The word is out: the Switch 2 is capable of making Switch 1 games perform better.
In fact, according to a recent test from Digital Foundry, the Switch port of Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham Knight – a game that DF previously described as “the worst performing software” reviewed by the team – has pretty much been fixed on Nintendo’s new hardware. Well, as fixed as it can be without actually going back and tinkering with the code.
Essentially, the extra horsepower in the Switch 2 brute forces Batman: Arkham Knight to work as well as its able on the base code. So in terms of frame rate, you’re often seeing a (Rock)steady 30fps; practically doubling what the game occasionally ran at on the original Switch.
It doesn’t necessarily mean the game is perfect, by any means. Further testing from DF resulted in a full-on crash when entering the pause menu, while some animation errors can rear their ugly heads. Plus, it still looks pretty naff.
Still, it’s an interesting first look at what might be possible with the Switch 2, however. There are plenty of Switch 1 games that could theoretically be improved with the extra power afforded by the new console. It’s going to take a lot of testing over the coming days and weeks to see exacly which games are improved, and how.
What a machine!