The Witcher 3 on Switch vs PS4 - The Complete Tech Breakdown

[@leonthesleepy]

Low Spec Gamer: *HEAVY BREATHING*

[@ulisesmartinez251]

Looks fine to me XD

[@hugo-garcia]

@@ulisesmartinez251 If was xbox would be the end of the world

[@BMN_Prime]

My wifi is heavy breathing, this video been loading for a whole minute!

[@McCaroni_Sup]

Lmfao

[@BrianOblivionB]

@@BMN_Prime that sucks, I'm enjoying my 150mb/s

[@internziko]

The fact that you can play this game on a hand held at all is a miracle.

[@user_imyarek]

I've run this game on a 2010 pc with 3 core athlon, 3gb of ddr3 1600mhz and a hd5770 graphics card, so there is a 5 year margin between Witcher 3 and capable hardware and now there is a 4 year margin between Witcher 3 and switch, nothing impressive if you ask me.

[@renatoramos8834]

No.

[@Juvanish]

@@user_imyarek he is talking of the game being played on handheld. can you bring your low budget pc to bus and work?

[@user_imyarek]

@@Juvanish I have a 15' laptop with dual core i5 and gtx750m, it weighs about 3kg with wireless mouse and external battery. I use it to play games and watch movies while traveling by train. I'm quite sure that a lighter and more energy efficient model of a laptop with the same capabilities exists, not to mention it provides a way better experience than switch. Plus, a laptop can be designed as a handheld, but I know only one model, which is close to running AAA games property, GPD win2, it's about $700, but it's a full-fledged handheld PC.

[@charlescampuz5812]

Данил Боярских How much did that cost though? Gaming Laptops are infamously expensive.

[@8-bitsteve500]

I have "over 20 hours" on Switch Witcher 3 already, it arrived in the post on Saturday. sure it doesn't look as good as my PS4pro version but still it's awesome and I'm loving it.

[@FireMrshlBill]

I am currently wrapping up the DLC on PC (playing @ 1440p Ultra settings) and I am getting the Switch version anyway. It is neck and neck with BOTW as my favorite game this gen. Playing the game in handheld mode is just so enticing. Going to finish FF12 on the Switch, then DQ11 or AC Odyssey on PC, and probably will replay Witcher 3 on Switch after that. I would love it if they ported over the first 2 games as well, especially 2.

[@maxwelll.514]

It's the portable mode which attract alot of players

[@H.E.M.]

I played the game on my Xbox one X but damn playing it again handheld is gonna be fun.

[@rarewhiteape]

There lies the biggest measure, that Digital Foundry unfortunately can't capture; the fun factor. It trumps graphical fidelity and performance every time!

[@hoylguy11]

@@rarewhiteape It's the kind of game I can enjoy on the go. I prefer on the comfort of home and with good surround sound. The presentation for me is one of the key features of the witcher 3, I can't enjoy this.

[@cacomeat7385]

I was expecting much worse graphics honestly, the art direction helps drastically here. This port is extremely impressive for a handheld game

[@justwatch7091]

Same. Normally W3 graphics are not that good compared to 2015 games but art direction is so goddamn good and atmospheric.

[@yellowblanka6058]

The graphics would be far better without the distracting layer of vaseline from the upscaling. Honestly I wish certain Switch games would have a "high resolution" mode to pull back the graphics even further but increase the resolution, I would rather have more pop-in etc. and a sharp image than a layer of blur that smudges out all the detail in the image anyway.

[@misaeltoral508]

Yellowblanka And affect the performance in a dramatic way. It doesn’t work like that. You mess up with one thing, you can break another. It’s not that easy

[@yellowblanka6058]

@@misaeltoral508 Not really, it's entirely conceivable they could have pulled back the render distance on non-gameplay elements like trees etc. further to improve performance so they could up the resolution further, or reduced the density of grass/trees etc. even further. Personally I would rather have a game that is clear enough to make out the what details are in a scene, than a game that tries to be more faithful to the original, and so has to run at a low resolution and blur out most of the detail anyway. But this is always going to be a problem for porting games to the Switch that weren't designed from the ground-up with the Switch hardware/its limitations in mind.

[@Diegoshadow85]

@@justwatch7091 What are you talking about mate? Witcher 3 to this day is one of the most beautifull games with lots of detail considering how big a game it is. What game looks much better nowadays? I don't even say only in RPG genre because it would be easy win for the witcher 3 I think ;p

[@live_kaito_reaction]

It's a shame miiverse is gone, I would've loved to see what that guy who reviews water in games thinks of the water in this

[@dirtydirtsgt4751]

They said they removed Mii verse on switch because Mii verse will slow down the system

[@danny1884]

@@dirtydirtsgt4751 it didn't slow down the Wii U or 3DS.

[@dirtydirtsgt4751]

@@danny1884 the 3ds and Wii u would be faster without miiverse

[@dirtydirtsgt4751]

@Brebgon I mean they will have less background tasks and be able to run games better but the reason it's still the same after Mii verse shut down is because the games were designed to run at that speed with that performance so they don't use the extra power after Mii verse shut down

[@djcrimsonsunbird3607]

He's on Twitter now

[@GregCaldwellPlays]

I’m getting it cause there the only few devs that used a 32 gb with no sh&ty download & for portable play. Physical especially with that day 1 edition

[@Sadvillainy]

$60 for a 4 year old game you most likely already have thats blurry as fuck. Yikes. Other ways to support devs than wasting money my dude.

[@helpinghands7935]

@@Sadvillainy I can get it for 45€ here in Germany.

[@Sadvillainy]

@@helpinghands7935 still sounds like too much for an old game with a huge downgrade. But if it's the only way you can play and/or dont mind the drawbacks, by all means.....

[@GregCaldwellPlays]

The Fapologist why do you equate time to how much the game should be priced it; based on time? Newsflash 99% video games when they’re put on a new platform are $60

[@velliamtube]

Yeah i'm getting it because of it too. This looks like the most package that really worth your money for physical release. Yes, I'm looking at you blizzard.

[@TXFDA]

When I was a kid, I remember losing my shit when I got a Sega Game Gear, and seeing full color games on a portable system. I mean, coming from games like the original Tetris or Mario Land, it was a huge leap in quality. And now here we are, playing the entirety of Witcher 3 on a portable device. Like, goddamn. We've come quite a ways since the old 8-bit Gameboy.

[@eduardomatos8405]

I want the batman arkham series on switch.

[@YouCantParkThereMate]

Nope lets make new batman games and build them up to a certain standard as opposed to cutting them down untill they fit I feel like Wardrum studios should develop for the switch

[@cyclops8238]

@@YouCantParkThereMate you wouldn't really have to cut down Arkham asylum or Arkham City considering that they are last gen games. As for Arkham Knight I can see what you are talkin about.

[@YouCantParkThereMate]

@@cyclops8238 Arkham city had problems being ported to other hardware but was improved after launch faster than arkham knight was (still isn't brilliant on PC). I don't know if the switch could handle AC. looking back though, its less open open world than I remember so maybe...The first one, I agree, and would be a popular game if ported. My main point was just personal really. I do want to see how far they can push a game from scratch to lol like a AAA title, rather than stripping back AAA title until it's playable. Both would take special and different sets of skills but i feel like one is being employed more than the other.

[@YouCantParkThereMate]

@@henny7291 No where near the same potential to make the same statement with the psp or vita. Unless you can find me a home brew version with the original witcher and Doom 3 running on it. Im not trashing the psp in any way, its just that ultra low power solutions have come a long way and there is much more potential there today than there was years ago.

[@alexsilva28]

Omg yes. I'd play them for the 80th time

[@SomeOrangeCat]

For people unable to understand why this is impressive. When I was a kid, the best you could hope for in a portable version of hit game, was an okay-ish Game Boy spin off, or an utterly shitty Tiger LCD handheld!

[@strohhuttv8848]

Yeah welcome in 2019. We have evolved and with new cpu and gpu technology the size of a cpu and gpu is today much smaller what help the temperatures for smaller cooling solutions. Look smartphone they have zero 0 cooling and they are really fast maybe not as fast as the Switch but u basically have a platform what is fast as somthing between PS2 and PS3 without any type of cooling what is really impressive.

[@7James77]

These kids don't understand the gameboy days. lol

[@cyclops8238]

@@7James77 I do I was born in late 99 but I grew up with a blue game boy color as well as a frontlit black Gameboy Advance SP.

[@7James77]

@@cyclops8238 I remember when GBC came out. Little kids heads were imploding at how awesome it was. Haha

[@michaelmyersplays4992]

PSP changed everything it was ahead of it's time

[@ceo.of.cinema]

No matter who you are, you can't deny that this is a massive achievement and, as a Switch gamer, I am loving The Switcher 3.

[@latinochico]

Highlight of the Switcher 3 "the water"

[@Reonu]

Mario Wii U is running to get this game

[@thombias]

Amazing looking water for a Switch game.

[@NeverQuit87]

@@thombias not really lol

[@thombias]

@@NeverQuit87 You didn't get the reference then. There was Miiverse User back in the Wii U era where he posted nothing but "Amazing/Great looking water for a Wii U game" for literally anything he played, even if it actually looked kinda bad. He became a meme.

[@V3ntilator]

I guess you never played "Sea of Thieves?

[@elcocho1568]

No excuses for future Switch games to run like dogshit after this and Doom.

[@zman2748]

well doom runs like dogshit but to each his own

[@TheGamingTeam101Tgt101]

zman2748 no it doesn’t

[@zman2748]

@@TheGamingTeam101Tgt101 it can't run 60 fps and for a fast paced game like doom that's not playable. It can't even keep 30 fps despite looking like there's a thick layer of oil over your screen.

[@wintyriscoming]

@@zman2748 Have we played the same game?

[@McCaroni_Sup]

@@exaltedreverse4463 "inferior version" Yeah, here's the thing.... the reason people buy it is for portable play, not 60fps and PC level graphics. It is inferior in some aspects, but those changes were necessary. And fyi, I've played doom on switch and the framerate is pretty smooth, so no, it does not destroy the smooth action. Had as much fun with switch doom as I did with PC. Sure, it may not have all the fancy textures and lighting but it's playable and fun and that's what's important. Besides, why limit how other people play? Just go back to playing doom on PC and we can forget you ever muttered that ignorant sentiment.

[@Macho_Fantastico]

It's genuinely impressive what they've been able to achieve.

[@paulo4034]

No its not, it looks hideous.

[@SuperBurrito69]

I don´t see why it´s like every other port, the problem is that each more studious wnat to invest in diferent versions

[@TROBassGuitar]

@@paulo4034 let's see you try to port a game

[@yusuf8938]

@@TROBassGuitar Thats your response? lol The game is fucking hideous, its not the devs fault, but the switch is woefully underpowered and cant even run it was well as the lowest PC settings man, This shit hardly runs at all. This port should've never happened.

[@Akira-ho9mf]

@@paulo4034 Its as good as it gets for a portable experience

[@Pheicou]

I’m buying every “impossible” port on Switch so Nintendo gets the message there’s an audience out there and gives priority to a Pro version.

[@moonsets-on_you]

same man same. this game deserves to be bought

[@ivanbravo4536]

same here. You other fuckers... BUY it 2!!

[@Dash120z]

can't wait for CyberPunk 2077 on the Switch Pro next year

[@robone9978]

same...

[@OfficialJab]

I'm not interested in Witcher at all but I also feel like they earned my purchase anyway. All the downsides he brings up are very meh. Pop-in is the only one I'd even approach caring about but for people who have a history of playing all kinds of games, not just AAA blockbusters, how could you really care?

[@numaerislam9409]

The switch version is basically how I see the world without my glasses.

[@dirtydirtsgt4751]

But the switch screen is small it should look fine on switch screen

[@Jumpboy5100]

@@dirtydirtsgt4751 its glitchy and blurry

[@dirtydirtsgt4751]

@@Jumpboy5100 switch games look blurry on my pc screen but they looks fine on the switch screen for me

[@DiePoente]

@@Jumpboy5100 it's a small 720p screen, it looks less blurry playing on it than watching a video like this on your big 1920x1080 monitor

[@Killarusca]

@@dirtydirtsgt4751 I have it and can confirm, it is still blurry

[@johnmecca9008]

I am handheld only, so this is absolutely incredible news for me!!

[@PS-PrO-ut8iy]

I'm playing now and its incredible

[@johnmecca9008]

PS4-PrO 13998 seriously bro!!!! Do u feel like at any point that u would prefer to play on XBox or PS4? Do any of the downgrades stand out that bad? I’m pickin this up this weekend and I can’t wait. Tell me what you have come across so far.👍🏽

[@RockBottomRiser21]

Enjoy, it's one of the decade's best games.

[@johnmecca9008]

Steven there u go, pumpin’ me up more now than I already was bro!! I can’t wait!! Cheers buddy!!😆

[@YouCantParkThereMate]

Im so happy haters haven't found you guys yet lol

[@snowbean7178]

This is actually a lot better than I was expecting! I was expecting completely gutted graphics/effects, 480-240p docked resolution, and 25 fps at the best of times. I'm pretty happy with the results!

[@glorious720p_2]

They wouldn’t even bother porting it if they had to deal with that

[@iDJ11]

Yesss my most anticipated port for the switch YET. Keep up the good work guys love your tech analysis

[@LJSW12]

Been playing since Saturday (3rd time in) and I cant believe how well it runs. Sure it's a bit muddy in places but it runs insanely well. Thing is, it took me 3 years to put 20 hours into the pc version. I'll probably do that in 2 months on the Switch with how well it fits into the limited time I have to game.

[@FireMrshlBill]

Haha, it took me 3 years to finally get into the PC release as well after starting over a few times here and there but putting it down knowing it would need more time invested than i could invest. Finally started really playing it late last spring and I am over 130 hours into it now going through the DLC and it has become my favorite game this gen behind BOTW. Decided to grab the Switch version as well and will do my 2nd play through on that after I get through a few other games in my backlog.

[@FireMrshlBill]

How is combat? Smooth? That was what I was most worried about, it being laggy, especially with stuff like fire or other signs make it jumpy.

[@innebateav]

@@FireMrshlBill If you haven't played it yet - the combat so far is great. I've played a fair amount, and so far I have only seen some frame dips primarily when turning the Switch on and opening the suspended game, especially when going from docked to handheld. Other than that it seems to be pretty solid to the naked eye. I've just finished the whole Bloody Baron quest and I've done a ton of side quests. It's actually so damn impressive. The first half hour I was looking at it thinking "yeesh, this game looks pretty bad" and really, after ten minutes in White Orchard it just looks beautiful - in handheld. On the TV it basically looks how DF described it - like if they made an Xbox 360/PS3 port.

[@FireMrshlBill]

The Pyrate hey, thanks for the reply. I ended up buying it just to show appreciation for the port and the extra case candy they included even though I have no intention of replaying it anytime soon. I played up until white orchard and agree with your initial assessment, though I still considered it playable. Maybe I will get around to doing my second run through on Switch next summer. I still need to finish the second DLC on PC.

[@CrzYbaDmutha2245]

Yeah, I loved it. It has none of these issues in this video. Most likely bc it was the most recently updated version. So it runs even better!

[@alexanderulv3886]

“10/10 beautiful water” - DF 2019💧

[@NeoTechni]

No puddlegate here!

[@AlexanTheMan]

"7.8/10 too much water" - IGN 2014

[@shanekrauchi2357]

This is really friggin impressive; the art direction is definitely a boon in this conversion.

[@KeWDu]

Sometimes I think that the specs of the Switch are pitiful, and Nintendo should try to make their systems more powerful... Then I remember that you can literally take it anywhere you want, and is only $300. Congrats Nintendo on a successful system, and CD Prokekt Red for porting this huge game onto the Switch.

[@eandjproductions2]

"only $300". Wii came out at $250. You can also get PS4s and XB1s for under $200.

[@rlnook7306]

@@eandjproductions2 his point is that you can take it on the go. I play Switch and Ps4. The price is good for the portability and its selling well

[@dvornikovalexei]

@@eandjproductions2 Xbox doesn't even have 10 decent games

[@rlnook7306]

@@theavidgamer6213 your right about that. I got a Switch online for $250 new. I just bought my son his own ps4 slim for Christmas and it was $279 at Walmart

[@htconexify]

Randy Cook maybe you should have waited for Christmas to buy it for him. Last year prices were 199$ for a ps4 on Black Friday

[@masterloquendo1995]

Believe me when I tell you that they did good removing foliage swaying because it's really CPU heavy and, when I say heavy I really mean it. The Switch wouldn't be able to handle such a task.

[@melxb]

@@RoryCresswell-nb1yu who is lieing fanboy, digital proved this and u can see it we been watching too

[@bezrodnyigor]

But why? Everything is happening in the shader and pretty light one. There is some GPU overhead, sure, but it's not that bad. Full disclaimer: I don't know the specifics of the implementation here, my experience is mostly based in UE, but I assume math behind it would be roughly the same.

[@dmitrisheley1998]

@@melxb tree swaying at 9:56

[@farisakhtar4824]

I've seen foliage swaying in the wind in nearly all the recorded footage from this game.

[@melxb]

@@dmitrisheley1998 yes u see the very high ones sway but it is reduced for lower trees and grass and at random cutscene places, half baked

[@MrXMysteriousX]

I'm old enough to have played games that look like pixalated messes and think "wow these graphics are awesome!" So all these downsides matter very little to me as long as the game has great gameplay and story,which of course this has. Its genuinely impressive to see such a great game on hand held.Anyone whining about how bad it looks needs some real perspective. This is like getting OoT to run on a Gameboy and succeeding.Well played CDPR

[@dragonfang8670]

For real. I've bought the Switch mainly for Pokémon Shield/Sword and Breath Of The Wild. But I'm incredibly impressed with how well these games run. I've already beaten The Witcher 3 on my computer, which boasts a 1080TI and I'll still buy The Witcher 3 again just to be able to play not only on the go, but also on the comfort of my own bed and sofa and anywhere I want. I always cared much about graphics until I bought a Switch and realized how great the portable experience can be with these games. I've owned almost every Nintendo console, but only for Pokémon. With the Switch, it'll be different.

[@AlrickCollinsJr]

Dude, you pretty much took the words right out of my mouth

[@aegis5986]

This sounds some like serious copium right now

[@PS-PrO-ut8iy]

I'm playing now on my switch lite in bed and just can't believe it,surrealism at it's best

[@makemelaughyouants]

Got Overwatch and have been playing on my back porch.Gonna meet up with friends this weekend to play online, in person together. Switch fucking rules.

[@19HajimeSaitou91]

Playing videogames in bed.... The bed has the only game and it is the best one. Portable gaming is stupid unless you're flying on a plane or having a really long bus ride or something

[@Jazgodel]

I’m getting my switch lite with the switcher next week :) can’t wait to live this surreal experience also!!

[@gasparmxm]

@@19HajimeSaitou91 if you talking to strangers about your point of view about bed... I play switch on my bed too before sleeping, just to relax after an exhausting day, I don't have time to play hardcore games anymore.

[@Mr.Chimpazee]

@@19HajimeSaitou91 How stupid are you dork 😂

[@Tyzygy]

If they added cross-save with the PC version like Larian did with DOS:II I would buy this in a heartbeat.

[@84jesterx]

Pretty sure this has cross save incoming

[@FireMrshlBill]

That would be insane since I am just getting around to the DLC in the PC version now (didn't start the game until this past late Spring/early Summer). Though I am not sure how they would implement it since the PC version uses whatever service to do cloud saves (Steam, GOG, etc.) , and they didn't do it with the PS4/XB1 versions. However, if not I will just finish it up on PC, knock a couple other games in my backlog out and play it on Switch again after that (I was going to hold out at first, but pre-ordered it on Switch anyway since I know I will replay it and I want to support them for doing this port). Plus, depending on how good your home network is, most phones have Steam Link now. I've tried it on mine and it works on the main level in my house, but if I go upstairs and try to play it in bed, the connection isn't good enough over wifi.

[@Prisoner_ksc2-303]

Under which account, please tell me...

[@alexmohr1072]

This port still isn't getting the respect it deserves. I don't think most people understand how ambitious and impressive this port really is. This game has one of the largest open worlds ever made, and over 40 hours of expansions and DLC on top of an already massive campaign. And the hand held graphics, textures, and frame rate aren't really as low quality as it looks on this video. I'm holding my switch in front of me right now comparing them side by side and it looks much better in person. I just got my copy of TW3 in the mail the other day, and the quality is still top notch. The games casing comes inside of a boxed package reminiscent of old PC games. Inside is the case holding the game, and a small really neat high quality envelope with a game manual, a poster of the map of TW3, some stickers with TW3 logo on them, and a thank you note from CDPR thanking you for purchasing their product. Everything from the game's console and PC counterparts are present in the switch version. The movement, combat, and horseback riding are slightly more clunky than the original, but once you get used to that you can hardly even notice it. Honestly, the switch as a gaming device just feels so right in your hands, and being able to play a game like TW3 on the go is an amazing experience and I'm glad it's an option.

[@danhedgehog]

I’ve had it on switch since Saturday, this is an amazing port, best one on switch. It’s incredible what CDPR accomplished here.

[@itcamefromabox]

This on the smaller Switch Lite is just mind boggling x.x

[@ZackSNetwork]

Exactly, it looks really beautiful.

[@nickmotsarsky4382]

@@ZackSNetwork Lol.

[@nickmotsarsky4382]

@mazrimalthor Really? I have a 5.7 inch Galaxy S7 and the 540p Switch footage in this video looks just as blurry on it as it does on my 6.4 inch Note 9. Nice try, though..

[@ludix711]

@@nickmotsarsky4382 your ass just got eaten

[@strohhuttv8848]

The smaller screen from the Switch Lite makes the 720p lookes even more sharper than on the 6.2 inch normal Switch handheld.

[@DoomguyAV]

That moment you realize The Switcher runs better than RE6

[@alinepiroutek8932]

@@Lainyyyyy It does

[@alinepiroutek8932]

@@Lainyyyyy Yes?

[@alinepiroutek8932]

YES, YES, YES!

[@archetype6351]

@@alinepiroutek8932 NO NO NO NO!

[@TheMusic4Soul]

@@alinepiroutek8932 540p with drops down to 13fps

[@KrookDogg]

I cant believe it looks this good tbh truly a technical feat

[@DaroriDerEinzige]

This game/port oft his Game convinced me to buy the Switch for myself. To be honest, I'm really impressed and I already played ~100h Witcher 3 on the Switch. Even Docked I pretty much enjoyed the Graphics - I mean, yeah, it's not the most advanced but keep the Price of the Switch in mind. I really hope, Nintendo got the Message and pushing their "Handheld" even further in the Future. The only thing I fear is that the next Version of the Switch wont be able to play the Switch games via the Game Card. But if they andle that like they did in the past with the Gameboys, and keep up with releases like that - I'm in.

[@tobykassulke2385]

This makes me want to have the older witcher games on the switch now.

[@Tenchigumi]

That would be pretty awesome, actually. I've gone through Witcher 3 and am now slogging through the Witcher 1 for like the fourth time (as I got bored right after the prologue every other time), and if there were a way to play the Witcher 1 and 2 Enhanced on the Switch, that would definitely get my money and maybe help me finish them for a change.

[@RicoIndrawan]

u'll never regret!!

[@rarewhiteape]

*Video starts playing* Me checks to see if YT is giving me the highest quality stream...

[@timjones7336]

Digital Foundry; “the water is a highlight” IGN; “Too much water”..

[@g--3079]

Tim Jones IGN GIVE 93/100 TO FIFA 20 ......75/100 TO THE WITCHER 3.... EA give them so much money

[@MannyRoad]

I thought I’d never see the day when a $300 handheld can play the Witcher.

[@michaelmyersplays4992]

Ps vita bud

[@bfinn30]

@@michaelmyersplays4992 Lmao that could never happen.

[@michaelmyersplays4992]

@@bfinn30 remote play bro on my toilet

[@monsi9626]

MovieAfterReviews But it‘s not the Vita actually running the game then and you can‘t play outside the house too. Besides that, PS Vita isn‘t all that great in general.

[@michaelmyersplays4992]

@@monsi9626 its not but yes you can take outside in the same network. Vita is not that great? Vita Is the first portable console to have two analog sticks. It had online features that this current switch doesn't have. It was ahead of its time man

[@Low_Standards_Gaming_YT]

Ah, there you are, we've been expecting you.

[@CinemaStix]

I’ve been waiting for this video from the instant this port was revealed. Literally the first thought that came into my head at that moment: okay, awesome, but give me the DF Breakdown!

[@retroboy-fh1ji]

I'm from the future. I'm watching this on 2023... Still very impressive. Just like a MIRACLE PORT that was Resident Evil 2 on Nintendo 64

[@TheWildSlayer]

I remember playing this on a toaster, modifying the engine values to run the textures in a mangled state. I still completed it twice because I loved it so much. Since upgrading to a proper PC, I went through it another 3 times, able to enjoy the full extent of the game. Still love it. Graphics aren't everything. Believe me, the toaster graphics I were playing on were 10x worse than what the Switch achieves and with many more stutters.

[@FireMrshlBill]

Agreed, during my play through that I am wrapping up now, through cross saves I have played it on my main rig (1440p, ultra), my laptop, a Ryzen APU build on a tv, and an Alienware Alpha (which has a tweaked 860m, so between a 750 and 750ti). Its been fun on all of them going from 720p low/med - 1440p ultra. Getting the Switch version for a future play through. Anyone who has not played it should definitely get it on this given how well the reviews and gameplay footage are looking.

[@planestranger]

Why didn't you play another great game that would run great on toaster and wait for better PC?

[@theisaacpigg27_32]

@@planestranger Cause sometimes you just want to play a game no matter how well your system can run it

[@rumotu]

I've finished witcher 2 on my old laptop in those times with 800x600 in 18 to 22 fps. So this version is nice to see.

[@shadowskill111]

That’s cool. When you are used to eating McDonalds all the time I’m sure a BigMac tastes good to you as well.

[@hansolo5912]

@@shadowskill111 roasted :D

[@rumotu]

@@shadowskill111 still it tastes better than what your momma is cooking 🤷‍♂️

[@IkesDaddelbox]

1:54 Did they increase the shadow draw distance in the Switch version? That's strange, why would they do that on much weaker hardware? I sincerely hope to see a Spyro Switch comparison as well. There is a lot of odd things going on with that one. Especially the ghosting and the grainy motion blur. I'd really love to hear what you have to say about it.

[@ThibautMahringer]

The worst downgrade in Spyro is the lack of interaction between Spyro and the water. I can accept all the other ones but not this, it's looks so off.

[@cyberdude4]

Sometimes trade off come with pay offs.

[@219SilverChoc]

may be prebaked shadows in the distance? or there is a change in the draw distance rendering? That area really does show the lower draw distance settings compared to PC on PS4, so the fact it has some minor improvements over PS4 on switch is surprising.

[@IkesDaddelbox]

@@ThibautMahringer True, same happened with the water in Snake Pass. Both games use the Unreal Engine 4, so I suppose it's inevitable. They could have added some animated textures to replace the shaders, but TFB has a history of not caring about water effects for their low spec ports. At least they kept the water caustics on nearby environments. That's a plus in my opinion.

[@ThibautMahringer]

@@IkesDaddelbox Yeah, the reflections are still there, I wasn't expecting this. I thought they're gonna keep the ripples and eliminate the reflections, but they did the opposite. At least they didn't eliminated both, that's a consolation.

[@ArtsySIDDD]

I thought Rich was gonna analyse this! :P

[@SolidPython2099]

ArtistSID Wichard*

[@charizardoreo]

The Wichard 3

[@GameslordXY]

As Rich is actually called Witchard,perhaps there was a concern that he wouldn't be objective enough,so they picked Tom instead.

[@rarewhiteape]

@@GameslordXY so you're saying they Switchard out Witchard?

[@GameslordXY]

@@rarewhiteape Essentially yes👍

[@WorldwideWyatt]

This seems like a no brainer with the Switch Lite

[@thecakeisalie652]

I play Switcher on the light. It is pretty good for the graphic scaling due to 1 inch left.

[@Frogdoddofficial]

Its crazy it runs this well on a system less powerful than the generation it was originally released on.

[@mmpsp693]

We need Richard to run an analysis of over clocked Switches too v

[@KP258P]

Indeed, I've been giving it a run through with clock speeds maxed and it definitely keeps the overall picture smoother.

[@707beats6]

Will only improve framerate

[@Cooe.]

@@707beats6 False. The game uses a dynamic resolution scaler, so GPU overclocks in particular will lead to a higher resolution target on average (aka, closer to the 720p/540p max resolutions, more often). The same thing happens with literally EVERY other game with dynamic res (ala DOOM, Wolf II, etc...).

[@707beats6]

@@Cooe. for games with dynamic resolution, it might increase resolution up to 720p in portable mode but some games using that technique run 720p most of the time anyway Besides, if i were you, i wouldnt overclock the switch. There's a reason why people recommend not overclocking laptops and that is even more true for the switch

[@Cooe.]

@@707beats6 I'm sorry, but you don't know what the fuck you are talking about at all. Overclocking makes a huge impact on clarity in games like DOOM, Wolf II, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, etc... Lots of Switch games (and pretty much ALL home console ports) with dynamic resolution tend to stay well under the max in normal behavior. And overclocking the Switch is largely a non-issue if you know what you are doing. The Tegra X1 was originally designed to run at MUCH higher clocks than the Switch uses (as in literally DOUBLE for the CPU; aka 2GHz vs 1GHz), and it's fan+heatpipe active cooling system is MORE than enough to handle the extra heat (w/ added fan noise ofc). In fact, CPU/GPU temps stay much the same whether you're OC'd or not (with just the fan speed changing). The reason Nintendo downclocked the Tegra X1 so damn hard from it's actual rated clocks (like seen in the Nvidia Shield) was to maximize battery life in portable mode. That's it. (And they had to keep the CPU clocks at the same downclocked 1GHz while docked so the game experience would always be the same in both modes. Without that caveat, they could have cranked the docked CPU clocks just as hard as they did for the GPU [2-3x higher]).

[@MavihsLH]

While it looks subpar, I'm glad the switch users can experience this masterpiece. Graphics is merely just one of the things that make The Witcher 3 excellent. It's the story, lore, world building and the characters that make it one of the greatest games of our generation.

[@shadbud9198]

shw Bobs and vagena

[@JackFrost-1856]

I think it's the last thing that is the focus of Witcher 3. Yes there's plenty of impressive vistas to take screenshots of and brilliantly done cinematography but it's second to the writing, gameplay and soundtrack

[@weaverquest]

@@JackFrost-1856 Witcher 3's visual presentation is definitely one of its best and standout features, especially among other RPGs. The game wouldn't get the wide attention it did if it had Divinity Original Sin 2 graphics. I would say the gameplay is the last thing that is the focus of Witcher 3 leaves a lot to be desired in that department.

[@weaverquest]

@Ivano Er Libanese Yes I agree. I played all three Witcher games the immersion mostly comes from the story, lore, and the worldbuilding but the gorgeous visuals where the artist put great emphasis on attention to detail is definitely a part of it. Well, at least in the case of Witcher 2, 3 not necessarily the first game lol.

[@kyles8524]

yeah thats all true but when you have plaed any game on a high resolution then go to a low resolution and textures it really takes away from the game.Take ff7 for example my favorite game. I played it on an ps1 emulator maxed out in 1080p.Then recently played it on the ps classic which runs the same resolution as the original and it looked terrible, jagged lines all over, worse colors etc

[@XiphosGaming]

Just got my copy delivered. While I've got it on PC, I'm looking forward to playing through it again on my Switch :D

[@thephantomseb]

Anything that justifies another playthough lol

[@FireMrshlBill]

I didn't start playing it until this past spring/summer and am on the DLC now on PC. I am getting my Switch copy tomorrow and will have to really exercise some discipline to finish the DLC on PC and then get to a few other games in my backlog before starting my 2nd play through. I mean, I had it for 3 years before I finally started it on PC, guess I can wait another 6 months or so before the 2nd play through, but it will be hard not to at least try it out to see how it performs. Its definitely my favorite game this gen behind BOTW.

[@rickycain9466]

How is it ?

[@XiphosGaming]

@@rickycain9466 It's still the Witcher 3, still a good game, just doesn't look as good, I haven't got to Novigrad yet, so I haven't seen for myself how it affects the game :D

[@Benri05]

@@XiphosGaming would you play it again? But on the steam deck this time? PC level graphics while pooping.

[@Kamiyouni]

Been a Nintendo purist for a while. Glad this is coming and I will be finally enjoying this game people keep telling me about.

[@YoungTheFish]

"There is a big butt here" 7:44

[@LockeTheCole]

Can't believe they'd call out poor Roach like that. :(

[@gtrman12887]

This is textbook clickbait!!!!!

[@MrPopcup]

My professor said that today and I bursted out laughing.. was embarrassing to say the least lol

[@98matheusalles]

People expect same quality and performance from an high end pc in an arm soc with maxwell graphics...

[@YouCantParkThereMate]

And you will in a few years. Tell them all to be patient for now.

[@symol30872]

It's not that. It's a technical achievement for sure, but charging full price is a bit gross for the lowest spec version

[@iggy1296]

I mean, it's a 4 year old game at 60 bucks. Above average performance should be expected

[@YouCantParkThereMate]

@@symol30872 totally agree. But somethings you need to expect when you buy into a products eco system as much as it sucks. Its a hard point for me to argue as i doubt we will see cdpr release an android sd card version for us to compare. I think 60 on console is overpriced. I think £17 is overpriced for when FF7 was released on android. I now pay 25p for a half cab style milky way, I hate this world :(

[@YouCantParkThereMate]

@@iggy1296 i thought that when it went from pc to console but a fewnuodates brought it up to speed mostly

[@360noscope]

Ive been playing it since like 2 days ago in handheld mode and its amazing, even tho I own the game on PS4 the portability of the Switch version is just amazing

[@shawnbrasuell8951]

How you get it early?

[@360noscope]

@@shawnbrasuell8951 I got it on Wallmart

[@TrepeGB]

Been waiting for this analysis.

[@mmpsp693]

Haven't we all!

[@RobCabreraCh]

It's insane how they managed to make the witcher play on switch. I might even play through it again!

[@vogonp4287]

Console optimization is amazing honestly. No PC with similar specs could do this.

[@oledevo]

"Nice water."

[@DanteLinkX]

Fuck we need that wii u guy to make this picture

[@matro2]

To be fair, seeing the water in this game in ultra on PC is pretty damn good.

[@tdotran]

Can’t wait to play this for my first time. Hopefully it’s well worth the hype.

[@mihailcirlig8187]

It’s my favorite game and I hope the will give him the credit it deserves

[@bigt4135]

It is

[@jfrancoginn6923]

Great game. Just play on death march.

[@iRemainNameless]

What’s Death March?

[@StefanConstantinDumitrache]

AC Odyssey came so close to being as good as The Witcher 3, but it gets repetitive after a while and then there are some things sold as microtransactions when they should just be in the base game.

[@fcukugimmeausername]

The next Switch Lite model should be a CRT with controls on its sides.

[@haxx1707]

it's a great port they really gave it effort.

[@pombomaldito]

The most ambitious port since RE2 for Nintendo 64

[@r4dius]

There's a hack to enable changing some graphical options / effects on switch, you should have a look :)

[@Prisoner_ksc2-303]

r4dius yeah, overheat the console. Definitely gonna do that, really want to throw it away in a few months...

[@fruitjuiceshibe]

Overclocking tests too maybe? 👀

[@QuentinMatthysBoeckmansYJ]

@@Prisoner_ksc2-303 it does not really overheat the console . . haven't you see richard video on how overclock affect the switch ? plus the Nvidia Shield is thinner than the switch and have the Tegra X1 inside it running double the switch clocks.

[@r4dius]

@@Prisoner_ksc2-303 Not the overclocking thing, just extra togles in the game options to enable disable options like on PC

[@wololonet-tt4mb]

@@r4dius i have seen this on gbatemp. But not yet tested, i have question, does this mod improve the graphics on handheld wothout overclocking? Or do i need to overclock the switch? Plus what is the downside in battery life?

[@ExtremalMetal]

It's incredible how a AAA home console game where it runs at 30fps is spinning on this 5-12W machine.

[@jannclaudebinoya]

Now imagine if the switch used ryzen and navi 7nm

[@GraveUypo]

@@jannclaudebinoya easy to imagine as it wouldn't be portable. Just using the latest snapdragon would already be a significant upgrade over this. would probably run pretty close to the xbox one s

[@HermesderWetterbote]

@@GraveUypo actually the switch lite/new switch are 16nm and they consume only 3-7W

[@wille84fin]

Wot? It's closer to 60 on the X. Maybe on the base (legacy hardware) consoles you mean.

[@markdavenportjr5129]

Nice getting me a switch and the witcher 3 this Crhistmas! Cant wait to join the Switch club! :D

[@CaptainComedy]

It's always awesome hearing from you guys. Thanks for what you do, and for being the best at it.

[@the_regressor]

After putting 30 or so hours in the PS4 version back when it released, I never finished it. But the Switch versions might just change that :O Great video as always DF!

[@justice7788]

I hate when the game crashes on me. But it's worth it, I PLAY FOOKIN' WITCHER 3 AT WORK

[@colemang60yearsago23]

I’m like 15 hours in and it hasn’t crashed once for me

[@randomguy-cg1fz]

25+ hours bought it 12 days ago, crash only once before installing the patch, looks amazing on the switch lite

[@dogsbark5750]

On one cartridge, on a portable system using less power than just my TV. The Switch uses 18watts max docked while the PS4 uses 150 and the xb1x uses 180. This is impressive.

[@tails300]

The new 2019 Switch uses 6 to 9 watts max.

[@sharpcone]

And my PC uses 500 watts while gaming.

[@unnoticedhero1]

@@tails300 What'll be impressive is if in 5-10 years a new Switch comes out with chips more powerful and power efficient than a base PS4 using as many watts as the current Switch.

[@DennisRamberg]

@jesus barrera I think you need to redo your testing, I have a wattage meter which checks the maximum, minimum, average etc. I plugged it to the Switch for fun. the highest mine have ever got is 18.8W. First model.

[@thelegendgamer33]

I'm still amazed this game runs on switch

[@MrBurtbackerack]

3:19 damn that horse has a powerful kick.

[@justwatch7091]

Damn it, Roach.

[@griffgames9538]

12:40. for Frame-rate discussion to see where it dips into low 20s and general report on fluidity docked/handheld.

[@gonaye1]

This review was simply fantastic

[@TexelGuy]

They've put immense effort into this, and it shows. I've already 100% witcher 3 before on PC, and for a game like that, I don't feel like going back and starting again, once you've played the story and all side quests, the game is pretty much over, unless you want to come back for the combat and gameplay, which were meh for me even on the highest difficulty.

[@MadOrange644]

The Witcher 3 is gonna be the next Skyrim, it'll be ported everywhere.

[@BasketCase-rr7tx]

There will be no need if next gen consoles are backwards compatible.

[@rumotu]

@@BasketCase-rr7tx Sony will find a way to sell you those old games once more

[@vinnylt2408]

Resident Evil 4 was first.

[@AlphaladZXA]

@@vinnylt2408 nope sonic the hedgehog was first

[@Ki11s0n3]

Good. The difference there is that The Witcher is actually good.

[@Damaniel3]

I wouldn't touch this if I played docked only, but the mere idea of portable Witcher 3 makes this a must-buy for me.

[@MaxLebled]

RE: Toussaint running smoother, part of it might be that CDPR already had to go all-in on the optimization there compared to the main game in the first place (I remember them pointing this out), so when porting, there was already a better foundation to start from

[@godzaellagodzaella9545]

REMEMBER its a MIRACLE for a game like THE WITCHER 3 to run on this 200 bucks piece of tablet that you can bring anywhere you cant compare this game with you 1000+ bucks gaming laptops thats unfair be reasonable and give the dev a big KUDOS folks!

[@duracotton]

Laptops...same overpriced shitty hardware. Desktop! 😏

[@colemin2]

Give the laptops some credit. A 400$ laptop would destroy the switch in graphical fidelity.

[@rodrigom7185]

300 bucks

[@colemin2]

@@rodrigom7185 Maybe even 300$

[@Darkknight5x5]

@@colemin2 bullshit. There are NO laptops with actual gaming GPUs that cost $400, let alone $300. Even refurbished laptops with a "bottom of the barrel" 1050 can cost over $500.

[@Tsukasa4692]

only issue is that it looks...fuzzy. like ur glasses have a tiny amount of water on it thats just blurring up your vision yknow?

[@Cooe.]

It's greatly exacerbated by the current screen you are looking at this video on which is likely at LEAST 1080p resolution, and quite possibly much higher (1440p/4K). On a 6.2", 720p screen, the effect is much less of an issue.

[@Cooe.]

@Loner Logan You're still not taking the screen into consideration. That comparison you're seeing isn't happening on a 6.2" 720p screen, but a vastly larger 1080p+ one. Faults that can be seen on the latter become invisible on the former. You're still missing this massive point entirely (which is stated in the video repeatedly). The closer a sub native resolution is to the screen's native resolution, the less blurry & smeared the image will appear. Playing a 540-720p game on a 4K screen will look DRAMATICALLY worse than on the Switch's small 720p one for example. You can't really make an "Apples to Apples" comparison here unless you compare the game running on an actual Switch in portable mode to the console/PC version running on a TV.

[@FreakinTheComments]

"You put Witcher 3 on the Switch, but what did it cost" CDPR: "Everything"

[@microfg4]

It cost maybe half of everything at most, This port makes RE5 & 6 on Switch make capcom look like even more of the incompetent slugs they are nowadays

[@felixguzman2118]

Not everything... Not yet...

[@_-Lx-_]

*A fair bit but overall was worth it.

[@DennisRamberg]

This is just crazy. My Ryzen 2500U with Vega 8 graphics has trouble hitting stable 30fps in 720p with lowest settings on PC. That's a 15W-25W chip. What CDProject and Sabertooth has done with this conversion is truly fantastic. Witcher 3 hits hardware hard, and on all fronts. CPU, GPU, Memory, Storage. The Ryzen 2500U is great if it is running a GPU demanding title, or a CPU demanding title. But not both at the same time. Which The Witcher 3 does. Playing this on a handheld is absurd.

[@christophercharles8766]

I wouldn’t have time to play this game otherwise, but my train commute makes me very thankful this exists

[@odinsplaygrounds]

Now, compare this to the ARK Switch port LOL

[@TROBassGuitar]

The n64 port?

[@ZackSNetwork]

The two Resident Evil ports on the Switch were bad as well. This Witcher 3 and Dragon Quest 11 are the best Switch ports.

[@sleepnaught]

@@ZackSNetwork Resident Evil ports aren't great, but they're no where near as bad as the Ark port. They're serviceable and the main issue is their price at $30 each.

[@AzpecTProductionz]

@@ZackSNetwork What two Resident Evil ports are you talking about? Theres RE0, REMake, RE4, Revelations 1 & 2, RE5, and RE6 on Switch.

[@TROBassGuitar]

@@ZackSNetwork which ones?

[@MegaManNeo]

Geralt gives Link a run for his money. Way to go, CDP!

[@moonsets-on_you]

damn i dont have witcher (on switch) or zelda botw. ill try to get both. but its like fuck bc botw 2 was announced

[@flooblybub]

Played it first on PC but this is genuinely tempting, especially since my save file just up and disappeared from my cloud saves...

[@andreifelea7205]

I bought it on PS4, PS4 pro on the store complete edition, Steam complete edition and now on switch. Over 2000 hrs in it.... It is worth it

[@flooblybub]

@Glowing Prognosticative I'm a loser AND i've lost my Witcher 3 save feelsbadman

[@weaverquest]

@@flooblybub Well that sucks but what about your local save files did they evaporated too?

[@flooblybub]

@@weaverquest I only found out when I got a new pc, cloud saves were enabled but it wasn't there when I installed on the new one, will keep a USB stick backup of any important saves in the future. 80 hours in!

[@flooblybub]

@Glowing Prognosticative couple years back now and i got too used to cloud saves so it didn't even cross my mind. rip.

[@QuentinMatthysBoeckmansYJ]

love it ! can wait to see an overclocked switch video ! CDPR did an amazong job, I did not think it was possible !

[@Soulintent95]

Im just impressed they did this. I might pick this up... ive played through this game on my ps4 way too many times. In fact, i often stop playing new games i bought just so i could go back to the world of the witcher. Im addicted to this series. If i do get it, it will just be for when im on break at work.

[@v1o]

As far I remember the PS4 version wasn't a perfect 30FPS either. It could drop to the 20s inside busy towns and Crookback Bog. The Switch has actually done well.

[@yusuf8938]

Dude... thats with actual textures, a normal resolution, better load times, less pop in, among other things. Just fps? that doesnt mean much, also that was like 4 years ago.

[@dvornikovalexei]

@@yusuf8938 A 4yr old game that looks better than 95% of games released in 2019 running on a huge machine that is louder than a helicopter?

[@sculpturex]

@@dvornikovalexei "huge machine"? Didn't know we are talking about XB1 here, lol

[@natashasibley445]

It actually dipped lower I remember my ps4 version dipping into the 15-20fps range pretty frequently

[@technologylord4017]

Nintendo Switch is Amazing, and these types of game’s which generally run lower resolution, and graphical settings still look very impressive on the smaller screen which is part of why I prefer the Switch Lite as it’s an incredible little device that delivers so many hours of pure fun, and entertainment as all games feel fresh, and new being played in the hand as it’s a brand new experience

[@SoulLessSage96]

Excellent work as always... this makes me wonder just how good The Outer Worlds port for switch will manage. Hopefully it'll be just as good if not maybe a little better! Definitely agree that a save transfer feature would be amazing; perhaps CD Project Redd can patch it in ?

[@jossecarstens]

This comment aged well!

[@The_Gnome_Chomskee]

I’m having great fun. I got it last night and luckily didn’t have to work until the afternoon today.

[@sevirang2504]

The Switch is my only console at this point, got Witcher 3 a few weeks ago and it's already my favourite game. I'm probably getting one of the next gen consoles and will definitely replay this there, but for the first playthrough it just feels amazing.

[@mccuish]

A game this technical being on the switch is damn near impressive. I honestly might have to pick this game up on switch.

[@alihouadef5539]

When you realize your PC is weaker than a Switch. 💔

[@kross992]

Lmao , sad but , true

[@kyles8524]

maybe a pc from 2008 or some really low end notebook

[@xicofir3737]

It's not your pc. The game it's not properly optimized. You either can run the game with max settings excluding grass and shadows, or you can't even run the game.

[@Ragnarok20141]

it's because pc can't do hyper,ultra,mega, super low settings dynamic res like they made on the switch version..

[@NeverQuit87]

When you realize the switch is garbage for graphics and 3rd party games

[@juanperezmich]

Well, I own the game on PC...., and this video convinced me, let's go and play the Switch version, docked!

[@chan13153]

Handheld mode looks fine. Docked mode looks so blurry. It def does not look 720p most of the time. I would say it looks closer to 480p. In fact on my PS4 I put Witcher 3 on 480p and compared it to the switched version docked and they both looked pretty close. This was on a 4K 55 inch TV. I really hope they patch it and increase the resolution in docked mode. Kinda like what happened with Doom.

[@Daniel-yz3zf]

You have to give credit to the developers for taking the extensive amounts of time and effort to get this released on the Switch. I feel that Nintendo often provide a challenge for developers spec-wise, as they always seem to be behind in terms of console power each generation, or offer some form of challenge. The Switch is the ultimate example of this. It's an incredible console in its own right but not every developer wants to go the whole way like CDPR have here which is a shame, as some Devs are put off straight away by having to make such specific adjustments. Then again, I guess you could just do a capcom and release something barely playable just to say you've released a game on switch... anyway, ramble over. Great video as ever Tom.

[@DaPunkNdFunk]

These guys really made the impossible, REALITY

[@WesleyDW93]

*cough* Wolfenstein The New Colossus *cough*

[@retrohero2762]

@Bryce Czirr Lol if this was on PS2 it would explode

[@Polygonal_Sprite]

An incredible achievement. Well done developers!

[@rafgp]

Switch version looks pretty good on its own. It definitely has nowhere near the amount of visual fidelity that the other versions have but it’s still a perfectly playable experience.

[@SayberV1]

I wouldn't say the visual fidelity is 'nowhere near' other versions it clearly retains some assets from other versions.

[@redcrimson1028]

Ir looks like the witcher.

[@stellarhyme3]

It's not a perfectly playable experience in Docked mode, the game is muddy as hell. It great for portable play only.

[@glorious720p_2]

The most reasonable take on this port

[@ApotheosisDivine69]

Another great review from the best of digital foundry, Tom's reviews are always spot on, great details and coverage, I feel like playing this game again on my ps4 pro.

[@zacharymcchesney299]

This is insanely impressive