We just saw The Witcher 3 Remastered on Nintendo Switch 2 this week, and thanks to Digital Foundry we have new technical details regarding frame rate, resolution and more.
Much of the analysis here focuses on the improvements over the previous Nintendo Switch version. Needless to say, this is a huge upgrade with better visual features, improved performance, and much more.
Here is the full overview of the information:
– 55.5 GB on Switch 2 versus 39.1 GB for Switch 1
– Better quality assets on Switch 2
– Texture asset resolution is improved
– Pre-rendered cutscenes have higher bitrate ending codes
– Remaster largely handled by CD Projekt Red with help from Virtuos
– No raytracing on Switch 2
– Lighting has been reworked, physical textures improved and new shading for grass and vegetation.
– Also features quality of life improvements, new combat systems, skill tree menus, and Joy-Con mouse/gyroscope controls
– Switch 1 ran dynamic 720p docked/540p handheld with CDPR anti-aliasing
– The Witcher 3 Remastered Switch 2’s docked resolution is a dynamic range of 540p to 1080p
– DLSS seems to be resolving to reach the final goal of 1080p
– 360p to 720p range in portable mode
– Target 720p with DLSS
– Same visual settings whether played docked or portable
– Lower resolution impacts screen space reflections and depth of field in cutscenes
– Switch uses a more precise ambient occlusion setting than Switch 1
– Local lights now cast dynamic shadows on the environment
– Switch 2 improves LODs for foliage and geometry, meaning less visual pop-up
– The Witcher 3 Remastered has a new lighting system, new grass items and materials, and reworked color grading
– Limit of 40 FPS in docked and handheld gaming
– This only works if you are streaming to a 120hz screen
– 60 Hz caps at 30 FPS instead
– The 40 FPS cap works well in large open areas and less demanding areas, but is not sustainable overall
– The Switch 1 was capped at 30 FPS, but often dipped into the 20s and even below
– It is recommended to play on Switch 2 at 30 FPS, as it is stable at this level
Watch the full review of The Witcher 3 Remastered below for more information on frame rate, resolution, and other details.
Technical analysis
The game is now available on the Nintendo eShop worldwide. For those who missed it, there is currently a way to get the game for free if you find a physical version of the Nintendo Switch version – full details here.
Related
Gn tech
