Summary
- Switch 2’s performance is beyond the PS4, with better CPU, RAM, and GPU.
- Developers optimizing Series S games can likely tailor them for Switch 2.
- Switch 2’s popularity may drive developers to offer titles for both it and Series S.
The Switch 2’s release date is less than two weeks away as I write this, so we’ll soon know exactly how this new console from the House of Mario measures up. However, there’s a persistent worry that this new console is too far behind the current-generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft.
That might create the impression that we won’t be getting good versions of multiplatform games on this new handheld system, but I think some of us have forgotten about another under-powered underdog—the Xbox Series S.
The Switch 2 Is Beyond the PS4, But Well Below the Series S
While the exact performance of the Switch 2 remains speculative since no really has one yet, except for a select few influencers, there seems to be broad consensus that it’s at least at the level of a PlayStation 4, but most likely somewhere beyond the previous-generation’s standard-bearer.
Tim Rattray / How-To Geek | Nintendo
After all, the Switch 2 has a more powerful and modern CPU, much more RAM, and a modern GPU with access to lots of features that make the need for more raw power less necessary. So, while it’s not at the raw levels of performance the Series S is capable of, it’s also likely quite a bit more capable than a PlayStation 4, at least in its docked mode.
If You Can Optimize for Series S, You Can Probably Do Switch 2
I’ve soured quite a bit on the Series S as time went by, and it’s no fault of Microsoft’s plucky little console. It’s a long story, but part of the reason the Series S hasn’t been doing too well lately is simply that its bigger brother has been pushed to lower and lower resolution and frame rate targets, leaving no room to breathe for the smaller system.
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The “S” is for “Stay Away.”
Nonetheless, if a developer wants to release a game on the Series X, they must offer a version of the game optimized for the Series S. My reasoning goes that if a game can be cut down to run on the Series S, then it’s not a huge leap to cut it down just a little more to work on the Switch 2. In many ways, you won’t have to cut it down at all. For example, the Switch 2 has more RAM than the Series S and a lighter operating system, so things like texture quality needn’t be skimped on.
Many other performance-sapping settings in games can be toned down without hurting the visuals much, unless you run them side-by-side. We’ve already seen, for example, Hogwarts Legacy running on the Switch 2. In this fascinating comparison by Digital Foundry, we see that the game uses assets mainly from the PS4 version, but at higher resolution and detail, while it’s clearly not as nice or detailed compared to the Series S, visually they are very comparable.
By having simpler lighting and some smart nips and tucks to various aspects of the game, the Switch 2 version and Series S version don’t have the huge gulf that exists between the Switch and, for example, the PlayStation 5. So, in general (of course, in some games this won’t be possible), if a Series S version of a game exists, it can probably be trimmed down for the Switch 2 without butchering it.
If You’re Making a Switch 2 Port, You Might as Well Do Series S
m.andrei/Shutterstock.com
One of the big fears with the Series S is that, thanks to the dwindling hardware sales of the consoles, developers might not see the point of putting in the time and energy to make an Xbox port. After all, they need to make two versions of the game, and making the Series S version can be tricky. With the smallest install base of the three console brands right now, the juice may not be worth the squeeze.
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Talk about backing the wrong horse.
However, if the Switch 2 sells half as well as the first Switch, third-party developers will be falling over themselves to release their games on the platform. If you’re cutting the PS5 or PC version of a game down to run on the Switch 2, then there’s no reason to skip the Series S and any work done to optimize games on the Switch 2 will likely benefit the Series S too.
Of course, the Switch 2 has some tricks that the Series S lacks, such as NVIDIA DLSS upscaling, but there’s still plenty of the work that would be transferable from optimizing for Switch 2.
Series S Will Be Around for Many Years Still
Neither the Series S nor Microsoft’s policy of requiring games to run on both tiers of its consoles are going anywhere soon. Despite selling relatively poorly compared to Sony and Nintendo, the absolute number of Xbox consoles in homes isn’t insignificant.
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So many choices.
So I really think that the existence of both the Series S and Switch 2 in the current generation will incentivize developers to give us lower-end versions of their games that aren’t just a minimum-effort box-ticking exercise. In a weird way, the Series S and Switch 2 could have a symbiotic relationship that ends up benefitting both in equal measure.
