey. They just need to be designed and developed with the system's strengths in mind.