These comparisons make no sense. The Switch is a handheld. No point trying to compare it’s low power CPU to a console class CPU.
Nintendo Switch Technical discussion [SOC = Tegra X1]
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Switch is a hybrid. Both CPUs consume 'low power', the Switch one even more so when undocked. What do you mean by 'console class CPU' and why do you think these comparisons make no sense?
I would expect many people to buy Switch as their sole handheld + home console. Serve both needs. It is relevant to compare it with other home consoles to give potential buyers knowledge how well it competes with them. Does it live up with the 2 for 1 marketing? Obviously it is the best handheld around. There's no question about that. But do you still want to buy PS4 or Xbox One in addition to Switch? That's the question. Also there are people who still own Xbox 360 or PS3, and are looking for cheap deals to get Xbox One or PS4. Switch might also interest these people, and getting 2 for 1 might be relevant, as long as their home console needs are met. This is why these game comparisons are important. People need this info to make a valid buying decision.
Nintendo markets Switch as 2 for 1 portable + home console. It needs to be compared against other home consoles too. Simple as that.
Comparisons are of course valid and should be made in order to offer consumers accurate information on the options available to them. As a home console the Switch versions of multi plat games will not compare favorably to PS4/X1 builds of those games. However there are two more to the equation. I think number one, is the Switch version a fun game? Forget counting pixels and frames for a minute. Its a simple question, is the game fun on Switch or not? The last question a consumer must ask themselves is what platform to they prefer to play on? If the Switch build of a game is fun to play and you prefer to game on Switch, does it really matter that the game runs at a higher resolution and framerate on another platform?
For me, DF has become a source for framerate testing far more than anything else. Poor framerates can sour my experience far more than lower resolution. 60fps is always preferable to 30fps, but if that 30fps is stable it wont tank the experience for me. I have played plenty of 30fps games that play great, and some 60fps games where the framerate fluctuates so much that it became a distraction.
So in the end as long as these games are fun on Switch that is the most important criteria. The idea that a game isn't worth buying because it isn't as technically proficient compared to another version doesn't hold much weight in the real world.
For me, DF has become a source for framerate testing far more than anything else. Poor framerates can sour my experience far more than lower resolution. 60fps is always preferable to 30fps, but if that 30fps is stable it wont tank the experience for me. I have played plenty of 30fps games that play great, and some 60fps games where the framerate fluctuates so much that it became a distraction.
So in the end as long as these games are fun on Switch that is the most important criteria. The idea that a game isn't worth buying because it isn't as technically proficient compared to another version doesn't hold much weight in the real world.
Doom on Switch is great. Like John said from DF, Doom on Switch is the best portable fps to date.
I went back to take a look at the original comparison for Doom on PS4 and X1. PS4 held mostly true to 1080p, but Xbox One was reported to run mostly at 828p, and had framerate dips into the 40s.
I think Doom reaffirms the idea that 1080p 60FPS games can be ported to Switch with positive results. Doom on Switch didn't really turn out to be 720p, but it wasnt really 1080p on Xbox One, nor did it lock that 60fps target.
With that said, those who argued that 30fps games on X1/PS4 would be a nightmare to port to Switch will be proven correct. Those titles would likely require ground up builds, and we can't really call that a port.
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I went back to take a look at the original comparison for Doom on PS4 and X1. PS4 held mostly true to 1080p, but Xbox One was reported to run mostly at 828p, and had framerate dips into the 40s.
I think Doom reaffirms the idea that 1080p 60FPS games can be ported to Switch with positive results. Doom on Switch didn't really turn out to be 720p, but it wasnt really 1080p on Xbox One, nor did it lock that 60fps target.
With that said, those who argued that 30fps games on X1/PS4 would be a nightmare to port to Switch will be proven correct. Those titles would likely require ground up builds, and we can't really call that a port.
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Still might not be completely correct. We don't know how long they were working on this port. I think we should also remember that the Doom engine isn't native to Switch like Unreal 4 and Unity are. For that reason alone, the port probably isn't the best the Switch can do. Still pretty nice for the first wave of games, though.
1472x828 is still 83% higher than 1088x612. Also, the XB1 holds its framerate target much better than the Switch does.
"During any major fire fight, performance starts to drop below the 30fps line leading to a prolonged loss in fluidity. When this happens, the game speed itself seems to be impacted by it, leading to an almost slow-motion effect at times."
The gap is incredibily high in my opinion. The Switch version is lower than the lowest settings on PC. Also, there are many effects that run at 360p...
I don 't agree, because the framerate is really, really bad.
John was playing at a higher difficulty, and mentioned the game sticks much closer to 30fps target on easier difficulty modes. I have over two hours into the game, and it will stutter at times in large firefights, it isn't tanking the framerate. I am playing on standard difficulty.
The drop from 1080p to 720p is about 2.5x reduction in pixel count, much more than the 828p on Xbox One to 610p on Switch.
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But it's 828p at 60fps vs 610p at 30fps. This is a much greater difference in pixel count than 1080p vs 720p at the same framerate.
Of course, we always new significant compromises were nescissarry for ps4/X1 ports to Switch. This is a competent port of Doom. Some people around the web are being critical, as if parity with PS4 and X1 was ever in the cards. Games that hit 1080p and a real 60fps on PS4/X1 are very accessible for port potential to Switch. Panic Button did great work here.
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Sorry, my bad, poor wording on my part. It's my understanding that UE4 and Unity work with the Switch out of the box. ID Software's engine does not and it's why they had to outsource the port. Same with Rocket League I believe (UE3 isn't natively compatible with Switch).
I could be incorrect of course.
Only after UE4 and Unity were ported to the switch. Those ports could be just as shite as any other game ports.
What? I'm not making sense of your post. I think Eteric is simply suggesting that porting UE4 and Unity games should be less problematic because those engines are officially supported, and have been since launch.
With that said, the ID engine could potentially be even more efficient once the port work was done, and Doom on Switch could be as good as possible.
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Absolutely. I doubt Unity is going to offer up better performing games than an engine port of a game-specific engine. If the engine was custom built (which it must have been), it should be more optimal than cross-platform engines, unless it was a cheap and shoddy job. I expect Doom to be beyond what simple Unity and UE games will achieve.
And I'm saying that's hogwash. Those engines [UE4/Unity] at some point were not native on the Switch, until the engines were ported to the Switch. It seems silly to say one game engine is more efficient than a different one because of when the engine was made to work on Switch.
Exactly.
Yeah, this is pretty much what I'm saying.
And yeah, it's possible that the Doom port is the best that can be done. But I have my reservations about that since it's not ID themselves doing the porting. I hope at some point the engine officially supports Switch, though. That would be pretty rad.