When it comes to the Nintendo Switch 2’s tech specs, PlayStation has remained the primary reference point for the vast majority of pundits.
Pertinently: where does the hybrid hardware sit on the scale of PS4 through PS5? Does it have the grunt to offer peak PS4 Pro performance – or is it perhaps closer to Sony’s current flagship console?
The reality is that, without official documentation or teardowns from Nintendo, it’s too early to say. But the tech experts at Digital Foundry reckon the best point of reference for now is the original PS4.
That’s because, based on the footage shown thus far, that’s roughly the results the hardware is producing.
As part of a sprawling video, the team note that multiformat games like Elden Ring and Yakuza 0 are outputting almost identical visuals to the PS4.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake does exhibit some improvements, although it should be noted that the Switch 2 version is based on the Intergrade upgrade, which featured better lighting and was previously only available on the PS5 and PC.
Footage of Star Wars Outlaws – a game not available on the PS4 – looked extraordinary during the Nintendo Direct, but Digital Foundry is sceptical of which hardware it was captured on. And we already know the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 footage was captured on PC.
It should be noted that the Switch 2 does have plenty of advantages on the PS4, including more modern architecture, and contemporary features like DLSS. But as the team notes, there’s a performance cost associated with the AI upscaler, and the hybrid console also has a lot less power draw to work with.
So, it’ll be interesting to see how the system matures and whether it can keep pace with the PS5.
The good news for Nintendo is that many multiformat titles are still being developed with the PS4 in mind, and some developers also have to accommodate for the lower-specced Xbox Series S as well. These compromises could very well work in the Mario maker’s favour.
[source eurogamer.net]
Comments 44
So they're a gen behind hardware-wise, which is par for the course with Nintendo.
So basically the WiiU was as powerful as the PS3, Switch like a PS3 Pro (if it existed) and Switch 2 is the same as a PS4.
I thought the Switch 2 would atleast be on par with the Series S but that doesn't seem to be the case.
As an hybird console it's pretty powerful I don't particularly care how powerful it is all that matters to me is nintendos exclusives I won't play nothing else
@ATaco When the PS6 comes out in 2-3 years time it will then be two generations behind. At this point there's no point including Nintendos hardware when people talk about console generations as Nintendo are bringing out console that cross multiple gens and in terms of hardware they are a couple of gens behind Sony/Microsoft.
I saw a comment somewhere saying that the "C" on the controller stood for CASH 😭😭
@ATaco It's a handheld device, it's always going to be behind cutting edge consoles.
But this isn't QUITE what Digital Foundry concluded. They said it's more towards PS4 than PS5 but it will have the advantage of newer silicon with added features (DLSS/ML, Tensor cores, etc.) as well as more VRAM (for better textures) and faster storage for faster loads, so it should comfortably outperform PS4 in most cases.
Additionally there are several many next gen only titles announced for Switch 2 like Star Wars Outlaws that even struggled on PS5, it will be interesting to see how these perform on Switch to get a better idea.
@Oram77 You have to pay to use the Chat features that the C button opens up so Yes it's a paid button. CASH is right.
I still think the hardware looks pretty great, and I'm excited to see what Nintendo devs can do with that extra horsepower. Everything else not exclusive to Switch 2 i'll play elsewhere.
@UltimateOtaku91 @ATaco It may be one generation behind as a console, but as a handheld device, it's quite powerful. Street Fighter 6 looked much better than what it looks like on Steam Deck for example.
It's also important to note that while in terms of raw power it's about as powerful as PS4, but it also supports a bunch of features that PS4 does not, like hardware accelerated ray-tracing and DLSS (although we'll have to see how often they will be used). It also has 12GB of RAM which is more than PS4 (or Series S).
@themightyant Making us pay for voice chat is straight up greed from Nintendo...
It would have been outdated on day 1 even if it had reached the exact same specs as the PS5, this gen is already 5 years in! of course is still going to sell out but just don't expect any big third party games (like always) in the near future once this gen starts to wraps up.
@Juanalf even older, the gear inside ps5 was already " old" in terms tech by the time we got it
Hardware a gen behind but charging similar to current gen and actually more than current gen for digital only models
@KoopaTheGamer
Another important thing to note is that the steam deck came out in 2022 and it's cheapest model is actually cheaper than the Switch 2 is...
This isn't surprising, since the last Nintendo console to be graphically competitive with the current generation was the GameCube like 20 some years ago.
I pre-ordered last week through habit of doing so with new consoles as much as anything, going back decades.
It was only when I took time to weigh everything up that I realised having this particular new toy, regardless of price, didn't really make sense. Cancelled earlier today. First new console from the big three I haven't bought on release day since before the PS1. Even if I've sold some soon after, I've always wanted the tech.
One and a half gens behind, LCD screen (sorry but just NO), new handhelds with properly decent tech likely from MS, Valve and the windows crews over the next year or so, and of course the usual issues re their controller analogue sticks....I don't even need to stray into pricing for the games, memory and anything else because that's another story.
PS5 Pro and PC will do me and if I do get an urge for a handheld I'll look at the alternatives in a year or so.
My 'unplayed library' salutes me!
It didn't take long for the "last gen" nonsense comments to appear when Nintendo have already shown games like Metroid Prime 4 running at 4K60FPS and 1080p 120fps and of course the fact that it's a handheld.
Clearly it was never going to be a match for PS5 but it certainly has some advantages over PS4 and Pro for that matter. As pointed out here, it is running the updated version of FFVII and Cyberpunk actually works on it and is the version 2 of the game which is even more demanding to run.
And I've got to be honest, I find Metroid, Donkey Kong and Mario Kart way more visually appealing then many games I've seen on this current generation
@themightyant YES. "more VRAM (for better textures) and faster storage for faster loads, so it should comfortably outperform PS4 in most cases."
Funny how non-nintendo exclusive gaming sites consistently ignore that PS4 has no business comparing itself to Switch 2.
Just the storage and vram would be enough to outperform PS4 let alone more modern architecture. People are funny.
No, I will still not buy one (although I 'v been putting off playing TotK until next switch). Will wait for the oled version... if sales of this one actually take off... I have a bad feeling about it... times are not kind to it (economy outlook is in the dumpster, by and large, throughout the world)
Developers are getting lazy and rely way too much on ray tracing and upscaling, hence the catastrophic optimisation for so many games that don't even look better than some 10 year old games
The hardware is very nice overall but the price is slightly on the high end, game prices are difficult to swallow and the software line up is not exciting if you already have a Steam Deck and are not excited about playing Cyberpunk 2077 or Elden Ring on a mobile device.
I guess I will get an OLED version in like 5 years. However, there’s becoming less and less Nintendo software I actually care about I feel. Maybe they’ll do a Star Fox game in the style of the N64 version, that would be pretty enticing for me.
The screen might just be LCD, but it looks much improved from the original Switch's. That plus the much bigger size and native improvements to all Switch 1 games via a translation layer means an easy buy for me.
@UltimateOtaku91 you’re forgetting the PS6 will have 5 years of remasters.
@ATaco I have a Steam Deck and absolutely love it (got LCD model first and upgraded to OLED model later). But while the cheapest Steam Deck is cheaper than Switch 2, it doesn't include a dock. You will also need a controller if you want to play it docked. Switch 2 offers both the dock and the controller. And a 120hz 1080p screen with VRR support.
I feel like Switch 2's featureset justifies the price. Yes, games are expensive, but the hardware is priced pretty fairly in my opinion.
Nintendo been behind graphics since the n64 days.thats why a lot of third party games are not making Nintendo games. Word up son
I am an expert and my comment saying exactly this was deleted wrongfully, according to expert.
That Series S might be one of the best things to happen to Switch 2 in the long run. I expect MS next console to just have 1 model, Xbox Prime, and a next gen system exclusive or 2, that way MS can say those next gen games can run on Series X but not S.
When PS5 was announced and launched 1 of the, if not the biggest, sales pitches and improvement over the PS4 was the SSD. It's why Ratchet and Clank can't run on PS4 though I bet a lot of gamers couldn't really notice any graphical difference between PS4 and PS5 R&C games. So I don't know how much faster the Switch 2 internal memory is compared to the PS4 HDD, but I'm going to assume it's faster. Maybe not PS5 SSD fast, but faster than PS4.
So while I don't think the Switch 2 is PS5 competitive I'm guessing the decade newer hardware will give it enough other advantages to run PS4 games better than PS4 did. Which at this point is still most 3rd party games being released.
And the Switch 2 screen is 1080p. That's the baseline. Anything your TV gets you know going in Switch 2 is a 1080p handheld. It's not a 4k home console. So, better than PS4, maybe close enough to Series S than PS5 don't matter. 3 years from now, who knows. Maybe we get a Switch 2 Pro.
As long as it runs Breath of the wild in 4k on 60fps im gonna buy it.
I have preordered but I'm not sure whether to keep it yet. I have a steam deck and ps5 and I don't think I can justify all three.
If they'd launched this with a stronger game lineup and less terrible pricing it would be a no brainer to keep, but its hard to beat steams game pricing.
Nothing wrong with it having ps4 specs at all especially of it can hit near 60fps on most games.
Ps4 games on handheld on the go with the quality first party Nintendo software we expect and it's a win win.
If they didn't mess up with the software prices I think this would have been as good as any hardware reveal
I think we all knew it was going to be this spec wise if im honest
I don't think it's a simple as "this runs just like that console". From what I've seen on DF for example it looks like FF VII for Switch 2 is running the Intergrade version with improved lighting.
It also looks like it's running Cyberpunk much better than the PS4 ever did. So I dunno you could say that it is more powerful. I mean it has much newer components of course.
@Oram77 Can you voice chat on PS without PS+? I honestly don't know because I've always been signed up. I just assumed you needed to pay for online to access any online features but the shop.
@species 1440 p was what we saw not 4k for zelda
@RagnarLothbrok and it will be 3 steps behind when the ps6 comes out in a few years..
The power of a PS4/Pro, though in a much smaller, portable form, a handheld no less.
That's quiet impressive, no?
@johnedwin I heard 4k on multiple “hands on” experiences.
> https://www.pcmag.com/news/my-exciting-first-hours-with-the-nintendo-switch-2-a-big-screen-high-frame
> In other words, games like Breath of the Wild, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Super Mario Party Jamboree, and Tears of the Kingdom run at 1080p120 and/or 4K60 on the Switch 2. That appears to be the case for Kirby and Zelda.
Hope they know whar theyre talking about haha.
@glennthefrog Yeah it's free, and also you have access to Discord which is also free.
@Oram77 I heard credit card. Cause it's what's needed for it to do anything. 😂
@glennthefrog "I just assumed you needed to pay for online to access any online features"
reminder that you don't need Ps Plus to play online in free to play games or subscription MMO's.
@johnedwin The jump between ps4 and five is certainly not as significant and older generations and I expect the same again from ps5 to ps6 so it's not that much of a biggie.
It's not like it's night and day anymore, just improvements
@KoopaTheGamer
While I don’t have a Steam Deck, if there was a Switch 2 Lite at launch, I wonder how it would compare in terms of price and features.
@Dr-zoidburg
I would say the jump from Switch 1 to Switch 2 looks to be greater than the jump from PS4 to base PS5 in roughly the same span of years. PS5 Pro is a greater leap, technically in terms of all the numbers, but I feel it is at the point of diminishing returns in terms of gameplay to additional price ratio.
@UltimateOtaku91 considering the almost non-existent pace of chip development at the moment, shrinking a Series S down to a Switch in 4 years would've been an absolute miracle
@Dr-zoidburg I think the main impressive thing with PS5 is load times, that SSD is really fast. I think Switch 2 will also be faster loading times
@glennthefrog no, you dont. You can play F2P games online without PS+
@ATaco Imagine having a handheld device which has the same power as a PS5. The fact that they got PS4 specs out of switch 2 is amazing for me.
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