With Starlink and Panic Button's ports, how do people feel about Switch's capabilities now?

[Hero of Legend]

I've been playing Starlink on Switch pretty constantly since I bought at on Christmas (so much that time zooms by, first time that's happened to me in years).

And I'm just in awe at how gorgeous the game looks. Virtuos did an outstanding job with the port. My only issue is that the textures can load high and low-res versions back and forth, it's odd.

Have some docked screens:

Next is of course Panic Button. The game I'll specifically address is Warframe since it's the only one by them I've played (it's free after all), but also I think it's THE best looking one they've done so far.

Some docked screens:

Switch to me can truly hold its own against PS4 and XBO when developers actually try to push the system. It's to me far more capable than many claim it is (some going as far to say it's only a bit more powerful than the PS3 and 360). The Tegra X1 chip with its modern architecture is doing absolute wonders for it. Sure is a wonderful departure from the Wii U which still used the CPU dating back to the GameCube.

Thoughts?

Edit: To clarify the "hold its own" bit:

What I mean by holding its own is that it's something that's at least comparable (as that Warfame comparison vid posted earlier shows), not that it's as powerful as PS4 and XBO, since obviously that's not the case and I never implied it was.

I just feel it's far closer to current gen than a lot think. Certainly far closer to PS4 than PS3.

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[alr1ght]

It's extremely compromised and while it's impressive for a handheld, those games don't stand anywhere close to their bigger cousins.

 

[Deleted member 9035]

Been playing StarLink in handheld mode and I wouldn't call it a looker. But that could be more due to optimization.

Love Doom and Warframe though!

 

[Abriael]

Exactly like I felt before. It's the least powerful platform this generation for a simple matter of physics. None of the screenshots you posted are impressive this gen unless someone only has a Switch and isn't able to directly compare with PS4 and Xbox One. And no. It cannot hold its own against PS4 and Xbox One.

The thing is, it doesn't need to. Its attractive is in portability, not power and it's doing very well exactly because of that.

Yet, it's pretty funny to see people trying to hype up its hardware specs. Hardware specs are a matter of physics (silicon + cooling). 4 GB or ram won't magically become 8, and this feels like the whole "secret sauce" Xbox One arguments at the beginning of the generation.

 

[It’s Time To Go]

I'm not a tech expert, but it seems premature to write off the switch's graphics capabilities when it's not quite 2 years old yet. I think we'll see better.

 

[Gnorman]

Judging by the marketing and Starfox integration it was probably made with switch specs in mind rather than xbox / Ps4.

 

[corasaur]

it looks good enough. i gamed off an old laptop and nintendo systems for most of the 360 and ps3 generation. it does look noticeably worse than pc games and the HD twins but i haven't played anything hideous enough to leave me disappointed in my purchase.


also i need to look up what starlink actually is and if it's still worth playing if i just wanna fly a starfighter in circles and shoot things without buying toys.

 

[Radishhead]

About the same, it was clear it was an extremely ambitious console from a technical standpoint from Day 1.

 

[Lant_War]

If a game is 60FPS on base PS4 / One, it can probably run on Switch with some compromises.

 

[Keldroc]

I haven't played Warframe on Switch but Starlink is very noticeably inferior visually compared to the PS4 and especially Xbox One X versions (which I have also played). It's using much lower resolution and is much muddier than the other consoles, which doesn't matter a ton on a handheld due to the size of the screen, but to say they're equivalent is wrong. If the game is built with the Switch in mind, it's entirely plausible due to scaling, but the system is factually much weaker than the other consoles. This isn't a major handicap to it, as sales clearly indicate, but you need to let go of this narrative that it's somehow on par with the competition, because it is not. Moving forward it's likely the Switch will get ports of scaleable multiplat stuff pretty regularly, but they're going to use lower resolution and lower res assets to make it work. It's not going to be a matter of "just as good as." It isn't.

 

[Wander_]

It's extremely compromised and while it's impressive for a handheld, those games don't stand anywhere close to their bigger cousins.

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sure

 

[Mirev]

It's extremely compromised and while it's impressive for a handheld, those games don't stand anywhere close to their bigger cousins.

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Both games are good compared with their "bigger cousins". Look at Warframe comparison. Of course resolution is not top and have half of fps, but for an handheld you can't say isn't impressive

 

[alr1ght]

If a game is 60FPS on base PS4 / One, it can probably run on Switch with some compromises.

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+ Not open world

 

[Phil32]

Stuff looks pretty to me, so that's all that really matters to me.

 

[The Almighty Tria]

The Starlink port isn't a looker, I'm not sure why it's an example. It's a big world, but it is very blurry and shimmery.

The Panic Button ports have been great though. The capabilities have always been high for graphics, but only for specific kinds of games.

 

[Mr.Deadshot]

It's still PS360-level for me. There is nothing spectacular about those screenshots, especially when you compare them to top-looking games on X1 and PS4.

 

[Wander_]

I'm not a tech expert, but it seems premature to write off the switch's graphics capabilities when it's not quite 2 years old yet. I think we'll see better.

Click to shrink...

that's right

 

[Lant_War]

+ Not open world

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Not like there's a lot of 60FPS open world games on PS4 anyways. In fact, I think there's only one right? MGSV

 

[funky]

While I am not interested in a port like the ones panic button do, I do find them fascinating. It reminds me of the old days of PC to console ports where they really had to nip and tuck to get the game on PS2. Or watching random "can it run a potato" PC gaming videos.

The lesson is just about any game can work on any platform if you compromise enough.

 

[Wander_]

It's still PS360-level for me. There is nothing spectacular about those screenshots, especially when you compare them to top-looking games on X1 and PS4.

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clearly you don't remember how ps3-360 games looks Lol.

 

[GhostTrick]

Warframe is a game that runs on toasters. Why do people keep mentionning it as some sort of technical achievement ?

 

[Mirev]

Keep in mind that we have to wait until 2020 to do some consideration about games graphics on Switch. Just look the old games of 2013 and their sequels on the same console.

 

[Deleted member 4869]

It's still PS360-level for me. There is nothing spectacular about those screenshots, especially when you compare them to top-looking games on X1 and PS4.

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Pretty much this. Call me when they actually port a visually demanding game. Switch is a severely underpowered system compared to the competition.

 

[Mezoly]

Switch to me can truly hold its own against PS4 and XBO when developers actually try to push the system. It's to me far more capable than many claim it is (some going as far to say it's only a bit more powerful than the PS3 and 360). The Tegra X1 chip with its modern architecture is doing absolute wonders for it. Sure is a wonderful departure from the Wii U which still used the CPU dating back to the GameCube.

Thoughts?

Click to shrink...

Nice way of calling devs lazy.

 

[Rodjer]

Starlink is not what i call a good graphical showcase and the screens looks like ass.

 

[ChatonPute]

Judging by the marketing and Starfox integration it was probably made with switch specs in mind rather than xbox / Ps4.

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It wasn't at all. The project is quite old and the addition of Starfox content was made within the last year.

 

[Simba1]

I am not fan of Panic Button Switch ports at all (they are too low res for my taste),
on other hand Starlink made by Virtuos is great port and one of best looking Switch games.

Also Switch is less than 2 years on market, we still need to see much more games in later life of console that are from ground built with Switch hardware on mind, so we will have more graphically impressive Switch games in any case.

 

[OnanieBomb]

Good enough for now, but definitely going to feel out dated by the time the next PlayStation and Xbox come out.

 

[Hero of Legend]

+ Not open world

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Starlink is very open world. Yeah it doesn't have giant buildings with large populations, but it's a massive world and the transitions between entering and leaving planets to reach space are seamless with zero load-times.

Plus isn't it 30fps on PS4 and XBO also?

 

[Wander_]

anyways, those screenshots are heavily compressed, the switch's capture feature is trash

 

[Chacranajxy]

I'm unimpressed. It's to the point where I won't buy a game on Switch if it's available elsewhere. Even indies (see: Hyper Light Drifter or The Mummy: Demastered).

 

[UsoEwin]

It's a tablet. I don't expect much out of it, and what we get is about that.

 

[Com_Raven]

I don't think most people underestimate the Switch. It is a very well put together console for what it is trying to be (bridging the gap between portable and console at the cost of high-end gaming). I'd argue that the larger issue is often that a lot of Switch fans seem unable to accept the above, and keep insisting that it is more powerful than it is (and than it needs to be, for what it's doing).

Point in case, this bit right here:

Switch to me can truly hold its own against PS4 and XBO when developers actually try to push the system.

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It can't. Unless your definition of "holding its own" is massive cuts to the graphical details, and half the frame rate of the PS4/ Xbox One version (and even with those compromises, the DOOM and New Colossus ports are very impressive).

And given its portability and price, that is absolutely fine. There is zero need to be defensive about it.

 

[.exe]

I've been really unimpressed with Panic Button's ports, but I never had high expectations to begin with. I was always going to play those games on PC at double the frame rate and resolution. Great device for 2D indies though!

 

[hanshen]

Warframe is a game that runs on toasters. Why do people keep mentionning it as some sort of technical achievement ?

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I wanna know what knid of toaster you have, because mine has a single digit lcd screen and doesn't run warframe.

 

[cowbanana]

Starlink on Switch has really crappy image quality and the geometry/texture pop-in would get eviscerated on any other platform as it is quite terrible. But taking the hardware into account I think it is fine, I don't see anything impressive about the game on Switch though, it's clear that it is struggling.

 

[benny]

If you invest a lot of money by hiring the best developers to do your ports for you, then you get good results.

I think the issue with the Switch (and the PS4, Xbone) is that when you have not very capable developers when it comes to optimization but still have great designs you get games that don't run that well.

There are 2D indies that don't run at locked frame rates, because it doesn't have the grunt that the developer's laptop with more than twice the TDP has to smooth over these performance problems.

 

[Jonneh]

I'm still impressed seeing games like Mario Kart 8 run on a handheld but having current gen games like DOOM and Starlink is pretty crazy. They're obviously compromised but it would be foolish to expect parity with the hardware being completely different.

 

[Wander_]

I don't think most people underestimate the Switch. It is a very well put together console for what it is trying to be (bridging the gap between portable and console at the cost of high-end gaming). I'd argue that the larger issue is often that a lot of Switch fans seem unable to accept the above, and keep insisting that it is more powerful than it is (and than it needs to be, for what it's doing).

Point in case, this bit right here:



It can't. And given its portability and price, that is absolutely fine. There is zero need to be defensive about it.

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sorry but what do you mean? we certainly have NOT seen what the switch is capable for yet.

 

[Simba1]

Judging by the marketing and Starfox integration it was probably made with switch specs in mind rather than xbox / Ps4.

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No it wasn't.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-11-22-making-starlink-soar-on-switch

 

[TemplaerDude]

My Pokemon frame rate drops in the menus when mobile.

 

[asd202]

It's a mondern handheld but a home console from 2011. I would prefer games designed specifically for Switch rather than ports of games that are clearly superior on other consoles in terms of performance, resolution and visual effects. That also depends on the game and some do it better some worse but still.

 

[Kingpin Rogers]

Weaker than I thought it would be tbh.

 

[Ferrs]

Neither is PS360 levels nor hold its own against a PS4. It's in the middle of that spectrum, and that should be fine enough for everyone, because it means it's a very good piece of hardware.

 

[base_two]

It's extremely compromised and while it's impressive for a handheld, those games don't stand anywhere close to their bigger cousins.

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"compromised". DOOM looks amazing to me, despite me playing PS4 Pro and Xbox One X versions of the game. Even Switch only games like Mario + Rabbids have an very impressive look despite the lower IQ and resolution. I think people are way too eager to shit on the Switch's graphical capabilities because it doesn't have the hardware to achieve the resolution and IQ (and some third party open world games outright can't run due to glaring bottlenecks), but what it can achieve is way beyond what I would find acceptable for a portable device in 2018. Even as a console, I don't mind some of the ports that run noticeably worse than the other consoles because those consoles flat out are not portable.

Do people find last gen games on PS3/Xbox One suddenly unplayable or something? A lot of the resolution and IQ issues were seeing on the Switch is reminiscent of the way developers made compromises last gen to get games running well. I have no issues playing a last gen game where a HD release doesn't exist and still get impressed at some of the visuals achieved years ago where 720p was the common acceptable resolution.

 

[gattotimo]

I don't understand why many Switch users try in every way to convince the others that its main weakness, which is a necessity due to the much smaller form factor and ultimately what allows the Switch to be a portable and thus have its main appeal over the competition, just isn't there.

It doesn't hold its ground against PS4/XBone. In direct comparison, for the few games that are actually ported to it thus providing the chance to compare at all, Switch version is always the worst one, by a clear measure. And that's absolutely normal. Its selling point is not being able to hold its ground graphically against the other platforms (which it can't). It's allowing you to play wherever you want: and that it can do, quite well actually.

 

[GhostTrick]

I wanna know what knid of toaster you have, because mine has a single digit lcd screen and doesn't run warframe.

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Anything with a recent integrated intel HD GPU.
https://youtu.be/9jO4BZypbuw

 

[The Doctor]

I wouldn't say Warframe looks brilliant. It's good and consistent, but it doesn't look in anyway pretty.
Starlink on the other hand looks beautiful, inside the planets and also in outer space. It's a gorgeous game, they did a great job with the lighting. I get an awful pop-in in handheld mode tho, but I think it's due to the data saved on the sdcard.
The new recently added Photo-mode is brilliant.

 

[Roukira]

I think Switch is quite capable, to the point we can see current gen ports on it (with some compromises). As a handheld it's really amazing.
Now, if you want to have the best experience on a multiplat, I wouldn't go for Switch at all, beefier consoles or even a PC will always be better in my opinion.

 

[9-Volt]

Panic Button ports feel so refreshing after what we had on Vita (Borderlands, Resident Evil, Ninja Gaiden 2). I hope they won't give up like Iron Galaxy did for Vita. I want Switch to continue receiving such impressive ports, but I'm not hopeful. Id FPS games might be all we could get.