Oliver Cragg / Android Authority
Tl;
- Japanese Nintendo Switch Port Developers revealed how Nintendo Switch’s under -steered hardware inhibited development.
- Everything from the weak CPU to the small 4 GB RAM was an obstacle compared to competitors.
- The number one thing the developers want from Switch 2 are “improved general hardware specifications.”
It is common knowledge that Nintendo Switch was under -reluctant when it was released in 2017, but now we know exactly what it meant to developers. Automatic Media interviewed A group of Japanese developers of Nintendo switch gates about their experience with the platform, revealing how limiting the hardware was.
First, the CPU was constantly at full capacity, which means that the background load was almost impossible. Usually, this will allow the console to load the next scene before it starts, leveling transitions and reducing the load times. On the Nintendo switch, most developers simply accepted that the load times would be significantly longer than on other platforms.
Graphics were another area where developers had to make serious concessions. While goal solutions for Xbox Series X. and PlayStation 5 Is between WQHD (1440p) and 4K, switch games were lucky to hit 720p in anchored mode or 540p in handheld mode. It is significantly less than the original HD resolution on the screen, and less than what to expect on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
Speaking of Xbox One and PS4, these consoles sent with 8 GB of RAM, double Nintendo Switch’s 4 GB. It caused a serious problem, since exceeding that amount would cause games to crash. As forced developers to “compress textures to the absolute limit to save memory” and make games playable.
Even the game cassettes were a problem, since the reading speed was slower than both the internal storage and microSD card track. These cassettes also top 32 GB, so larger games often require users to download additional data to internal storage or a MicroSD card. Publishers were also incentivated to use less capacity cassettes, since they are cheaper to produce and increase margins.
Other difficulties arose from the name of the console. “Switch” is a common term in programming, and when used in code, it may have some unintended consequences.
Developer expectations for Switch 2 were clear: more powerful hardware.
Given, most of these problems were related to porting games developed for other Nintendo Switch platforms. Games developed especially for the switch did not struggle as much with the underpowered hardware since they could be designed around it. The emergence of unit, unreal motor and other modern gaming motors also helped to streamline the porting effort.
Much as players themselves, the developers want “improved overall hardware specifications” from Switch 2. The gap between the X/PS5 series and the Nintendo switch begins to make new gates unsustainable, and it will only get worse as time goes on. Nevertheless, the developers remain obliged to the platform, which is a testimony of how successful and influential Nintendo switch has been.
