Metaphor: ReFantazio is one of the best RPGs of the last ten years, so I’m happy that it’s finally landed on Switch 2. I maintain that a handheld is often the best way to play time-consuming JRPGs, so the fact that Nintendo fans can now experience Atlus’ magnum opus on the go is nothing but a good thing.
But the recent port comes with a pretty significant caveat: performance. Despite looking akin to a PS3 game (not meant to be derogatory—Metaphor: ReFantazio is visually stunning, just simple), Metaphor on Switch 2 reportedly suffers from nagging performance and visual problems, making it something of a downgrade from its other versions, all of which have been out for several years now. Among the most common complaints are an extremely inconsistent framerate, particularly when “quality” mode is enabled, as well as a jarring drop in resolution, and shoddy upscaling, when in “performance” mode. The port has also been criticized for a lack of options and features. For instance, it’s one of many Switch 2 games that fail to take advantage of the console’s variable refresh rate, which would have theoretically stabilized performance. All of this sends a troubling message about Persona 6.
We know that Persona 4 Revival, the from-the-ground-up remake of Persona 4, is coming to all platforms next year, with a Switch 2 port arriving a few months after the initial launch. I’ve said before that Persona 4 Revival‘s Switch 2 delay is a bit odd, not to mention disappointing for Switch 2 owners, who are basically getting the short end of the stick despite owning a current-gen console.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Metaphor: ReFantazio didn’t come to the first Nintendo Switch when it launched in October 2024, so Switch loyalists have already had to wait more than two years to play the award-winning RPG. The idea behind such delays of Switch 2 ports, generally speaking, is that they are necessary in order for the delayed game to be optimized for Nintendo’s hardware. This is already a bit irksome, since this logic is employed much less frequently for ports on PlayStation or Xbox. For the delayed game to still be noticeably worse-looking and worse-running than its versions on competitor hardware is frustrating, to say the least.
Metaphor on Switch 2 reportedly suffers from nagging performance and visual problems, making it something of a downgrade compared to its other versions, all of which have been out for several years now.
Metaphor‘s hit-and-miss optimization raises concerns about Persona 4 Revival, especially since its delayed release on Switch 2 hints at potential optimization concerns. However, things might be even worse for Persona 6, Atlus’ next major, mainline release in its flagship franchise. Persona 4 Revival looks like a modern Atlus game, but it’s still set in Inaba, a fictional Japanese town that’s deliberately small, quaint, and lacking in vast, expansive, or densely populated areas. We obviously don’t know how well Persona 4 Revival will run in general, but considering that, in concept, the game has fewer technically-demanding areas and setpieces, there’s reason to believe it could even be a smoother experience than Metaphor: ReFantazio on Switch 2.
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You can’t quite make that prediction for Persona 6, though. While there hasn’t been much in the way of official confirmation about the game’s setting, premise, and so forth, it’s reasonable to assume that Atlus has fairly ambitious plans for it: Persona 6 will be Atlus’ official continuation of its leading urban fantasy franchise in over a decade, and will almost certainly be the company’s most momentous release since the original Metaphor launch in 2024. It’s highly probable that Persona 6 will be at least as demanding as Metaphor, with cities targeting similar scale and density, so it could pose an even greater optimization challenge on Switch 2.
As much as I love Atlus (Metaphor: ReFantazio is my personal choice for best game of 2024, a year with some stiff competition), it’s clear that the developer has some difficulty with Switch ports. Persona 5 Royal and Persona 3 Reload were both in rough technical shape when they released on Switch and Switch 2, and while they’ve been improved via some post-launch patches, they are ultimately still rather disappointing as ports. For instance, Persona 3 Reload is still locked to 30FPS in handheld mode on Switch 2.
The Switch 2 is certainly not as powerful as its current-gen Sony and Microsoft competitors, but this is a console that can run games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth without major issues. Turn-based RPGs with deliberately simple graphics and environments simply shouldn’t be struggling on Switch 2 at this point. Perhaps on the original Switch, a lower standard for performance was expected, but the Switch 2 has clearly demonstrated its technical heft relative to its predecessor, and companies like Atlus need to take advantage of that.
- Released
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October 11, 2024
- ESRB
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Teen / Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
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Studio Zero
