Zelda: Breath of the Wild Performance on Switch is Disappointing

Ashley Allen / 8 years ago

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of the most anticipated games for the forthcoming Nintendo Switch – though, the game is also coming out for the now-defunct Wii U – and is set for release on the same day as the home/portable hybrid console. In a statement issued to IGN, Nintendo has confirmed the game’s resolution and frame rate for both versions of the game, and the performance of the Switch version is disappointing.

Nintendo revealed the following details on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for both Switch and Wii U:

Both launch on the same day, March 3.
Both have a frame rate of 30fps.
Both versions of the game offer the same content.
On a TV, the Nintendo Switch version of the game renders in 900p while the Wii U version renders in 720p.
The Nintendo Switch version has higher-quality environmental sounds. As a result, the sound of steps, water, grass, etc. are more realistic and enhance the game’s Open-Air feel.
The physical copy of the Wii U version will require 3GB of available memory on the Wii U system or an external drive.
Some icons, such as onscreen buttons, differ between the two versions.
A Special Edition and Master Edition of the Wii U version are not available.

That Nintendo can’t make the premier AAA title for its new console 1080p/60fps is remarkable. While the Switch’s portable screen has a 720p resolution, it outputs to a TV at 1080p, but Breath of the Wild, at 900p, can’t even muster that. More egregious is the frame rate; while Breath of the Wild looks beautiful, it’s hardly GTA V, which runs at 1080p/30fps on both Xbox One and PS4.