Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney has explained why some blockbuster games are struggling to run on the Nintendo Switch 2.
The bigger, more powerful Nintendo Switch 2 launched earlier this year, with Nintendo promising a long list of AAA titles would finally be available for fans. However there have been plenty of reports that titles such as Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring and Borderlands 4 are struggling to run on the handheld console, with fans complaining about “disappointing” graphics and issues with performance.
Now Epic Games’ CEO Tim Sweeney has explained why the Nintendo Switch 2 might be struggling. “The primary reason is the development process. Many developers begin by developing games for high-end hardware, then optimize and test on lower-spec devices in the final stages. Ideally, optimisation should be implemented early,” he said at a recent panel (via VGC)
“Of course, optimisation is by no means an easy task. It’s a very difficult one. Ideally, optimisation should be implemented early in development, before full-scale content building begins.” To help this issue with games that run on Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, Sweeney announced they will be running developer training courses and implementing “automated optimisation” features. “It’s critical to raise awareness that optimisation should occur early,” he added.
Earlier this year, it was confirmed the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Borderlands 4 would launch three weeks after other platforms. Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford also confirmed that the Switch 2 version of Borderlands 4 won’t look as polished as it does on other consoles. “It was important to us to not cut anything and to support cross play with other platforms. So, no. It’ll be mostly around 30 fps, with some dips in some intense moments such as heavy combat or if hosting a multiplayer game in handheld mode, etc,” he explained.
However, rather than an optimised version of the base game, Gearbox has developed a dedicated version of Borderlands 4 for the Nintendo Switch 2 . “We don’t feel like we’re fighting the system, we feel like the system’s enabling us and empowering us to make the best version of Borderlands 4 that we can. As a game developer, it’s awesome,” said Pitchford.
In other news, Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima has revealed he plays “maybe one game” a year and takes his inspiration from other art forms. “There are a lot of game creators just watching other games.”
