Tears of the Kingdom proves graphics don't really matter

So why are we trying to add Ray Tracing?

[Andrew336]

Because if we are able to make the game look AND run better why wouldn't we?

[Tal169]

I think that's fine - but the Switch is never going to outperform a PC. It's like apples to oranges. Running better I agree with... performance issues jar the overall experience But a game can be visually beautiful without resorting to Ray Tracing and all that stuff.

[porkChop]

"But a game can be visually beautiful without resorting to Ray Tracing and all that stuff."

No one said it can't be. But if someone has the tools to make it *more* beautiful in their opinion why shouldn't they?

[LordoftheCritics]

Tears of the Kingdom proves graphics really matter.

/Fixed

[gleepot]

ray tracing is the biggest waste of time and a dumb buzzword for games this gen at such a huge cost to performance

[Terry_B]

The Switch is not even able to outperform a standard PS4.

[LordoftheCritics]

If this author can ask

''So why are we trying to add Ray Tracing?''

then he should ask

''So why are we trying to add Ambient Occlusion?''
''So why are we trying to add Shadows?''
''So why are we trying to add Reflections?''
etc
etc
etc

[gleepot]

The problem is that developers keep making better looking games that dont run any better, and its an endless cycle

[DefaultComment]

because there is more than just graphics. Simple as that. A game is supose to entertaint you, if you want the ultimate experience for your eyes, then go out of your house and experience real life all on 4k 60fps at the best resolution your eyes can handle.

[Jin_Sakai]

Zelda: TotK proves that making a great game is what really matters.

[CS7]

Zelda is a great achievement no doubt. But the exact same game would be better with better graphics.

[Tal169]

I wonder if we'll see a Remastered version of this one day on the next iteration of the Switch

[SeTTriP]

Absolutely

[Agent75]

For $80?

[Knushwood Butt]

If they can charge for it, Nintendo will make it.

However, there's a problem where by making the Switch 2 backwards compatible, they'll have a hard job to justify releasing re-masters of the Switch catalog.
My bet is that Switch 2 will not be back compatible with Switch.

[randomvoice]

I'm waiting for the next Switch. I had a switch but gave it away to my niece. Don't want to buy the old ass weak hardware now again when the new one might be released next year. I'll wait and play this at 60 FPS then. Nintendo would be stupid to not either re-master this or just enhance the current game for next gen.

[senorfartcushion]

Well it’s making a game for specific hardware. It’s what you get from the box you’re creating for.

“It would look better on better hardware” is sort of obvious. But they don’t have the hardware.

[abstractel]

And why is that? We're talking about Nintendo being the deciding factor why the hardware is the way it is. Massive profits because they realize they can get away with it. Said this before, of course profits drive all companies but, they are really taking advantage of their brand and talented development teams to an extreme. I'm not a Sony fanboy (just a "greatest experience I can get" sort of guy so own a high-end PC too) but they've fortunately kept pushing the envelope. I would include Microsoft, and I've also said this before, I'm just disappointed how they've hamstrung this generation to somewhat of a degree with the Series S.

Also, technically, UE5's Lumen (lighting and reflection system that works in tandem with Nanite, their geometry framework) is raytracing. They have intelligently merged the reflections with "older" techniques like screen-space reflections but I just wanted to make that point as I don't think most people realize this.

[gleepot]

I disagree, it doesn't need better visuals. A better framerate would be appreciated though.

[SullysCigar]

He didn't say it 'needed' better visuals, he said it would be better with better graphics. How can that ever not be true?

Zelda TotK has constant shimmering, aliasing, some dodgy textures and awful 'flat packed' trees, for example. Not game-breaking, not even particularly troubling for many people, but who could honestly say that if Nintendo could suddenly patch them all overnight, they wouldn't be happier?

[GotGame818]

So far it seems to be a steady 30fps, but I haven't had time to play much. I know when more action is taking place it has framerate dips.

I am definitely going to check this out on PC too.

[Tal169]

Seconded - I think they will definitely release some stability hotfix as this is an issue popping up a lot with this game

[merlox]

The game has a lot of jittery and it runs rough. I have an OLED tv and no matter whati tried, the jittery was still there. This makes the game unplayable. Then again, I did read that OLED's can have issues with 30fps. Which is funny because Ultra 4k Blu-ray runs at 24fps and play fine. The Switch is getting tired and it's time for a new one.

[northpaws]

@CS7 Love those disagrees, those fanboys probably would think the game is ruined if it has 1fps more.

[Tal169]

But would it be better? Would it fundamentally change the experience beyond what people are having now?

[TheEnigma313]

excuses for outdated hardware. This game shouldn't be $70.

[merlox]

The game runs ok. The game runs jittery and laggy in dock mode, to the point it's unplayable. Nintendo should've waited until the next console to release it. The game should've not been $70. But, being Nintendo people just let them slide.

[TheEnigma313]

exactly

[Nintentional]

Wrong. It’s a constant 30fps both docked and handheld. The majority of my time spent with the game is docked on my 70” OLED and it looks gorgeous and runs great. You probably haven’t even played the game

[Tal169]

There have been some performance issues - I think if you look at path patten for BOTW, you'll see there was a number of them straight after launch - so we should hopefully see performance improve.

[Smellsforfree]

Performance feels about the same in dock mode and handheld for me.

[VanHalen]

Yet, it still blows away anything Xbox has ever put out. Lol

[merlox]

@Nintentiinal: Yes I have played the game and I have an OLED as well. It's not a constant 30fps in docked mode or handheld. I'm sorry not a fanboy and think Nintendo needed more work on this game before it was released. It unplayable. At least it runs a hair better than Pokemon Scarlett and Violet. That's not saying much.

[senorfartcushion]

Every game nowadays launches buggy.

In playing Star Wars Jedi Survivor right now on ps5 despite adoring Breath of the Wild. Both games are buggy according to the news.

[Crows90]

God of war Ragnarok has been pretty darn good then.

[Agent75]

Switch games are hitting £60 in the UK from £50, but are dropping. £40 for a game is pushing it. Money men and retailers will disagree hands down, but not game on the planet is worth more than £30.

[andy85]

Tbh even this could be had at 40

[I_am_Batman]

Nintendo would be stupid charged less. It's one of the most critically acclaimed games ever in a popular franchise, releasing on a console with over 120M install base. It'll have absolutely no problems selling at that price at all.

[TheEnigma313]

that's the sad part

[I_am_Batman]

@Enigma313: I don't see anything sad about people supporting great games.

[Golfcoachh]

I keep seeing all these people say it runs at 30fps, and i love it.... same people, "I would never play a game less than 60fps, what a joke".. so which is it?

[Smellsforfree]

I'm going to be against higher prices for always because I'm the consumer and higher prices hurt me. That being said, the amount of hours I will get out of this game put it in the category of "low cost entertainment" even at the $70 price point.

[Knightofelemia]

I had to have the game Breath of the Wild I enjoyed so I paid $90 Canadian for Tears of the Kingdom. Nintendo games don't to go down in price when compared to Sony owned or Microsoft owned titles. I think it looks good my let down is I have the older Switch so I play it on my 1080p 32 inch tv compared to my 65 inch 4k tv.

[Tal169]

Yeah, blowing it up on a TV may actually create more a visual gulf. Playing in handheld could be the best way to experience it... I did this with BOTW and it was better for me

[Pocahontas]

So you paid 66 American. You pay the same as everyone else.

[z2g]

Yeah it’s Nintendo. Performance doesn’t matter. Can have shit graphics, shit performance, shit resolution and still scores a 10. It’s obvious ppl wanted to see what it COULD look like on real hardware. If this was Xbox, the performance would be the only thing ppl cared about and they’d shred it.

[SmortBoie]

Only because if it was on Xbox, it would also be a shit game.

[Imalwaysright]

If ToKT completely embarrasses the vast majority of games MS has released in the past 10 years in terms of quality looking and performing like it does imagine if it had the graphical fidelity of X1X games. If anything MS should count itself lucky that Nintendo doesn't focus on achieving high end graphics because if they did it and comparisons were made it would be a complete bloodbath .

[SeTTriP]

They did at one point but ran into the same situation MS is in.

[SICKINDIVIDUAL]

Glory snes days when Nintendo had the games AND the graphics... what a time to be alive.

[badz149]

I'm not a huge fan of MS but to say

"If anything MS should count itself lucky that Nintendo doesn't focus on achieving high end graphics because if they did it and comparisons were made it would be a complete bloodbath"

Nintendo DID and MS's first effort with the original xbox outsold the GC and Nintendo backed away from the power race to weak gimmicky consoles starting with the Wii.

actually, there is still no proof that Nintendo is capable of making games with high fidelity graphics either. the best looking game on all their consoles since the GC was made by 3rd parties. so where did that confidence in Nintendo come from?

[Imalwaysright]

badz149

It's not that they can't, it's that they choose not to and who can blame them when the N64 and Gamecube got minimal 3rd party support? Without it they couldn't possibly compete with Sony and MS on equal terms so they went their own way and it's likely that if they didn't, they would have followed Sega into the console market graveyard. I understand that many may not like the directions Nintendo has chosen but I am glad that Nintendo is still one of the big 3.

[Popsicle]

Xbox actively marketed the Series X as “the worlds most powerful console.” Consequently, Xbox set their own expectations of high performance with the consumer from the start.

[Obscure_Observer]

And it delivers.

There´s nothing on consoles that rivals Flight Simulator and Forza Horizon 5 graphics.

Hellblade II is just on another level.

[Agent75]

But Microsoft forgot the games.

[SICKINDIVIDUAL]

^^^ 🤣🤣🤣 flight simulator where the game looks like everything is standing still and Forza with the most fake car physics can't hold a flame to gt.

[Tal169]

Yeah - I think they definitely tried to appeal to the PS4 Pro / Xbox One X group - where it's about having that fear of missing out or somehow having a worse experience due to less powerful hardware. I think thats where Ben, the writer of this piece, really nails it - by focusing on graphics alone it's never really going to be more than a tech demo. Take Matrix Unreal 5 thing... looks amazing, but was it fun?

[GotGame818]

Both PS5 and Series X have games that support 120fps, but Series X has more hands down. Here is a list from Techradar.

https://www.techradar.com/n...

[GotGame818]

I gave you a list of games that run at 120fps on Series X, and PS5. I got down votes for pointing out Xbox has about 2Xs the games that run at 120fps! Wow! It isn't like I made it up! Funny!!! Laughable! Maybe get a PC! Even more games do the same.

[VariantAEC]

@GotGame818
That article is fud missing several games for PS5 and missing a couple on Xbox Series X as well.
Ultimately I don't know how many games really run at 120FPS (because I cannot test them myself as I'm still rocking older 60hz displays) but based on multiple reports the TechRadar article you referenced is missing Black Desert Online, Dying Light 2, GRIS and Gunborg on the PS5 sode while on Xbox they're missing Apex Legends.

There are also several games available across Xbox and PS that Xbox kept from running at 120FPS by preventing Native PS5 releases like Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice and Psychonauts 2 it's conceivable that MS possibly also kept PS5 from seeing an "Ultra Performance" mode in Deathloop.

Killing two birds with one stone here, we're seeing MS hold back PS5 games that MS owns while also releasing turd after turd as it's trying to buy up ABK claiming it would never nerf it's competitors games. I mean until you brought this article up, I totally forgot how many other games MS borked on the PS5 side by excluding PS5 native releases or by adding modes to existing games now available to Xbox that attempts to make Xbox Series look better. Is Minecraft Dungeons really so taxing it cannot hit 120FPS on PS5 or was it MS' decision to keep that mode off PS5?
Most likely the latter!

[Nintentional]

Cry harder.

[Levii_92]

We went through all of this when BOTW came out and yes i do agree with this sentiment wholeheartedly, they don't matter that much, what matters the most is how fun and good the game is. That's why Ghost of Tsushima kicked so much ass IMO because it had both great graphics and immpecable art style... oh and the game was actually tons of fun :)) unlike most other Sony cinematic triple A whatevers.

As for ray tracing .. why not ? PC gamers love to experiment, that's the magic of PC gaming.

[Tal169]

Controversial, but I actually didn't think Ghost looked great. I'm totally going to get nailed for this so be gentle, but if anything, the focus on hyper realism made things like the repeated character models even more blatant. It reminded me, although not as bad, of Ryse: Son of Rome.

[Levii_92]

That’s definitely a hot take, i think Tsushima is one of the best looking games ever created and as i’ve said that game is all about the art direction and thank god for that cause prefer my video games to feel and look like video games, so yeah don’t agree obviously, maybe something was wrong with your tv settings or hdr ? And where did you pull Ryse SoR from lol that’s a name i didn’t hear in a long time.. the only words i would use to describe graphics of Ryse is grey and dull.

[Levii_92]

I mean come my guy seriously ? Check this beauty out.. https://youtu.be/Niq889DFbk...

[VersusDMC]

If graphics don't matter then people won't care if Silksong or Hades 2 are 70 dollars, right? It's about the gameplay quality now so the high profile indies should jump at that 70 price or at least 60.

[Tacoboto]

Sony has released two PS3 remakes this generation for $70 so far. One of those is a linear 10-12 hour single player story without the multiplayer mode it originally had.

Considering Hollow Knight took me over 40 hours to play through, hours/dollar Hollow Knight gave me significantly more value than TLOUP1.

In that context, indie or not, why should certain top-tier experiences be valued less than others? Going away from $70 is out of the question - consumers vote with their wallet and when given the free option, gamers spent $70 on Forbidden West PS5 instead of $60 for the PS4+PS5 upgrade. TotK in France outsold Fifa and Pokémon at retail. Publishers would be mad to ignore consumers' willingness to spend for value

[VersusDMC]

Ok... so do you think silksong should be 70?

[Elda]

You're paying top dollar for top production,graphics & gameplay.

[Tacoboto]

I would hope it's as affordable as possible - $40 I think would be most reasonable considering the price of Hollow Knight.

But if they want to charge it at a full $70 AAA, there are far worse offenders out there - a better bad-example being Redfall as Microsoft's very first. Silksong is going to be Day One Game Pass too. Is there a reality where you see Redfall as the superior product at any price point?

"You're paying top dollar for top production,graphics & gameplay."

Hollow Knight is regarded as one of, if not the, best modern Metroidvanias even after the release of the $60 Metroid Dread. Why "should" its sequel maintain budget pricing after so many years in development?

[andron]

Ninty are lucky their customers mostly either are parents who don't know or have enough money to not pirate, or loyal fanatics who buy the game and then emulate it on their pc...

[RNTody]

I hate to strawman, but the suggestion that graphics don't matter is asinine, because if that were the case we should have just left games in the PS2 era. I mean what's the point of pushing technological barriers if "graphics don't matter"

This comment is further really dumb because in a story driven game like A Plague Tale: Requiem or The Last of Us or a game where scale matters like God of War graphics ABSOLUTELY matter!!

Naughty Dog and Santa Monica are literally hailed in the industry for their jaw dropping achievements in this area and attention to deal and how it elevates their storytelling.

Now you can make the case that graphics are secondary to gameplay. You won't win the noble prize for that one. But even for Zelda, the visual style may not be a graphical showcase but it's absolutely artistically beautiful and a charming aspect of the game.

I really get annoyed when people act like graphics don't matter because it devalues the developers who try to push graphical, technical and storytelling boundaries while still trying to deliver fun gameplay.

[saint_seya]

If nintedo> graphics/perfomance importance = 0
If nintendo> voice/story/acting importance = 0
If nintendo> voice chat/mp importance = 0
if nintendo> game price 70$ importance = 0;
Else
If Sony/MS> all above = 1.

[z2g]

who keeps pinning these stupid Nintendo stories?

and sorry.... I think graphics DO matter. the feeling I get of playing a high quality AAA game on my ps5 or Series X is vastly more experiential and immersive than playing something that feels 15 years old. Sure gameplay has to be good and is the soul of the game, but in the year 2023, with the computing power and tech that we have, why would you NOT want to make a game as beautiful as you can. Just like how ppl can spend millions of dollars on a commercial to make it amazing rather than having their neighbor shoot it on an iPhone. Perceptions and quality absolutely matter.

[-Foxtrot]

I was literally going to say it’s like the 4th one I’ve seen pinned and they are all Zelda

[Tal169]

I think it's good - its encouraging a debate and it's awesome to get your view on the matter. I think it's a super valid point you raise. Like you, I agree with making the most of computing power, but I don't think it's a case of if you don't, then the product is not good enough. There have been games come out that just focus on looking amazing and dont deliver.

[senorfartcushion]

Well it’s still graphics.

Art design, arts style, physics. They’re all apart of the graphics package.

They matter more is the point, whereas most games will float polished outset layers with bad animations and janky, unbelievable mouth movements.

Watch Dogs Legion, Assasssin’s Creed Odyssey and Valhalla, Hogwarts Legacy etc

[isarai]

Good lord the pretentiousness coming from fans of this game is parody level.

[CrimsonWing69]

Um, they do matter, it’s just what are you going to get from tech 2 generations behind? Imagine what this would look like if it had the power of next-gen behind it and tell me that wouldn’t matter.

Let’s not kid ourselves here, graphics are just as important as any other game design element. It’s just with good art direction the lower-fidelity graphics are palatable. If this game looked like an N64 game… I think people would argue graphics matter.

[Lexreborn2]

No it doesn’t, I am severely underwhelmed by tears of the kingdoms presentation and execution. I am not as interested in the game as others have been and just like how I was underwhelmed by breathe of the wild the trend continues with tear of the kingdom.

To me it just proves how easy people are willing to move the marker of quality based on bias. I don’t support it and I’m pretty cool on the lack luster quality Nintendo has got away with on switch.

If this were any other company or publisher there’s no way this would pass.

[UltimateOwnage]

Because why not. Ray tracing looks nice in some cases (in some it isn’t that noticeable). Otherwise, graphics reached a point with shaders and lighting during the end of the PS3 era where I stopped yearning for major improvements in visuals. Switch sits right at the point where it’s “good enough” to be visually compelling and pretty, and the hardware can deliver excellent gameplay without any major road blocks pretty much across the board in most types of games. I really want to see AI take a big leap in gaming next, rather than having all the R&D cost go into high end visuals and graphical optimization.

[jznrpg]

They matter and they do in Zelda too. It would be better with better graphics. They do look dated . They will most likely make a remaster for the next handheld they make .

[lio_convoy]

Graphics do matter. It's a stylized look. When I see a screenshot of a Switch Zelda game I know immediately what I'm looking at. It's the reason so many people prefer the way Arceus looks vs Violet. Or why players liked MvC3 vs. MVCI. I love a highly stylized look to a game, like say Persona 5, but when a game does is half baked like Soul Hackers 2 it comes across as lifeless. So just to say it again, graphics totally matter, because if it's implemented wrong, it's an assault on the senses.

[Elda]

When it comes to AAA/big-budget games great graphics matter to me including top gameplay. I'm not spending top dollar for a powerful console & paying $70 for most big-budget games where the graphics look like crap.

[SPEAKxTHExTRUTH]

Let’s be real here…how many of you have played this game and NOT wished or at least thought about it running on better hardware? The game is gorgeous but the Switch is not doing this game justice. If Nintendo would release hardware on par with MS/Sony they would easily take 1st place in the console race. Look how well the Switch does with outdated graphics…

[masterfox]

ughhh, just enjoy your outdated Zelda game, be happy and stop with the nonsense statements imo.

[Vanfernal]

Imo:

Gameplay is king. A steady framerate is second. Fidelity is 3rd.

[Tal169]

Yeah - although I think gameplay and performance are closely connected. Its vital things like FPS are stable.. it kills immersion.

[lucian229]

yes it matters; it isn't the only part that matters, but much like food, presentation and looks make things better

[gold_drake]

i agree with that, however, i think we are at a point in gaming, where we can make games look and run absolutely amazingly.
so why not do that?

[Waffler]

And we're just discovering this now? I'll play any of my 90's and 00's games before any of the money hungry crap they pump out these days.

[Agent75]

Not bad for a game that started on the Wii U. A Wii U port with a sequel that would hold out on a console that was released in 2012. Proves you can bang out games on tech for years. The Wii U didn't last long, but how many Switch games would run on Wii U. Give me the games. Plenty of Nintendo games out there that're overdue a sequel. SEGA could do better on the Switch. Again, plenty of games overdue a sequel. I don't care about tech these days.

[VariantAEC]

"The Wii U didn't last long, but how many Switch games would run on Wii U."
Probably all of them. I can't see any Switch game being too much for Wii U to handle and of course it is likely that some games use 3GB of memory to run on Switch making them unplayable on Wii U but aside from that, Switch is doing nothing that Wii U couldn't do as far as rendering is concerned.

[CobraKai]

I’d like to see RT in a cartoon looking game. It’s interesting cuz RT by design is for realism. I.e. the way light would bounce off of certain materials to give it a realistic look and realistically reflect the light back into the environment.

[VariantAEC]

It can still be used with this kind of art style in mirror-like objects, but to adhere to the style it would likely omit everything, but the characters and skybox. It could include the ground and other things, but RT would be used in very infrequent cases regardless. Realism and this kind of cell-shaded art style clash.

[Abear21]

Why add Ray tracing now when they can remaster for Switch 2 and sell again for $70?

[VariantAEC]

They can't add ray tracing now... because now is Switch and Switch is way too weak to handle RT inside a game.

[Binarycode]

Not really.

Where do you get leaps forward in graphics if the Console maker uses underpowered hardware.

As a portable there's nothing wrong with the switch.

As a home games machine in the current age it's very underpowered. But Nintendo do it because they can.

Remember what Nintendo exclusives look like.

They are cartoons and no that's not a piss take. They are like Disney animations in a sense. That's it style.

I know there are a few games here and there that try something different and that's a good thing.

I like a bit of both, that soft style and some heavy textured adult looking titles.

I'm playing through Resident evil 4 remake and it looks fantastic in many area's.

[P_Bomb]

I like good graphics, not gonna lie. Didn’t buy the TV I did just to play Pong, heh. 👀

[HyperMoused]

Gotta love thes eartcles, two articles in the mains headline, graphics dont matter and Zelda look sgreat with ray tracing on PC

[GhostScholar]

I can’t see anything beating out tears of the kingdom for game of the year. Because I constantly hear Sony fans ragging on Xbox I sometimes forget Nintendo crushes them both with their exclusives. Even with tears of the kingdom running at 19 fps and looking basically the same as breath of the wild, no one can touch Nintendo on game world design and gameplay.

[Soy]

Tears of the Kingdom proves art direction matters.

[Psychonaut85]

Because we can. Well not me, but people who know what they’re doing. Lol

[terstomp]

What rubbish. What a dumb piece of writing. Graphics do matter, but Nintendo and Zelda fans don't have much to choose from, so people buy. There is little choice in the matter. It seems a well designed for those who like these games.

[DefaultComment]

I said it before and I''ll say it again "a gamer plays games not pixels"
A true gamer enjoys and plays quality games, regardless of their resolution, artsyle, and hardware system. If somebody comes and tells you graphics matter, then you can rest assure that person is a fail wannabe gamer and knows next to nothing about gmaing.

[VariantAEC]

If the new Zelda game could only be played at 12FPS and at 48x32 resolution in monochrome... would it still be as good?

If you answer yes, just know everyone will see right through that lie.

[DefaultComment]

Well as you know Zelda it's not 12fps at 48x32 so you kinda missed the mark in making me look bad also Zelda is quality even on this limited old hardware the switch is nowadays. Second I stand on what I said if the game is good and gives me a fun experience then I enjoy it, period.

[VariantAEC]

"Well as you know Zelda it's not 12fps at 48x32 so you kinda missed the mark in making me look bad"
Really you think so? I think the only thing making you look good is... oh hold on nothing because you didn't answer the question!
If The Legen of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom were monochrome 48x32 resolution game running at 12 FPS would this impact your enjoyment of it? Yes or no.
Dodge again and you become a hypocrite for failing to answer a pretty simple question.

I'll even explain how it works for your dumb dumb head. I really like the way Driveclub looks (I've made that no secret) but if the game were rendered at 48x32 resolution and maxed out at 12FPS I would not enjoy it in fact I would skip the game in spite of it's killer arcade driving and leaderboard climbing. Driveclub would simply be worse off if it didn't look and sound so damned good.

So now you go how would you feel about The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom if it were running at a resolution and color quality so restrictive it would give the Game Boy a God complex!?

[Kekewei]

Nintendo should return to highend console party, as xbox is getting weaker against playstation.

[Demetrius]

I got this game today as a bday gift for myself lol I do notice some graphic improvements tho it has a different feel to it I honestly think they are shaping up the new Zelda titles to have some type of universe thing going on, like how the sky kingdom is made now and an underground area, the next game could have all that in it to while still having hyrule around n they come up with other type of areas

[BrainSyphoned]

Agreed, that is why Nintendo has never released an HD remake of any game ever. And if this is to be a Switch 2 launch title i'm sure it will be compatible with the new hardware free of charge because Nintendo will never release a shit looking game on an old system then turn around and sell the slightly better version again for profits.

[Knushwood Butt]

Graphics and frame rate.
Neither matter.

[MrSec84]

Of course graphics matter, just because Zelda Breath of The Wild and Tears of The Kingdom are awesome from a gameplay perspective and many like myself love the artstyle, that doesn't mean that people don't want better from the visuals and certainly performance of those games, along with the others that have been great fun to play from Nintendo.

Systems like the ROG Ally Extreme prove that way more powerful hardware, even tech between the Series S and PS5 can be put in a portable form factor for close to high end console prices, Nintendo could easily make a handheld with Series S performance for Switch launch prices.

New mobile form factor Solid State Batteries will be here by the time the Switch succesor begins manufacturing, for a price that works, those will pack far more power capacity than what the ROG Ally uses, plus Nintendo also has economy of scale on their side.

The fact that this game runs like it does on the Switch in portable or docked mode using 4GBs of slow RAM, a slow ARM CPU and a slow GPU from 2015 proves that in 2023 a lot better Performance and Resolution at the least should be possible, of course the same power envelope or slightly more would allow for way better visuals and physics would definitely be achievable on a device the size of Nintendo Switch.

[MrSec84]

I will add though that the first time I played Tears of The Kingdom was docked on my Philips 65 Inche 707 OLED and I thought it looked great, even though it's scaled up from 900p and my display would show up major graphical issues, it still looks good, which means if it was Native 4K or AI-Upscaled using a reasonable baseline res then it would look night and day better still.

The fact this game is a technical marvel only emphasizes the need for better hardware, because more should be expected.
The lack of a better convas of hardware does the game a deservice!

[Viljong]

Nintendo games need their own scale for scoring. Nowhere zelda is comparable to games like elden ring, god of war etc. These games are cinematic, epic graphics, gameplay,story,music,voiceacti ng with huge ammount of technical innovatives, artists, writes world class coder and game makers combine to crear something incredible and never seen.

Then nintendo comes like a derp train, with simple game without voice acting or super simple yahoo noices and sub 720p game with 30fps that looks like mobilegame. Game has no proper story, acting or anything. Just the gameplay which is fun but simple and repetive aswell. Turds like mario kart and zeldas dont deserve the same scoring than Triple A games. Sure nintendo games are fun for any1 but they are just simple games made with minimal effort. You dont think about the story or characters becouse they are alwaysthe same marios and such with simple setting. Switch being 0.4Tflop machine doesnt give it games a free goty pass from mobile performance its nintendos fault and 0.4tflop games sub 720p sub 30fps should be reviewed as such what the gameplay present

[MWH]

If that's true then we would still be on 8-bit or less. This argument is old and tired, it boils down to this: great gameplay can make up for the lack of visuals, but no one with an honest opinion would say no to high quality visual fidelity.

[VariantAEC]

I know right.
These clowns are acting like the Zelda fanbase hasn't been asking for a realistic looking Zelda game for more than a decade!

[MWH]

Indeed. I'm an old fan, and i'd be extremely excited and delighted to see this series get a modern visual treatment. But I can see Nintendo's philosophy behind the average investement in the visual technology, it's the demography that they decided they belong.

[Terry_B]

Minecraft proved that many many years ago.

[Einhander1971]

Ìts all about great art design, and more importantly great game play. The likes of Windwaker, Mario Galaxy, Odyssey, have both in spades. Tech spec means shit unless it's used well. Some games look fantastic but play shit no matter how much sparkle you sprinkle on them that doesn't hide the fact.

[darkrider]

The title is wrong. Take the don't and that's the reality. Gameplay also matter that's why 60 frames is a reality and some evn try 120 frames. What isn't acceptable is game that doesn't run locked even at 30 frames. Graphic wise is dated. And no its not a perfect score game. It's a perfect score game from Nintendo. So you take two points down always. And that's being friendly one point from gameplay and another from graphics

[Crows90]

Of course not! Performance does though, and from what I've heard it's not so great on the switch

[Chriswheeler22]

If the next God of War game looked like shit you'd be damn sure there will be backlash. The Switch is underpowered so it gets a pass for limitations, but don't let that convince you graphics don't matter.

[GotGame818]

Wow, 10 years ago people would have loved graphics like this! Side note, N4G putting an ad in my face every time I go to an article is unacceptable! I can't even see what I'm typing without adjusting the screen. I see people not going to N4G because of this!

[VariantAEC]

More like 17 years ago.

[randomvoice]

Anyone saying they wouldn't want a better looking Zelda title that runs at 60 FPS needs to pass me what they're smoking. Yeah the game is amazing the way it is but it would have been even better if it had all the other bells and whistle.

[MadLad]

Because why not?

Why not add features you have access to? I get if you're just running the game on the Switch, you're happy with just the game.
It's a great game. Sorry though, I can make it more aesthetically pleasing.
It's the same game, just I get to play a more pretty version of it.

I'll play the same game with better visuals. Easy as that.

[MikeNike310]

I'll just wait for a remaster. I can't play a game that looks this bad