Nintendo Switch 2 is more powerful than expected says Metal Gear Solid Delta dev
One of the big points of contention heading into the Switch 2's launch was exactly how powerful the console would be, with early reports variously comparing it to a PlayStation 4 and Xbox Series S.
The hybrid console's impressive ports of Cyberpunk 2077 and Hogwarts Legacy suggest the console's power is on the higher end of those expectations and in new comments developer Virtuos seems to agree.
According to Eoin O'Grady, technical director at Virtuos subsidiary Black Shamrock, the GPU of the Switch 2 and Xbox Series S are comparable thanks to the former's use of DLSS upscaling, whereas CPU-wise the system is closer to a PlayStation 4.
'GPU-wise, the Switch 2 performs slightly below the Series S; this difference is more noticeable in handheld mode,' O'Grady said in an interview with Wccftech. 'However, the Series S does not support technologies like DLSS, which the Switch 2 does. This makes the GPU capabilities of the two consoles comparable overall.
'CPU-wise, there is a clearer distinction between the two consoles. The Switch 2 is closer to the PlayStation 4 in this respect, having a CPU just a bit more powerful than the PlayStation 4's. Since most games tend to be more GPU-bound than CPU-bound when well optimised, the impact of this difference largely depends on the specific game and its target frame rate.'
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As such, O'Grady claims any Xbox Series S games targeting 60fps 'should easily port' to the Switch 2, although there might be some caveats if complex physics or animations are at play.
'Any game shipping at 60fps on the Series S should easily port to the Switch 2,' he added. 'Likewise, a 30fps Series S game that's GPU-bound should also port well. Games with complex physics, animations, or other CPU-intensive elements might incur additional challenges in reaching 30 or 60fps or require extra optimisation during porting.' More Trending
Along with ports of everything from Horizon Zero Dawn to Dark Souls, Virtuos has worked as a support studio on several projects, including Marvel's Midnight Suns and Konami's upcoming remake of Metal Gear Solid 3, aka Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. A Switch 2 port for the latter has not yet been announced.
Beyond Mario Kart World, the Switch 2's launch line-up mostly consists of third party titles which were released on last gen hardware. As such, the biggest test for the Switch 2's capabilities moving forward are the games only available on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, such as Star Wars Outlaws or the rumoured port of Stellar Blade.
Even if the Switch 2 is a capable machine, however, early reports suggest third party games aren't selling well on the console so far – but it remains to be seen if this is an anomaly of the launch window.
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Metro
5 hours ago
- Metro
The biggest problem with the Nintendo Switch 2 is that it's too big
A reader is happy with the games on the Switch 2 but wishes that it, and other modern portables like the PlayStation Portal, were a bit smaller. The first console I ever got was the Game Boy Color, in about 1998. Even then it was obvious to me that it was old tech, but the games were great, so it didn't matter and there started a life of loving video games. I like to think I'm not too biased in terms of companies and formats, but I have to admit I have a soft spot for Nintendo and portables so, as you can imagine, I've loved the Switch and immediately got a Switch 2. I've not played a lot of Donkey Kong Bananza so far, but I like what I have played and Mario Kart World is great. I certainly wouldn't have complained if there were more game announcements at this point, but I think, knowing games take longer nowadays, it's a good launch. I also don't regret getting the Switch 2 but I do have a big problem with it, and it's something I knew was going to be an issue before I got it: it's too big. The Switch 2 has a 7.9 inch screen and is 27.2 cm × 11.6 cm. That is, in short, massive. The smallest portable I own is the Game Boy Micro, which is 10.1 cm by 5 cm. That's one extreme to another but even the clunky big original DS was only 14.9 cm x 8.5 cm when it was closed. These are actual portable consoles that you can put in your pocket and carry around with you. There is no way that I can comfortably put a Switch 2 in the pocket of any coat or trousers I own. I tried to talk my girlfriend into putting it in her handbag, but it didn't fit. Especially as you have to put it in its own carry case first or risk getting it bashed up and scratched. I get the Switch 2 is very powerful and the screen is huge and all that. It's definitely a decision, not a mistake, but I don't like it. I especially don't like it because it's part of the modern trend where all portables are not actually portable. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. I've got a PlayStation 5 and a PlayStation Portal, and while the Portal is useful its size is really awkward, even though you only use it in the house. I don't own a PC portable or an Xbox but that Xbox Ally looks massive and clunky too. I think we've really lost sight of the benefits of what a portable console should be. The ability to, you know… port it around to you. If I want to take the Switch 2 with me anywhere I basically have to take a bag with me, whether I was going to or not. It's bigger than the Switch 1 but not by that much, so this isn't a new problem, but I would like to see a proper alternative. The Switch Lite was smaller but it was still pretty massive compared to any previous handheld console. And now we hear rumours that the PlayStation 6 and next gen Xbox are going to be portables, or have portable versions? I'm going to take a wild guess and imagine they're going to be the size of a house too. Because if there's one thing the PlayStation 5 has taught me, it's that Sony does not value the idea of making consoles a convenient size. I'm not angry and I'm not going to start a petition, but I do think it's a shame and I wish things like the Switch Lite offered a real alternative in terms of the size, because it really makes a different to how, and how often, you use them. Since I don't expect any change with the inevitable Switch 2 Lite, what I will ask for instead is some kind of mini-console portable from Nintendo. Something that can play games from all their pre-Switch portable consoles, that has the same design as the 3DS but is as small as they can make it. More Trending I think a lot of people would be interested in that, not just weirdos like me, and it might even help people to appreciate the idea of a handheld that can actually fit in the palm of your hand. By reader Gorby The reader's features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro. You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@ or use our Submit Stuff page and you won't need to send an email. MORE: Donkey Kong Bananza is Nintendo and gaming at its best - Reader's Feature MORE: The best thing the PS6 can do is be less powerful than PS5 – Reader's Feature MORE: The standards for video game reviews need to be higher - Reader's Feature
Metro
a day ago
- Metro
The best thing the PS6 can do is be less powerful than PS5 - Reader's Feature
A reader argues that rising costs in the games industry means Sony would be wise to make the PS6 less powerful than current gen consoles. In two years' time we're going to be drowning in news, rumours and leaks about the PlayStation 6. Everything seems to point towards it coming out in 2027 and I have not met a single person that's excited about it. Everybody thinks it's too soon, everyone thinks the PlayStation 5 has barely started, and everyone thinks Sony has dropped the ball in terms of games. Or maybe everyone doesn't think that. Maybe I'm just living in a bubble with my video game savvy friends, but it doesn't matter because dread it, run from it, the PlayStation 6 will arrive all the same. We haven't got any details yet, that I'm aware of, but the few hints we've had are of a new console (and a portable) that is even more powerful than the last one and no doubt even more expensive. Considering the PS5 Pro is already the most expensive console I don't even want to think about how much the PlayStation 6 is going to cost. As we all know by now, more powerful means it'll take even longer to make games and need more money and people. This will mean less games, less often, and absolutely no risks of any kind – including probably any new IP at all. We've already seen this in this generation, where everything's slowed to a crawl, but a new console is only going to make things worse. What makes the whole situation all the sadder is that there is no way on Earth the extra power is going to make any difference. There's barely any difference between PlayStation 4 and 5 games as it is, so the difference between 5 and 6 is going to be miniscule and certainly nothing a normal person will ever notice. Remember that PlayStation 5 tech demo that looked a bit like Tomb Raider? We haven't seen anything like that so far in an actual game, so that was all just a lie. They always are, I know, but whatever excuse they try to give for the PlayStation 6 needing to exist is going to be a con. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. Considering everything going on in gaming at the moment the only decision that makes any sense to me is making the PlayStation 6 less powerful than the PlayStation 5. If that sounds silly to you, I guarantee the vast majority of people wouldn't even notice. If you told them it was more powerful (which I'm not suggesting Sony do) they'd probably believe it, just because nothing in terms of graphics has looked any different in years. Sony should explain that in order for the portable and console machines to be running the same games they had to lower the overall power, since a portable can never be as powerful as a home console. There are better reasons to decrease the power though and not just because it'll make the console cheaper. We've known about the problem that games cost too much to make for years now and nobody has done a thing about it. Not Sony and not anyone else. If the PlayStation 6 is more powerful – if it is just another box under the TV- then the problem is only going to continue to get worse until something snaps and suddenly video games just aren't viable anymore. I don't want to see a future where the only video games are indies, mobile games, and free to play, but that is where we're headed, and very quickly. The future should be AA games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream (which I haven't played yet but was fascinated to hear about this week). But none of the big publishers care about that, they think it's small beans and not worth bothering with. If they carry on their current course, games will end up costing £100+ (there's already rumours of that for GTA 6), they'll take 10 years to make, and they'll only be the safest of safe franchises and ideas. It's not just publishers I worry aren't doing anything about this ticking time bomb, it's gamers who just hope the problem is going to magically go away. If games become unprofitable publishers will simply stop making them. They won't start making cheaper games because then their graphs won't go up, they'll just find something else to make money from. More Trending Something has to change. It's not enough even to draw the line here, they have to go back to before the PlayStation 5, when companies could still afford to make games and we could still afford to pay for them. By reader Captone The reader's features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro. You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@ or use our Submit Stuff page and you won't need to send an email. MORE: The standards for video game reviews need to be higher - Reader's Feature MORE: Zelda: The Wind Waker is still an amazing game that can inspire future sequels – Reader's Feature MORE: I wish Bethesda didn't make Fallout and The Elder Scrolls - Reader's Feature
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
Games Inbox: What is the next big game for Nintendo Switch 2?
The Friday letters page hopes for the industry's sake that EA Sports FC 26 sells well, as one reader wonders who else will be in the Zelda movie. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ Mystery follow-up Nice review of Donkey Kong Bananza, GC. It's interesting to me that it's another good Nintendo game but one which, like Mario Kart World, features just enough problems for it to be kind of mid-tier by their standards. I'm sure other companies would love if their flawed efforts were getting a 9/10 but that's just the legacy that Nintendo has at this point. Either way, we're still at the 'it was originally made for the previous console' stage of the generation, which all consoles go through. I think normally it's about two years in before we start to see ones made only with the current console in mind. I don't know if I'll wait that long before getting a Switch 2, but I'm not currently tempted this year. More because of the lack of games rather than these first two not being top tier. So, the question is what next? Metroid Prime 4 is even less a Switch 2 game than the first two so what comes after that? My heart tells me that it'll be Animal Crossing, as a counterpoint to the hardcore Metroid Prime 4, but who can ever say with Nintendo. I'd be most pleased with a brand new IP but that's even harder to try and predict. It's exciting but also frustrating because I wouldn't bet on finding out this year. Onibee The Legend of Bugsy Malone Although it's in keeping with a lot of the games I am surprised at just how young and inexperienced the Link and Zelda actors are. I can only hope the casting director knows that they're doing, because that is a hell of a gamble straight from the start. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. It makes me wonder who the older characters are going to be in the film? Ganondorf will obviously be an adult man, but will Impa be an old granny or the sort of peak fitness version we've seen before? Since Link and Zelda don't seem to be based on Breath Of The Wild I'm going to guess a younger Impa, but who else? Makes me wonder if the champions will be in it, as they were all kind of peak adults. The film will probably make up some new characters, because the series doesn't have a lot of recurring ones. Someone like Lineback or Midna would be cool, but that seems more like something to keep back for a sequel. Like you said, there's so much that could go wrong with this, but let's see what happens. Focus Lesser of two evils Look like EA is pretty worried about EA Sports FC 26 doing well. I remember a time when I have cheered on the idea of them going under (not that I think they will, but bear with me). Apart from me feeling worse nowadays, about the idea of wishing thousands of people to loose their job, at least EA isn't owned by someone else. I don't like much of what they do but it's not like I haven't enjoyed EA games in the past, especially the Star Wars stuff, so let's not wish the games industry to become even smaller and even more under the shadow of Microsoft – a company that has shown it will turn its back on anything or anyone for the smallest amount of profit. On one hand it doesn't bother me whether EA Sports FC 26 is a hit or not, because I'll never buy it. But on the other hand I hope it does well because EA going under isn't good for anyone, except for even bigger corporations than them. Combi Email your comments to: gamecentral@ Monkey money madness The reviews are really difficult to ignore for Donkey Kong Bananza. I'm glad it's doing well critically but I don't think I'll be buying the game anytime soon. £65 for the physical cart is just too much to justify, especially when Nintendo games never go on sale. I bought Cyberpunk 2077 for £54 at Switch 2 launch because of a Currys deal, so maybe that's the sweet spot for me (or launch madness). Most Switch games had an RRP of £50 but sold for £40 even at launch. It's odd that retailers aren't continually this strategy. Maybe things will start to settle soon, because anything over £50 feels too much at the minute. Thanks for giving me the space to rant. goldbricks23 (NN ID) Shots fired So upsetting to read about developers being laid off in favour of AI. I know it's only Candy Crush but you don't exactly have to be paranoid to imagine that this is just the thin end of the wedge. I can only hope that something is done to stop the rot before all these talented people leave the games industry forever. Who wants to work for a company for years only to be laid off, just so an AI can plagiarise your work afterwards. Laddie Ubisoft vs. ex-Ubisoft So I've sold Assassin's Creed Shadows to CeX. Because, truthfully, it's just a painfully mediocre title that somehow makes exploration of feudal Japan immensely unenticing, which is quite the task to pull off. I'll say that during my time with the game, I completed three castles as Naoe that looked the same, played the same, and led to a sense of lethargic quality. The stealth is excellent, it truly gave me a sense of shinobi arts. How is it that even combat is painfully hollow and somehow reminds me of Valhalla's shortcomings? The story is indeed rather milquetoast. I certainly lack the ability to even forge a reason as to why I should care for this narrative. The game looks truly stunning. However, when your points of interest boil down to shrines and guarded castles it feels like the depth of an ocean and width of a pool. It's an improvement on Valhalla, in many ways but a step down from Odyssey in other ways. Yasuke, in my opinion, is the most forgettable, bland, and unmemorable protagonist since Shay from Assassin's Creed Rogue. He's a tank. That's it. That's his unique selling point. Thankfully however, I also brought another title alongside Shadows. A title that I also bought on PC. A title that is magnificent from the menu screen. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I own it twice. Because it deserves to be owned twice. Assassin's Creed Hexe is intriguing but my expectations are non-existent. When Ubisoft churn out countless disappointing checkmark titles, such as Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora and Assassin's Creed Shadows, what hope does a narrative focused on witches stand? Especially when their former employees have crafted a title that Ubisoft will forever lack the talent, passion, heart, and capacity for. I pray for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to win Game Of The Year in December. It's a marvellous achievement for Sandfall and more than worthy enough to stand alongside Atlus' Persona series and Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate 3. Shahzaib Sadiq Instant U-turn To the person who wrote in the other day about not being able to turn well in Mario Kart battle mode. You can hold A and B together in a direction and hold the stick in any direction, left or right. I do it all the time in the free roam, I'm not a battle mode player but it works the same. Good luck. If you knew it already and still are complaining then even better luck. Nick The Greek Big blue Boy Scout I saw the new Superman movie on its release date and absolutely loved it. If I had to have a favourite superhero it would be Superman, then Batman as my next, and Spider-Man as my third. I am also talking about childhood heroes here and being fundamental to my younger memories watching the animated versions for each, as well as the classic Michael Keaton and Christopher Reeve live action movies. Thinking about what GC viewers mentioned about how moral code is associated with some heroes more than others, I'd definitely say the above mentioned three are definitely on the true good side. Their alter egos are also wholesome, as a high-powered businessman and philanthropist, a newspaper journalist, and an average or genius college kid. Regarding the games that could be created with these characters, especially Superman and Batman, I felt Arkham Asylum or City showed a good detective variant of gameplay, along with the stealth and action of Batman. I feel that this could be done for Clark Kent and Lois Lane doing their journalism job, investigating crimes or ill doings and being down to earth and properly solving the situation as detectives. Superman comes into his own when scenarios brings in powerful supervillains and ultra despicable normal humans, all doing their nefarious deeds. Of course, then the glasses come off, like the business suit gets changed for armoured body protection and the college clothes get exchanged for the web-slinging bodysuit for high octane aerial movement and combat. With natural abilities so far above our terrestrial heroes, Superman would possibly need a bigger area and more depth in regards to making the gameplay utilise the Man of Steel's signature moves and powers, like speed, heat ray blasts, X-ray vision and extraterrestrial ultra strength, which our yellow sun gives him. In other words, it's probably too difficult to give Superman a proper go at a gaming franchise or single game and we'll just see him as a watered down Kryptonian in a side view beat 'em-up or multiplayer rivals type action game. Which is a shame as the recent movie has everything from honouring the original 70s classics and the newer world of DC cinema and comics. Basically, it was near perfect and can't wait to see more of James Gunn's future endeavours into this new remake of my favourite superhero of all time. Alucard Inbox also-rans I didn't even know there was a FIFA curse. I'd heard of the Madden curse, despite knowing nothing about the sport, so I'm going to guess that Bellingham and Musiala will live through this. Rich I really hope the people that have done RoboCop: Rogue City get to do RoboCop Vs. Terminator. To see that come back after all these years would be so funny to me and I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Austin More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@ The small print New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers' letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content. You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader's Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot. You can also leave your comments below and don't forget to follow us on Twitter. MORE: Games Inbox: How would you improve Mario Kart World? MORE: Games Inbox: What is the next Assassin's Creed game? MORE: Games Inbox: What is the hardest game on PS5?
