Watch out folks, the sky is falling, the sky is falling. Or at least that’s what many people are saying when it comes to Bethesda’s DOOM running on the Nintendo Switch. Now, I’ll be 100% honest here – I am really hard on the system. I still think that Nintendo dropped the ball when it comes to many aspects of the system. But I’ll also be upfront about what’s good and what’s bad, as you deserve no less. That said, after watching multiple videos of DOOM running on the Nintendo Switch, it doesn’t look so bad.
What? Keith said that it doesn’t look bad, is there something wrong with him? No, quite the opposite, actually. I am under no delusion by expecting the Switch to run a game like DOOM with all the bells and whistles or even at 60fps. It just isn’t possible and I expect that. What I didn’t expect is what I saw. Sure, it’s 30fps and yes the graphical fidelity was dropped to get it running – but it’s still impressive. So far the game is running at a brisk 30fps, that we know of, and it doesn’t look so bad. Adding that the only footage we’ve seen is with the Switch undocked.
Speaking of footage, since we weren’t invited out to try out the game, here’s some footage courtesy of Nintendo World Report. Interesting enough, the game showcases a nice amount of lighting and particle effects. The textures, while taking a hit, still look impressive for the platform as well. Kudos to Panic Button for pulling off this port.
I’ve seen DOOM ran on PC’s that were on the low-end of the spectrum and comparing that to the Switch version, it’s comparable. I’m talking about the graphics and frame rate. Yet, the Switch version pulls off something that no other console or PC can – playing it on the go. Yes, I said it. The Switch’s major advantage (and maybe only) over every other gaming console and the PC is that you play it on the go. Meaning, we’ll be able to play DOOM outside of the house, in the living room, at work, or wherever. While portability doesn’t always trump the all mighty resolution and frame rate, you have to take that into consideration.
Update: Bethesda has confirmed that DOOM will run at 720p@30fps, both docked and undocked. Was hoping for 1080p, but that’s not bad.
I’ve already played my fair share of DOOM, about 50+ hours of it, so I won’t be getting the Switch version. Yet, everything that I’ve seen so far shows the version is shaping up to be a decent port. As long as the gameplay isn’t affected, I can get behind – unless the frame rate ends up taking a drop. That said, I’m also curious to hear about the docked performance and if it raises the resolution or not.
DOOM releases this Holiday 2017 season for the Nintendo Switch. Watch for our review once the game is released.
