Ori And The Will of the Wisps Switch Analysis: Inside An 'Impossible' Port

[@criskiss500]

at first i thought that it was a simple port, remove motion blur, some effects, drastically lower the resolution and done...but holy mother of 60fps...these guys actually have put A LOT of effort to make a 60fps with minimal "damage" game. Kudos to you Moon Studios

[@2drealms196]

To be fair you can play Ori1 and the Blind forest at 720p ~80fps on a shitty intel integrated igpu in the 4790k from 2013.

[@SycoticForeverNeverAF]

Secret Sauce is overrated that means the game was optimized properly

[@VexAcer]

@@2drealms196 Ori 1 is less demanding overall and runs perfectly fine on the Switch at 1080p 60fps. Ori 2 (this game) is more demanding overall hence it being a big process to bring it over properly.

[@wodensthrone5215]

Motion Blur is used to make 30fps look more smooth, you don't need it at 60fps or higher.

[@doomslayer_spyrofan3943]

@@VexAcer 900p

[@ryu.hayebusa]

that amount of effort they put into this port is truly amazing. I will buy this game on switch just to support them.

[@hoodwinkedfool]

Seriously. The push for 60fps alone makes it worth it.

[@SlartiMarvinbartfast]

I'm waiting for the physical release in December. :)

[@GummyGruffi]

Or idiots making decisions in Nintendo could've not cheap out with that piece of shit ngreedia tegra and put quality hardware in their console. That would make all those optimization heroics unnecessary.

[@ArunTahlan]

I got the iam8bit's Ori Collector's edition. :)

[@bern9642]

@@SlartiMarvinbartfast the physical copies are about 3 times more expensive. That deters me

[@SamAdamsDesigns]

That hand-painted lighting thing is mind blowing!

[@kyousouka]

The same technique is used in numerous 2D games, it became pretty popular after Sprite Lamp got Kickstarted (though these days there are other tools that do the same thing, with better interfaces). Any time you see dynamic lighting in pixel art games, it's most likely a pixel art variant of this technique. It's really damn cool, and seeing your assets come to life after you've drawn them is very rewarding.

[@xosemblanco]

kyousouka yes, technically the output of the interpolation of those 6 light directions is a normal map in software like Sprite Lamp. I dont know if they use some kind of interpolation and masking between light directions. It feels overkill to have 6 versions of each asset, and not a “normal map”.

[@Visuwyg]

Reminds me of The Swapper!

[@kyousouka]

@@xosemblanco Pretty sure it's a normal map in this game. The six lit versions are required to generate the normal map.

[@andyward8430]

Kind of off topic but did anyone else have issues with the hdr settings on this game? I found it extremely hard to calibrate.

[@MrVaultTec]

Phenomenal software tech in this game - wow.

[@oneandonlyjark]

I think, to say something more to the video's thesis, is how they handled their tech. Good use of diagnostics and alternative solutions.

[@JonathanTacoman]

This franchise is a absolute masterpiece Everyone should play it

[@jellycore1316]

I agree, 100%! I've yet to play Will of the Wisps, but I'm so gosh dang happy it's on Switch, as now I CAN actually play it eventually! ;V; I adored the first to bits, and even though it's only been around a year since I first played it, both the game itself and its music hit me with immense nostalgia, kinda similar to the way Hollow Knight does! ^^

[@troskeyj]

EVERYONE!!

[@erikludwig5515]

an absolute*

[@bluevolt2014]

Might get it through pc gamepass

[@brooksiebear19II]

Even when I was a kid this franchise was the most emotional thing I had ever experienced. As I fell in love with the visuals and story instantly

[@ACGreviews]

John rocking it bigtime! Excellent video

[@TheL1arL1ar]

Sup

[@MIKA-vt4vl]

So glad more people can play this masterpiece. 🙌✌️

[@erikalvarez4516]

Right? I am an Xbox user and am glad I can play this on Gamepass and don't mind other consoles having access as well.

[@MIKA-vt4vl]

@@erikalvarez4516 Absolutely! Launching it on switch will actually make the ip more popular if anything, in my opinion.

[@jeremyg9305]

@SWAT Kats According to leaks from last week (and I believe an eventual confirmation) Nintendo *is indeed* working on a new "device".

[@TonyJenn]

@SWAT Kats if only that was possible during RnD in 2015... The tegra x1 was literally the most power soc at the time. Now you can get on Nintendo for severely down-clocking it, especially on the cpu side. Hopefully the rumored "pro" can give people what they want, within reason.

[@afxquest6167]

More like 50mil more

[@dondon1234]

I am shocked about the level of detail in this video. Fascinating to see how the devs actually optimize the game. Amazing work John, as always

[@cuntmcflunt2795]

With all these tools available, makes you wonder why the game had so many performance issues at launch. Even on the one x.

[@nknicolas]

This video is ,by far, the best analysis in the whole history of DF. Huge and great job guys !

[@yellowbat79]

This is what happens when the original devs who know the game inside out work on a port instead of outsourcing. Incredible work and awesome video

[@sethfeldpausch4337]

I agree, but outsourcing isn’t always bad, just look at the Panic Button ports. They’re all incredible!

[@BLVDKillz]

@@sethfeldpausch4337 Wolfenstein 2? It was bad port imo

[@Dev-nr4dw]

BLVDKillz Look at patch 1.2, it is a significant improvement over the release version.

[@Dev-nr4dw]

BLVDKillz It kills a lot of the bluriness and also improves the framerate.

[@BLVDKillz]

@@Dev-nr4dw Haven't seen it since release but I'll take your word for it.

[@e.s.geasystreetgaming1367]

If there is one thing that has to be taken away from this generation of consoles is we have seen how games can be scaled from the weakest hardware (Nintendo Switch) to the most powerful hardware (Xbox One X) and how games have look fantastic on all of them. Developers haven't been shown the correct respect for that.

[@joesterling4299]

Given enough financial incentive (in this case, that the Switch is a huge winner in the market), developers can pour enough resources into optimization and thinking outside the box to produce results in game ports that measure up to the originals. Those who do the best job at it will reap the greatest rewards. The power of the hardware takes a back seat to the penetration of the hardware into the gaming market.

[@oOPrettywinxOo]

@Alistair well, the Switch is still a portable system, so it has its limits. I know that by now a lot more is possible for portable gaming, but Nintendo also has to keep the price of the hardware in mind. Part of their target audience is different (more casual, not willing to pay 500$ for a system that isn't even portable), and most of the rest has at least one other console or a PC, the Switch being their secondary console to play Nintendo first party titles and exclusives as well as anything that can run on it (as in, isn't too demanding). For sure they can make a more powerful Switch, but it would also be more expensive while still being inferior to the next gen home consoles (not to mention having to keep battery life in mind). That begs the question if there really is enough incentive for people to buy it, and thus enough incentive for Nintendo to release one. Especially since the regular Switch is still selling like hotcakes and by now their install base is big enough to make porting efforts like this one worth the potential reward. Though if rumors are to be believed, Nintendo will release a Switch Pro. Which is fine and all, but if anything it will be part of the Switch family of systems, much like the lite. The normal Switch is selling too well to discontinue it. So that also means all games need to be optimized for the regular Switch too anyways...unless they make "Switch Pro only" games. Which Nintendo tried before with the New 3ds and we all know how that went down. And if they do give the option of only releasing a game for the pro...then the question is will there be enough incentive for third party companies, knowing that the pros install base is much smaller than the one of all Switch systems. If they optimize it for all versions though, that basically rules out any next gen ports from the get go. You see it's rather complicated from a business perspective. Nintendo is doing well in their niche right now, so whenever that Switch pro releases I think it will be just sleaker design, better and bigger screen, maybe a little better spec-wise to enable better resolution and framerate with the games that are coming to the Switch family while keeping with the same battery life. But it won't be powerful enough to enable decent next gen ports, it will only make what is already possible on the base system a little prettier, much like the ps4 pro and Xbox one x did.

[@2drealms196]

It makes me wonder why MS has hinted at planning on dropping XO in 2022 and why other game publishers will drop current gen consoles eventually to you have markets like Brazil and Mexico and numerous others that will hang onto their current gen consoles for years past then. Also why isn't every game being ported to mobile phones and Switch, fortnite was making more money on Apple phones than any other platform, Apple phones were the #1 platform until this legal dispute with Apple and EA. Why isn't GTA5, FF15, Farcry series, Destiny, RDR2, being ported to Switch and mobile phones?

[@JackFrost-1856]

@Alistair the PS4/XB1 ports are coming to Switch not because the bigger consoles have weak CPUs but rather becuase Switch has a capable and modern GPU and overall dev friendly environment to make these conversions possible.

[@JackFrost-1856]

@@2drealms196 FF15 is already deemed unfeasible on Switch because of the unoptimized engine. RDR2 not sure either, perhaps on a Switch Pro. Others are possible but not sure why publishers haven't yet proceeded with it. As for phones? There's no demographic there for these games, nor would they be technically feasible.

[@07rodrigez]

This episode is pure gold!!! Thank you John!

[@bluesharpie9744]

The part where the lighting system was shown in action really made me *wow.* Even with 2d sprites, it looks extremely convincing. (9:40)

[@Blazik3n99]

Absolutely. That part completely blew me away.

[@randompseudonym4519]

The first game had sprites. This game has 3d models for the main characters. They still look like 2d art though.

[@geoffreybassett6741]

Incredible tech that helps the game look and speeds up design. I was very impressed as well.

[@Mutation80]

Square Enix should have remade the Mana games in THIS style

[@feyt8009]

Everyone: Ori And The Will of the Wisps is a beautiful game that you should enjoy fully by playing alone, diving into it's great ambiance. Speedrunners: 17:37

[@Podcir]

The second I hear Ori's soundtrack, my vocal cords just tighten up. The emotional impact this game had on me is just incredible.

[@sEaNoYeAh]

Legitimate game of the year candidate. Really impressive work from the team here too

[@miecraftandmoregames]

my god the amount of artistry and work that has gone to this is insane.

[@theskydebreuil]

Programmer here - you need many things to come together and the best people to get this to work. Awesome to see it when it does :)

[@1983Dave1983]

Ori games are fantastic. I played them on my xbox one x. I can't wait to see what the sequel is like now that they're optimising it for the series X

[@Chyllbacca]

Yes! In fact I started Ori several months ago but when I heard they were making it 120fps on series x I have decided to wait to finish it until I get my hands on the new console. Coming from a One S I hope it is a good upgrade

[@Zerath0]

I think the Moon studios are done with Ori games for now, and next they will focus on something new. Will of the Wisps also kinda suggested it was the last Ori game.

[@GenkiStarLeaf]

I've still got Will of the Wisps on my dashboard untouched. Will definitely wait until I get the XBSX before I crack on with it.

[@GrimSimm]

Enjoy this Masterpiece, Switch owners. It's even better than the first.

[@TheLWebb100]

I disagree, the side quests feel tacked on and the back tracking is even more annoying.

[@asteria9963]

@@TheLWebb100 Welcome to the Metroidvania genre. Consider playing something else if you don't like it, because none of this is going to change.

[@EddiePReacts]

@@asteria9963 you okay?

[@Soup-man]

And thank you for not having a tantrum about other people being able to play a video game. God those people are annoying.

[@TheLWebb100]

@@asteria9963 Well the first game just simply does everything better imo, the focus on platforming is why the first Ori is better for ME!

[@TheBrownLamb]

The fact this is more impressive than what even Nintendo have done with say Yoshi or Kirby on Switch is actually kind of sad. What an incredible port. The kind we sadly only see like twice a year on Switch

[@erenyeeagah204]

They should've used an inhouse engine instead of UE4 for Yoshi

[@TheBrownLamb]

Hero Totally agree..but even then- there are much better looking UE4 games on Switch. And Yoshi was built for the Switch natively. So it’s even more disappointing considering that

[@FYYTWYFN]

Why is it sad? Those Nintendo games also look very good. It's just a lot of credits to these great devs that they made this beautiful game. And furthermore Nintendo makes great games with very good graphics, but in general graphics are not the most important aspect of a typical Nintendo game.

[@TheBrownLamb]

Coen I strongly disagree. I thought Yoshi looked very disappointing visually (it was a sub 720p game) and never had anything even close to as taxing as Ori going on. And Kirby was also not a looker and ran at 30fps..which is crazy as even the 3DS Kirby games ran at 60.

[@VexAcer]

Worth pointing out that Nintendo didn't make the Yoshi and Kirby game on Switch. They were handled by Good-Feel and HAL Laboratory. Hence why they're technically underwhelming compared to Nintendo's actual stuff.

[@metalslug26]

Beautiful game and more amazing port for the Switch. Indeed a GOTY candidate.

[@sethfeldpausch4337]

YES! I was waiting for to hear your thoughts on this port!

[@ioannisdenton]

From xbox owners to switch owners with love. Take good care of our boy Ori! Have fun!

[@JP-wm1cc]

Nintendo should do MS a favor and release one of those Zelda games on Game Pass

[@ChiefMedicPururu]

@@JP-wm1cc Ehhhhhhhhhh...

[@anasbakhit4303]

I thought Ori is a girl?

[@ChiefMedicPururu]

@@anasbakhit4303 Ori has no specific gender. "They" makes more sense.

[@anasbakhit4303]

@@ChiefMedicPururu I swear I heard or read somewhere that ori is a she.

[@michaeltenbroeck1807]

Wow, the engineering effort here seems vast. I think the video gaming public probably takes stuff like this for granted. Without videos like these, I would have no idea how much care went into the final product.The unsung video game engineering heros work brilliantly in the background to provide some joy to the willing. Thank you all! John, well done! Thank you for the interesting break down and bringing light to the subject.

[@geminijinxies7258]

I thought this game wouldn't come to the Switch at all from it not being powerful enough and here we are! The teams ambition to make it work is really inspiring, so everyone else please take note and stop putting subpar ports on my Switch. 😉

[@TheTruth-mv7hm]

Yea but they need a more powerful system cause its ridiculous how weak it is compared to the new systems

[@gu3z185]

@@TheTruth-mv7hm It's just using old hardware, I'm sure a switch pro will happen eventually.

[@TheTruth-mv7hm]

@@gu3z185 I hope so

[@MagnusZetterberg]

My first comment on a DF review for a game. Super interesting viewing the care and thoughts being poured into this coversion. I have myself worked withing QA for computer games back in the PS2 and Xbox era, and seeing these automated tools logging and creating trends in performance is super efficient, and something we did not have in our QA back then. So manually playing the game through and through taking notes,screenshots was how we did it. Kudos to DF for the review, and Kudos the developer showing DF the tools by which they reached the 60fps target!!! Well done!

[@e-conrecords4665]

Will of the Wisps is certainly in contention for many Game of the Year awards in my book.

[@michelangelo2979]

Yeah, sadly the golf club-men are bad simulator will most probably win. I mean credit where credit is due it's an incredible masterpiece graphically and technically speaking, but everything else I just meh at best. Half life Alyx or Ori should take it in my opinion. Although Doom, Ghost of Tsushima and Animal crossing are just as great competitors too.

[@Luke973T]

@@michelangelo2979 only whiny incels played last of us 2 and took away from it that there was a "men are bad" narrative.

[@mjoe7561]

Seriously great work from Moon Studios on this port. And from John on this video!

[@automata.]

They put a ton of work into this port and holy hell does it show. Absolutely incredible

[@joemayne2265]

Got to give this vid a big thumbs up to support! For me, this kind of in depth, behind the scenes is MUCH more interesting than some of sponsored, corporate shill-y content that can sometimes mar DF's overall cred. Very well done content today guys! More of this please.

[@alexanderalexandrou]

This game truly is art in motion. What excellent work.

[@stlwill]

This is the best video you’ve made. You covered in great detail (but in clear terms) how passionate developers made a serious attempt to respect gamers on Switch.

[@ABlackPatriot]

Will of the Wisps is a frikkin masterpiece.

[@novustalks7525]

Great video. The ori games have such an incredible depth they almost feel like I'm playing with 3D glasses and fully immersed

[@StGSteve]

I love how they abbreviated the Nintendo Switch as *NX* in their analytics data

[@oneandonlyjark]

Isn't that the abbreviation analysts and investors use?

[@pyramidhead2747]

@@oneandonlyjark NX was the codename given to the Switch internally at Nintendo during development.

[@AnalogFoundry]

@@pyramidhead2747 - some devs still use PS4 and XB1's codenames. Orbis and Durango.

[@oneandonlyjark]

@@AnalogFoundry yeah, even with the various dev kit models per console? Also, nice antithesis to Digital Foundry's name.

[@0FFICERPROBLEM]

This kind of dev work, and this kind of analysis work by DF is worthy of supporting! May both companies live long and prosper!

[@Behzad_abd]

Very proud of the austrian team behind this game. They created a masterpiece

[@sekneox]

ori is truly made by a world team, the address might be austrian but they managed to make a game with people from everywhere around the world, there are no offices in vienna, it's all online :)

[@Behzad_abd]

@@sekneox yes you are right. I googled it later and saw that only the founder is in austria and the rest of the amazing team are scattered around the world :)

[@ulgrimthemad]

What an incredible effort to port this over. Hat goes off to the team, they had a challenge and they completely owned it. Thanks DF for this great video as well of course, this kind of content is fantastic.

[@Akash77133]

This game.... is so beautiful, it feels like playing with emotion. It has the power to pierce heart with it's captivating music

[@osirismaximus2787]

Incredible. Good to know there are such bright, talented, and devoted people out there creating incredible things. I will eventually buy this, not only because it looks outstanding, but also to support the people who made this happen. Thanks John, for giving these folks the recognition they deserve.

[@Jinsh1911]

Meanwhile, looking at Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.

[@NintendoSphere]

This breakdown is a dream! We need more of this level of access to the development of games so we as the people who love them can have a better understanding of not just how talented these teams are but how much painstaking work it takes to get them to work. Amazing stuff, great job DF!

[@CounterFlow64]

This is why i get so freaking mad when grumpy adults say video games aren't art, this game and many others define art.

[@kamranki]

ALL video games are art. Period. How can they not be called art? Only morons think like that.

[@matternicuss]

People who say that don’t have an understanding of art, either historically or how it’s viewed now. The fact is that the definition of “art” has always undergone changes to reflect whatever attitudes were prevalent at the time.

[@arturo_lugo]

I want to take a moment to congratulate you guys on this amazing dissection. Engaging from beggining to end, I'm left in awe at the craftsmanship of these developers. I was a bit on the edge, but this video settled it: I'm supporting this release, going Switch / physical. Keep up the great work on these vids.

[@santhoshsridhar5887]

Moon studios has put more effort in porting their game than nintendo has put remastering their older games for the switch.

[@matthewmagnani2915]

Sad, but true.

[@manrique_1984]

Real talk.

[@Matpermad]

With the exception of xenoblade chronicles definitive edition, but that's because monolith

[@Dev-nr4dw]

Josue Lopez Why? He's not wrong. Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition looks great even if you don't like the artstyle of characters. The environments are breathtaking and much better than a lot of Nintendo Switch exclusives like Botw or Mario Odyssey.

[@Ellierienna]

@@Dev-nr4dw I love the game to bits, but... I can't disagree more. Its half remaster, half remake, but the visuals are still pretty gnarly to look at, particularly in the environments. It's fine, it doesn't ruin the game or anything, but "fine" isn't what we're really talking about here.

[@EpuoHg]

Awesome work and effort from Moon Studios! And much deserved kudos given through this video to DF team also. The usual high quality video essay, as expected!

[@MedalionDS9]

Turns out Microsoft is the best third party developer for Switch

[@franciscor390]

TRUE!

[@0FFICERPROBLEM]

lol ackshully Moon Studios developed and Iam8bit published on Switch

[@pedrohenriquealves9218]

@@0FFICERPROBLEM iam8bit is publishing the physical version of the game, the collectors edition, the digital one is still Microsoft

[@Droogie128]

@@0FFICERPROBLEM ackshully?

[@captasticts8419]

@@Droogie128 a joke version of "actually".

[@JonCofer]

This video should be a required watch for gamers. Seeing all the work put in to make a game like this play on Switch, it's unbelievable. Makes you appreciate the framerate issues that other games have in heavy areas, and how they surely did their best to clean them up as best they could.

[@kito-]

This was absolutely fascinating to watch

[@eduardorpg64]

This game's art style and graphics are freaking beautiful! And the fact that the devs were willing to put so much extra effort to make it run at 60 FPS on Switch is also amazing! This is what I would call a perfect port!

[@_Ashler]

Welp... getting this from the e-shop right now!

[@joemayne2265]

Same here! The amount of care by the devs that go into a port like this well justifies the cost in my opinion! DF totally sold me on something I might not have purchased otherwise.

[@Droogie128]

I have both games on the e-shop, and I bought the collector's edition. I also own both on Steam.

[@summerycast7936]

I'll be waiting for the collector's edition. Won't be here till December but I can wait. My backlog needs to be tackled anyway!

[@Droogie128]

@@summerycast7936 I grabbed the Collector's as well. I also own both games on the e-shop and Steam. No game has ever hit me like these.

[@summerycast7936]

@@Droogie128 That's a lot of support you're giving them. As for me, $200 is going to be drained from my wallet and that's enough from me. Maybe I'll buy the CDs separately if I REALLY like the music... But I rarely pay for music at all. Even subscription service ones.

[@1KayBilly]

I never had an interest in these games, but now I definitely do. The passion that goes into them is clear.

[@im415again]

Loved this game. Switch owners are in for a treat.

[@ShadowMan64572]

They likely already played Super Metroid, which outclasses this game in almost every way, so no.

[@i.b1004]

@@ShadowMan64572 bruh

[@sean7332]

@@ShadowMan64572 lol no

[@ShadowMan64572]

@@i.b1004 Name one thing this game does better than Metroid other than the controls and graphics, I'll wait lol.

[@LiquidSpartan117]

@@ShadowMan64572 story, music, characters. enemies and more.

[@BrazileoTotalBrazil]

Really nice video, the DF analysis are already fascinating on their own, but when developers share some of their tools, it's even more interesting. Great stuff.

[@elusivemindsstudios]

And this is how you port a game using unique techniques

[@Jousoful]

There's an incredible attention to detail by the developer and impressive tooling to support getting there. This was insightful from not only the player point of view, but also giving ideas for developers. Great work!

[@LibduP]

What a chance you got an inside view of Moon's tools for this conversion. This analysis was great, thank you John for all the hard work! Do you know if they plan to "upgrade" the original Ori game for the Series consoles as they are doing with Will of the Wisps?

[@IkesDaddelbox]

It's great how the Switch really forces developers to be creative with their ports. Like back in the day when strict hardware limitations forced developers to be creative with programming techniques to visually realise their original visions. Yes, like every normal human being I wish the Switch would be more powerful (specially the dock feature) and some Switch ports are really terrible, but I really love the spectacle of seeing highly demanding games run on hardware they have no business being on. Especially when the ports are handled with care.

[@sausage5488]

I still have to play these games.

[@JXHNDRX]

Do it!

[@megaman161]

Do iiiiiit.

[@nikkoa.3639]

I love how the switch essentially forces developers to think outside the box and be creative in optimization.

[@TheVentrexian]

It's my personal game of the year. Glad it holds up on the switch.

[@QuentinMatthysBoeckmansYJ]

Amazing video as always ! Love it when you get help from developers so we can get a closer look at the wonder behind the creation of those amazing games !

[@EpicCultureClash]

This is truly an amazing game. Everyone should play this.

[@realevostevo]

Fantastic video John, thanx for sharing this with us. Gotta admit, I wrote this off when I heard it was coming to Switch. They did a brilliant job making this port and I feared it would get a 30fps cap and called a day. I've got an itch to buy this just on principle. Devs like this who take the time to optimize to this level should be respected for their effort. And that's on top of both the Ori games being a great and memorable experience.

[@StupidCommentaryChannel]

AMAZING DEVELOPMENT OF TECH! I HOPE OTHER DEVS LEARN THIS!

[@soraaoixxthebluesky]

I love the color tone, the particle effects, the animation. All working in harmony

[@Zveebo]

Great video. It’s slightly ironic that one of the technologically most impressive Switch games is being released by Microsoft!

[@RuthwikRao]

might be controversial to say, but Switch is wasted on Nintendo.

[@Vvonter]

@@RuthwikRao They're busy with they amusement parks, RC Mario Karts, Pilates ring games and Cardboard DIY games. That seems to be what Nintendo feels excited to make, for some reason.

[@Dev-nr4dw]

Ruthwik Rao You'r not entirely wrong but switch is a console that would never exist without Nintendo because Sony and Xbox play it safe with normal consoles. For nintendo, making weird shit has been a thing ever since n64. Gameboy, n64, Nintendo DS, virtual boy, Wii, 3ds and wii u all are weird.

[@gu3z185]

@@RuthwikRao Switch is not wasted on Nintendo, they've always had a knack for making games look decent with low performance cost. Microsoft couldn't make a handheld without resisting the urge to make some kind of open world game running at 4k that looks like trash. It sucks how the Switch is so weak, though.

[@tonybarnes2920]

This video's great, because I don't think people really understand how much work goes into games. Sure, people look at things like Last of Us 2 and God of War, but there's very little respect for the intense work on other games, especially 2D (or 2.5D) games. Great vid! One of your best!

[@JeffVoss]

Awesome video! I was curious how the Switch version held up. I'd like to see something similar for Hades from you guys.

[@GiacomoFarneti]

This may be my favorite DF video ever

[@pirtl_turtl]

I'm currently playing this on Game Pass for PC. It's awesome

[@AriaLaurel]

All the insights you were able to get from the team were super interesting. A great deep-dive for a great game!

[@nukeclears]

This game is just an all around masterpiece, goddamn

[@diamonddeloxdev]

Wow, they all did an amazing job handling this. I hope all Devs can treat there games like this. You're all awesome, every member!

[@StormsparkPegasus]

The current version crashes fairly frequently. Right before a crash load times skyrocket and framerates drop badly. I'm suspecting a memory leak...but they say they're aware of it and are working on a fix. I was still able to complete the game, but I had 8 crashes in a 100% clear. Like the first game on Switch, the viewport is zoomed in a little (you can't see as much of the screen). Things do look a bit chunkier overall than playing the game on my 1080ti, but it looks remarkably good considering the Switch hardware. I bought both games on Steam and Switch, just because they're that good. I have the PC versions for the best visuals of any version of the games...and the Switch versions to play them on the go. WOTW absolutely deserves GOTY 2020...it is BY FAR the best game to come out this year, nothing else even comes close. Both games are absolute masterpieces.

[@GameJunky513]

Man that sucks. I haven't had any crashes yet, fingers crossed.

[@Wizard_Pikachu]

Ghost of Tsushima say's hi

[@StormsparkPegasus]

@Mike UK Nah, if you go to Moon's twitter, they are working on a patch for crashing and performance issues in the Switch version.

[@pangbangdang3672]

I play this game on 21:9 3440x1440 160hz and that experience ain't got no competition with consoles. I do adore how they managed to make this playable on switch tho.

[@StormsparkPegasus]

@@pangbangdang3672 I agree...that's why my two gaming platforms are a Switch and a high end gaming PC. It's by far the best combination. Yes the Switch is really underpowered in comparison to that, but I can't put my gaming PC in a small case and take it with me. I'm willing to sacrifice performance for portability and Nintendo's unique games. The other consoles just have worse versions of games that are on PC. And a LOT of games on both sides are coming to PC...so you will be able to get both console's "exclusives" as well, only much better than the console versions.

[@e2rqey]

The tech behind this game and the switch port is cool as hell. Especially the automated QA system for tracking performance over time and the screenshot viewer. It's a really clever way of solving that problem.

[@azzaprime7257]

Xbox have released a few gems this year, Ori Will of the Wisps and MS Flight Simulator. Also Wasteland 3 is a great game.

[@liljon042]

MS flight simulator? You mean unoptimized garbage?

[@azzaprime7257]

@@liljon042 You do know its sitting on a 92 metacritic right? Ori also sitting on a 90.

[@musty8748]

@@azzaprime7257 both are niche games

[@rage2387]

@@liljon042 Having very super realistic looking visuals doesn't mean it's unoptimized...

[@mayman4255]

@@liljon042 It's only unoptimized if you have more than 6 cores on your CPU,Which most people don't.

[@MrLOLametro]

Awesome behind the scenes look! Not just from a game, but also development perspective.

[@johnmecca9008]

This is the most beautiful breakdown I have ever seen. Thank you DF. Thank you.🥹

[@ricsmania]

Seeing a first release running at 20 fps and low resolution. Ori devs: this is unacceptable, let's optimize it until it's perfect. Outer worlds devs: this looks awesome, let's sell it for 60 bucks.

[@randyhalfway]

Phenominal video. I had no idea how much work they put into this game, and especially the Switch port. And the analysis goes above and beyond in every way.

[@romajimamulo]

So, wait, they recreated a UbiArt style engine, starting with Unity? Damn, that's impressive

[@xosemblanco]

UbiArt is far away even from vanilla Unity2D.

[@mmpsp693]

Always nice to see devs who care about the artistic vision, performance, and have the means to get everything right.

[@MegaPieru3000]

They got this running at 60fps instead of settling for gutter garbage 30fps. Other console developers take notes.

[@AakashKale27]

Budgets are usually the issue... And some game engines really cannot be ported to switch as it I very very underpowered console and people with switch are usually there for The next mario some Nintendo shit.. they're not into hardcore fps and stuff.. it's hard to make money there.. Microsoft has what it takes to fund the development.

[@asteria9963]

They did have to make some concessions though. As much as I commend their efforts, blurring is almost always a band aid solution. We don't buy high-resolution displays just to smear vaseline over the entire screen. At some point, Switch owners will have to accept the harsh reality of owning a weak machine.

[@MegaPieru3000]

@@asteria9963 Games like this or Switcher 3 should be played on handheld mode. It'll definitely look pretty bad on the big screen with Switch.

[@VexAcer]

@Cyberdemon Mike Keep in mind Doom & Wolfenstein were also efficiently designed games and also ran at 60fps on PS4/XB1. Also consider that this Ori is more demanding than the first and drops to the 40-50s on XB1. It's true that comparing such games is a stretch, but it's not that crazy. At least not consider a 60fps game vs another 60fps game both being converted for the Switch.

[@weaverquest]

@Cyberdemon Mike Nintendo's own games like Kirby All Stars is 30 fps and it's a side scroller like Ori.

[@lee2952]

Fantastic analysis John.

[@Sammy-it7qj]

We genuinely just playing this on the original switch only 30mins ago! Noice

[@RichardLarge88]

I feel like an absolute numpty. - Xbox gamer - Has game pass - Loves 2d Metroidvanias - Thinks this game looks absolutely beautiful (and really fun) - Haven't played either Ori game I'm gonna have to rectify this once I've finished The Messenger and Bloodstained... Also - great video! I love it when you can show how developers achieved these technical feats and the tools they use

[@sadstormtrooper]

Moon Studios is Xbox's Insomniac. They better make them part of Xbox Game Studios before Sony realises their potential and grabs them, effectively locking all their games to Playstation instead of being multiplatform like it is now :(

[@RuthwikRao]

they are a really unconventional studio in the sense they're just some 80-ish people all around the globe working from home, it's not one place where everyone comes to work and report to their heads, so on. I can see that presenting some management hurdles for publishers, also they have reiterated again and again that they're not willing to be purchased. Their next game in fact is being published by Private Division, which is 2K's indie division, which goes to show they wanna remain multiplatform.

[@k_8609]

Phill has put up a offer for them, its upto moon studio to take it wherever they want. He doesn't want to force them

[@bbwblk]

Or maybe Xbox enthousiasts should realize that in the past attempts have been made to create original content for the Xbox platform, take for example Sunset Overdrive. But failed to make an impact. Xbox gamers just don't go for that type of content.

[@DarkP1]

I prefer this game is available for ps4, they won't stop doing games for xbox or pc, stop this no sense of exclusivity that sony and nintendo has implanted in your minds, exclusivity the practice of it is very denigrated and no one should be doing this.

[@TheVentrexian]

Lol this isn't fucking game of thrones, what reality do you live in where game development works like that? Moon are Xbox partners for the time being.

[@njmontano1625]

Ah the Ori games, the visuals, the animations, the fluidity of motion, the freedom of movement. I simply can never go back.

[@teneesh3376]

Even when I know how the game is animated, I still don't know how it's animated. Take what you will on what that means

[@erikludwig5515]

Amazing video! I wish more developers would lend assistance to show this type of information. Really helps you appreciate the work that went into making this game beautiful.

[@nrolling7192]

18:40 explains how the PS5 SSD works too.

[@eugeniopiscitelli9571]

Thanks Digital Foundry, awesome content!

[@kito-]

Damn I'm gonna have to play this

[@e-conrecords4665]

Man you’re going to love it. Pick up the first Ori too!

[@megaman161]

Do it.

[@xcrack6364]

Pure magic. I was so happy to see this suddenly dropped on switch. It was an instant buy right then. Great job. The port was so good in fact, I even went ahead and bought the switch PHYSICAL collectors edition by Iam8bit. Worth it.

[@steveauclair1341]

One of the best games this generation i did beat it twice, next time on series x👌

[@blackflame4506]

This is why I love video games especially get to see the tech goes in them. Great video as always John

[@turkisch66fireworks]

Here is a list of all announced games so far for the next gen platforms: Microsoft Console exclusives: - Halo Infinite (One/Series X|S/PC) - Hellblade 2 (Series X|S/PC) - Flight Simulator (One/Series X|S/PC) - Forza Motorsport (Series X|S/PC) - Avowed (Series X|S/PC) - Fable (Series X|S/PC) - Everwild (Series X|S/PC) - Gears Tactics (One/Series X|S/PC) - State of Decay 3 (Series X|S/PC) - Exomecha (Series X|S/PC) - Project Mara (Series X|S/PC) - Grounded (One/Series X|S/PC) - Scorn (Series X|S/PC) - As Dusk Falls (Series X|S/PC) - Call of the Sea (Series X|S/PC) - Second Extinction (Series X|S/PC) - The Gunk (Series X|S/PC) - CrossfireX (One/Series X|S/PC) - Martha Is Dead (Series X|S/PC) - Echo Generation (One/Series X|S/PC) 4k/up to 120fps on Series X: - Halo Infinite (Multiplayer) - Gears 5 - Ori and the will of the wisps - Sea of Thieves - Second Extinction - Dirt 5 - Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - Rainbow 6 Siege - Exomecha - Metal: Hellsinger - Orphan of the Machine Sony Console exclusives: - Astro's Playroom (PS5 pre-installed) - Gran Turismo 7 (PS5) - Horizon 2: Forbidden West (PS4/PS5) - Rachet & Clank: Rift Apart (PS5) - Returnal (PS5) - Sackboy: A big adventure (PS4/PS5) - Demon's Souls Remake (PS5/PC) - Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS4/PS5) - Destruction AllStars (PS5) - God of War: Ragnarok (PS5) 4k/up to 120fps on PS5: - Dirt 5 - Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - Rainbow 6 Siege 3rd party Multi Platform: - Cyberpunk 2077 - Pragmata - Far Cry 6 - Harry Potter: Hogwarts Lagacy - Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - Devil May Cry 5: Special edition - Quantum Error - Atomic Heart - Battlefield 6 - Chivalry 2 - Yearly Generic Sportsgames 21 - Asssassin's Creed Valhalla - Observer: System Redux - Resident Evil: Village - Black Myth: Wukong - Psychonauts 2 - Immortals Fenyx Rising - Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga - Paradise Lost - Rainbow 6 Quarantine - WatchDogs Legion - Star Wars Squadron - Crash Bandicoot 4: It's about time - Diablo IV - Hitman 3 - Dirt 5 - Gothic Remake - Graven - Hood: Outlaws of Legends - Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 - Crysis Remastered - Gotham Knights - Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood - Scarlet Nexus - Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 - WRC 9 - Chorvs - Outriders - TemTem - Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League - Balan Wonderworld - Hello Neighbour 2 - Shadow Warrior 3 - Windbound - Riders Republic - Lord of the Rings: Gollum - Unknown 9: Awakening - Everspace 2 - Starfield - Grand Theft Auto 6 - Elden Ring - Dragon Age 4 - The Elder Scrolls VI Xbox timed: - S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 (PS5) - Warhammer 40k Darktide (PS5) - Phantasy Star Online 2: Genesis (PS5) - Tetris Effect: Connected (PS5) - Bright Memory Infinite (PS5) - The Medium (PS5) - 12 Minutes (PS4/PS5) - Exo One (PS4/PS5) - The Ascent (PS5) - Yakuza: Like A Dragon (PS5) Playstation timed: - Godfall (Series X|S/PC) - Bugsnax (Series X|S/PC) - Goodbye Volcano High (Series X|S/PC) - Jett: The Far Shore (Series X|S/PC) - Kena: Bridge of Spirits (One/Series X|S/PC) - Little Devil Inside (One/Series X|S/PC) - Project Athia (Series X|S/PC) - Solar Ash (One/Series X|S/PC) - Oddworld: Soulstorm (Series X|S/PC) - Stray (Series X|S/PC) - Deathloop (Series X|S/PC) - Final Fantasy 16 (Series X|S/PC) - Five Night at Freddy's: Security Breach (Series X|S/PC) This list is made with lots research and a bit of sense. If I missed any games, let me know in the comment. I'll put them in the list if it's correct.

[@nomatter_me]

Outstanding insight for an outstanding game. Congratz to the dev for such a successful port, that's not half a prowess here, lots of work involved.