Is it worth playing a triple-A RPG on a handheld device?

Jun 26, 2020 07:47 GMT  ·  By

I don't think a hardcore Fallout fan hasn't yet played The Outer Worlds, but for those who skipped Obsidian's most recent game to get it on Nintendo Switch, here are my impressions after playing several hours.

I already finished The Outer Worlds on PC when it was launched last year, so I wanted to try the Switch version and see how the game was ported on a less powerful platform. But if CD Projekt RED managed to bring Witcher 3 on the Switch, I believe anything is possible.

My first impression with The Outer Worlds for Switch is that it runs decent, but loading screens are unusually long. Another downside is the graphics, so those of you who favor looks above all else might want to avoid the Switch version.

I've added more than a dozen screenshots where it's obvious that visuals had to be downgraded in order for the game to work properly on Nintendo's handheld console. The Outer Worlds certainly doesn't look terrible, but you don't have to look too hard to see that the texture quality is very low.

But the low texture resolution is just the first negative thing you'll notice about the game, but you'll soon come across other drawbacks like reduction in detail and model complexity. It's as if the original assets for the PC version have been heavily downgraded to fit within the limits of the platform, instead of being especially drawn to run on the Nintendo Switch.

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The Switch version of The Outer Worlds is quite blurry due to the oversimplified landscapes, and that's especially noticeable outside cities when you look in the distance. But the most severe issue with the portable version of The Outer Worlds is the so-called popping effect. More often than not I noticed that textures and character models load very slow, which clearly breaks immersion.

Despite the fact that developer Virtuos, the studio that handled the Switch ports, said that game runs at 1080p resolution in docked mode and 720p in handheld mode, these values are rarely sustainable. I'd say that you'll be playing the game mostly in 720p resolution when the Switch is docked, but if you plan to play it on the go, prepare for some really rough textures and very low resolution.

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Conclusion

Virtuos' effort to bring Obsidian's masterpiece to new audiences by porting the game on Nintendo Switch is commendable, but the compromises required to make it work on the portable platform strip The Outer Worlds of all its charm.

The low texture resolution and the frequent framerate drops (well below 30fps) are real the turn-offs, but long loading times and dodgy performance don't help either. I strongly recommend those who didn't play The Outer Worlds to get the game on any platform they can afford, just not on the Nintendo Switch. Too many compromises have been made, turning Obsidian's game into a subpar experience.

The Outer Worlds screenshots (23 Images)

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