Prolific port studio says any 60fps Xbox Series S game will ‘easily port’ to Nintendo Switch 2
Virtuos compares Switch 2 power to Xbox Series S
Prolific port studio Virtuos has compared the overall technical capabilities of Nintendo Switch 2 to Xbox Series S.
Established in 2004, Virtuos is one of the largest game makers in the world. It focuses on supporting the development of major triple-A games or bringing existing titles to new platforms.
Having previously worked on franchises including Call of Duty, Dark Souls, Battlefield, Uncharted, and Horizon, it’s currently supporting Konami’s development of the Metal Gear Solid 3 remake.
Eoin O’ Grady, technical director at Virtuos subsidiary Black Shamrock (Grounded, Kerbal Space Program 2, The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition), discussed the technical capabilities of Switch 2 in an interview with Wccftech.
According to O’Grady, the overall GPU capabilities of both consoles are comparable, thanks to Switch 2’s use of DLSS upscaling. While Switch 2’s CPU is closer to PS4, he said he believes “any game shipping at 60 FPS on the Series S should easily port to the Switch 2”.
“GPU-wise, the Switch 2 performs slightly below the Series S; this difference is more noticeable in handheld mode,” he said. “However, the Series S does not support technologies like DLSS, which the Switch 2 does. This makes the GPU capabilities of the two consoles comparable overall.
“CPU-wise, there is a clearer distinction between the two consoles. The Switch 2 is closer to the PlayStation (PS) 4 in this respect, having a CPU just a bit more powerful than the PS4’s. Since most games tend to be more GPU-bound than CPU-bound when well optimized, the impact of this difference largely depends on the specific game and its target frame rate.”
He added: “Any game shipping at 60 FPS on the Series S should easily port to the Switch 2. Likewise, a 30 FPS Series S game that’s GPU-bound should also port well. Games with complex physics, animations, or other CPU-intensive elements might incur additional challenges in reaching 30 or 60 FPS or require extra optimization during porting.”
The technical director is optimistic overall for Switch 2, and even claimed it could surpass the sales performance of its 150 million predecessor, which would make it one of the best-selling consoles ever.
“Given the phenomenal success of the Switch, expectations for the sales performance of the Switch 2 were already quite high. Nintendo has a huge pool of loyal fans, but alongside that, the handheld gaming market is growing right now — and I’m not talking about smartphones.
“The original Switch, along with the Steam Deck and other high-quality handheld gaming rigs, has contributed to growth in this area. Gamers increasingly want AAA games on the go, and so I think we will see the Switch 2 surpass its predecessor.”
