Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 is currently available via “early access” on all platforms and while we’ll have a review for the Nintendo Switch 2 version soon, it seems that direct comparison with the Switch 1 iteration offers some noticeable improvements over the last-gen outing. It should be pretty obvious that resolution would be the biggest change for Switch 2, but there is also an increased level of detail in levels and faster loading times for Nintendo’s newest device.
According to YouTube channel SwitchUp, most of the expected improvements are available on Switch 2. Image quality is sharper than Switch 1, the load times are slightly improved due to Switch 2’s faster storage speeds, and the resolution is better than the older console. Sadly, it doesn’t seem that developer Iron Galaxy was able to do much more with this port as there is a surprisingly amount of parity between both consoles. The Switch 2 version doesn’t seem to be pushing Nintendo’s latest console to its fullest potential, which is something I’ve seen in my own testing so far.
In handheld mode, the two consoles are actually a bit closer in terms of visual perception, but the Switch 2 version offers better playability overall. The biggest change between these two ports is that the Switch 1 version is locked to 30 fps while the Switch 2 attempts to hit 60 fps and reaches it most of the time. With the Switch 2’s VRR panel, it is perceptively smoother and much more responsive than the Switch 1 port. Sadly, docked mode does suffer from some slowdown at times, which is very unfortunate.
There are also a surprising amount of crashes on the Switch 2 version. The video doesn’t go into extreme detail there, but it seems to affect the levels from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 levels more than anything. I haven’t encountered crashes yet, but Nintendo Wire editor Jason Ganos has had three already. It’s certainly not where the game should be on Switch 2 and it’s strange how the Switch 1 version doesn’t suffer from the same problems.
The last upgrade I’ve noticed is that the Switch 2 versions supports HDR output. While it’s not great (in a manner similar to Kunitsu-Gami on Switch 2), it does mean the colors are more vibrant than on Switch 1. Patches will probably resolve most issues with the Switch 2 version, but it’s advisable to wait for some updates at the moment. That’s a little unfortunate.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
