We’ve been in the era of Nintendo Switch 2 for just over two weeks. One of the major upgrades advertised with the new console was Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Prior to launch, all we were told was that we’d receive a free update promising visual and frame rate improvements, but I don’t think any of us expected how drastic these improvements would be. Digital Foundry has done a deep dive on what’s new for the Generation 9 games — let’s take a look at their findings.
- On Switch 1, frame rate never went higher than 30 fps. You’ll likely stay in the 20-25 fps range for a majority of gameplay, even while you’re docked. You can expect slightly worse while in handheld. On Switch 2, the game hovers around 60 fps, rarely dipping below this threshold. Performance is about the same for docked and handheld.
- Frame rates for objects and characters around the open world were improved as well. An example used was the infamous Artazon windmill, which would dip to as low as 2 fps when viewed at a distance. It now runs at a stable 60 fps.
- More Pokémon will spawn in the overworld.
- Fast travel is a lot quicker, getting up to 4.4x faster. The most drastic example was traveling from Mesagoza West to Cortondo West, Switch 1 would take 15.8 seconds to load while it takes just 3.6 seconds on Switch 2.
- Draw distances are fairly similar for both consoles, with pop-in being more evident.
- Shadow resolutions are about the same, continuing to be fairly low res.
- Up close textures haven’t been improved much, if at all.
- HDR is not supported.
While the Switch 2 versions of Scarlet & Violet are a massive upgrade and basically make it a new game, it still falls short of what the system is capable of. We’ve seen games such as Xenoblade Chronicles, Breath of the Wild, and Tears of the Kingdom have these incredible open world areas; and it’s disappointing that Pokémon, the largest franchise in the world, puts out a game that could’ve been released on an older console. It’s especially frustrating when we’ve already seen a teaser of Beast of Reincarnation, Game Freak’s newest title, look undeniably visually stunning.
More Switch 2
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s Switch 2 Autobuild feature has been broken open by modders
Cyberpunk 2077 runs decently well on Switch 2, supports keyboard and mouse controls
Leave a Comment
Written by Roberto Diaz
Embark on a gaming odyssey with a passionate player deeply immersed in pop culture. Roberto not only conquers virtual realms but also dominates the pop music scene, turning life into a harmonious adventure filled with gaming triumphs and cultural insights.
