The PS5 and Xbox Series X may be the newest consoles in town, but I spent most of my recent vacation vacation playing the Nintendo Switch. I imagine many other players have done the same, and it’s not hard to see why.
The Switch has a myriad of fantastic games you can’t find anywhere else, including the meaty Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, which I’ve been waiting for a lot since its surprising announcement earlier this year. I downloaded the game, started it – and immediately wondered why it looked so bad.
For some context: I was pretty busy with the PS5 and the Xbox X Series since I received them for review in early November. Some games I played for review; some games i simple wanted to play.
Either way, my switch sat neglected in front of my TV for almost two months. When I finally turned it on again, I was not at all ready for the significant decline in graphic fidelity.
About resolution and frame rate
I tested the PS5 and the Xbox Series X in a beautiful way LG CX OLED TV, which supports 4K resolution and up to 120 frames per second. Although most games do not achieve this (4K at 30 fps, or the upscaling of 4K at 60 fps, this is about the best you are going to do), but it still looks fantastic and is much better than the 1080p / 30 fps games from the previous console. generation.
Granted, the Nintendo Switch was never a technical powerhouse. His most beautiful games have achieved a lot by prioritizing memorable art styles over graphic skills.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, for example, has far more memorable images than the latest Call of Duty, regardless of their resolutions and frame rates. But after I amazed you about the vast landscapes in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, it was difficult to go back to the relatively simple, limited levels in Age of Calamity.
Initially, I reasoned that the LG CX OLED could help me alleviate the relatively low frame rate of the Switch. I hunted for the TruMotion setting and turned it on.
For those who do not know, TruMotion delivers what our senior editor Brian Westover does.soap opera effectFor movies and TV, which artificially increases the frame rate through visual deception. (Other TV brands have similar features, though the names differ.)
Although TV shows and movies generally look awful, I reasoned that they can be useful for video games, where high frame rates are often more useful than perfect visual fidelity.
Initially, the environment did what I wanted it to, and Link seemed to swing his sword and flame faster and smoother than before through the battlefield. But it didn’t take long for me to start noticing the cracks.
TruMotion can actually not create more frames per second than the bronze game; it can only deceive your eye into thinking that it does happen. As such, the effect had an artificial property that was especially frightening when the frame rate would stutter and drop every minute or so. Before I reached the end of the first level, TruMotion had to go.
In the end, I had no choice but to adjust my eyes to the standard images of Age of Calamity – or play in hand mode, where it was a little more tolerant. But then I encountered problems and had to disregard the small text and mission goals.
Will we get a 4K switch?
In defense of Age of Calamity, it’s actually a good game, which incorporated much of what I liked about Breath of the Wild into the fast-paced and energetic Dynasty Warriors formula. After getting used to the resolution and frame rate, it also did not look bad, thanks to the colorful environments and distinctive character designs.
But there was a clear feeling that the Switch – which according to Nintendo is only halfway through its intended lifespan – could no longer provide the kind of footage that consoles want gamers.
Although imagery is not as important as gameplay, story and a number of other features, it can make a big difference in immersion. In addition, a higher frame rate is not just for display; it can be a game advantage, especially in competitive multiplayer titles.
Before I got a 4K TV, I was skeptical about the claims that we needed a 4K switch. Now, I think we need one sooner rather than later.
While most Americans still own 1080p (or lower) TVs, this is changing rapidly, and two out of three console manufacturers can now take full advantage of the 4K technology. If we have to wait another three years for a 4K Switch sequel, the TV technology may have already advanced at that point, so Nintendo is catching up again.
This week there was more noise than usual about a ‘Switch Pro’, ”Switch 2, ”Or whatever you want to call it. The bottom line is that rumors have surfaced about Nintendo developing a 4K Switch and launching it as early as this year.
Overall, I do not trust Nintendo rumors, and this group is no exception. The sources are vague and seem more wishful thinking than hard evidence. But sometimes these rumors can be revealing as it sheds light on what the rumors we had in a current Nintendo device.
Some of the upcoming features of the Switch Pro include better hardware, more storage and 4K support – even if the new console has to abandon its beloved manual mode to get it.
Eventually I accepted Age of Calamity for what it is, and I’m sure I would do the same with the next Switch title I pick up. But the PS5 and Xbox Series X have set new standards for what console games should look like, and Nintendo would be wise to follow them to some extent.
We may not remember great games mainly for what they looked like, but at the moment, beautiful graphics can make a big difference.