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[newsguy]

Picked it up and played some after work. After tweaking the controller smoothness its hard to tell the game is running at 30fps. Its blazing fast and plays very well. It is very very blurry undocked. Like literally in the first scene I couldn’ tell if it was a blur effect added cause of the content or if the scene was just that blurry.

I turned off motion blur and CA (please die already CA) and while its still super blurry, it looks a bit smoother in motion. What saves this IMO is that it’s a game where you’re literally in fast motion every second, so the blur is not as prevelant. If this were a slow moving game I wouldn’t be able to take the softness of the image, it makes my eyes water and I literally need to put it down. It happened to me with NBA playgrounds pre patch, and that wasn't as blurry as Doom.

 

[czk51]

Picked it up and played some after work. After tweaking the controller smoothness its hard to tell the game is running at 30fps. Its blazing fast and plays very well. It is very very blurry undocked. Like literally in the first scene I couldn’ tell if it was a blur effect added cause of the content or if the scene was just that blurry.

I turned off motion blur and CA (please die already CA) and while its still super blurry, it looks a bit smoother in motion. What saves this IMO is that it’s a game where you’re literally in fast motion every second, so the blur is not as prevelant. If this were a slow moving game I wouldn’t be able to take the softness of the image, it makes my eyes water and I literally need to put it down. It happened to me with NBA playgrounds pre patch, and that wasn't as blurry as Doom.

TIL motion blur has a setting! Trying it out now, restricted to handheld.

 

[Kirkbangles]

I have the game on Xbox but I just wanted to stop in and say that the game is looks phenomenal on switch. I am really surprised with what they were able to accomplish, the handheld has some serious power under the hood. Now that Bethesda has flexed its muscles and killed November, I'd love to see a new Grand Theft Auto handheld game a la China Town Wars or something in that vein.

 

[Sohter.Nura]

Really pissed off that there's a 3 hour download on this shit when I plug in the game :I why the fuck would I have a console with a massive download like this from the get go?
And I can't even start the game if I don't finish the download -.-...

 

[capnjazz]

For those of you playing undocked, is it really that much worse than docked mode? I mainly play my Switch in handheld mode so I'd like it if anyone with experience would weigh in.

 

[Pasedo]

I did the same and turned off motion blur which gives it a little extra clarity. Agree that it looks soft overall but you get passed this and just enjoy the game after a while - as I'm being quietly impressed that I can experience a AAA shooter on a handheld. We've certainly come along way. All I was hoping for was 360 graphics and AAA games on a portable and finally we have it.

 

[Revolutionary]

Watched the GB quick look and they seem to echo the concerns I've had for this port. A portable Doom is a cool novelty but the 1080/60 presentation is sorely missed.

And yeah, the motion blur should be off by default because it looks nauseating at 30fps.

Still looking forward to the DF analysis. I suppose it's been tight for them due to the XboneX releasing the same week.

 

[Putosaure]

Really pissed off that there's a 3 hour download on this shit when I plug in the game :I why the fuck would I have a console with a massive download like this from the get go?
And I can't even start the game if I don't finish the download -.-...

You can play something else !

 

[The_Intruder]

Really pissed off that there's a 3 hour download on this shit when I plug in the game :I why the fuck would I have a console with a massive download like this from the get go?
And I can't even start the game if I don't finish the download -.-...

If you want just to play the solo game , you must start the game in flight mode if you don't want to do the day one update.

 

[Toadthemushroom]

Last I checked, the game was already at number 5 on the eShop charts. Sonic Forces was at number 7 so it’s already outsold that game digitally since it launched.

I can see DOOM or Skyrim making its way to the top 3 on the eShop and staying there until two weeks after launch.

Really pissed off that there's a 3 hour download on this shit when I plug in the game :I why the fuck would I have a console with a massive download like this from the get go?
And I can't even start the game if I don't finish the download -.-...

That’s strange. Did you try launching the game after the patch started downloading? There should be three options - one of them is “start software” which will launch or continue the game without waiting for the update to finish.

I definitely managed to start DOOM this way on version 1.0 while 1.1 was downloading.

 

[RaptorGTA]

Last I checked, the game was already at number 5 on the eShop charts. Sonic Forces was at number 7 so it’s already outsold that game digitally since it launched.

I can see DOOM or Skyrim making its way to the top 3 on the eShop and staying there until two weeks after launch.



That’s strange. Did you try launching the game after the patch started downloading? There should be three options - one of them is “start software” which will launch or continue the game without waiting for the update to finish.

I definitely managed to start DOOM this way on version 1.0 while 1.1 was downloading.

Had to wait for the update to be done before I could start the single player.

 

[Toadthemushroom]

I noticed that the reflections are on a higher setting in docked mode. In handheld mode you only get light reflections from pools of liquid on the ground. In docked mode you get proper environmental reflections.

Had to wait for the update to be done before I could start the single player.

Interesting. Were you playing entirely in English? I know the patch adds extra language support to the game.

 

[zeioIIDX]

Yeah buddy, Digital Foundry time!

Doom on Switch: The Complete Technical Analysis!

 

[TannerDemoz]

Really hope this hits 500k

 

[jdforge]

Yeah buddy, Digital Foundry time!

Doom on Switch: The Complete Technical Analysis!

Thanks for posting. Gonna give this a watch. Anyone know the best place to get this digitally? In UK eshop it’s £49.99. I’m not going to pay that much.

 

[kramer]

Thanks for posting. Gonna give this a watch. Anyone know the best place to get this digitally? In UK eshop it’s £49.99. I’m not going to pay that much.

Change your location to South Africa - it’s just under £36. If you haven’t done this before - it’s simple and you just change back to UK after with no probs whatsoever.

 

[Revolutionary]

Yeah buddy, Digital Foundry time!

Doom on Switch: The Complete Technical Analysis!

576p. Wow.

 

[newsguy]

Is there any word on if the QOL patch that’s included in the multiplayer patch actually affects the resolution in the single player mode? There are some rumors that this is the case, but I’m not gonna DL 9 gigs unless it actually does sharpen up the image in single player.

 

[Ostrava04]

Yeah buddy, Digital Foundry time!

Doom on Switch: The Complete Technical Analysis!

- 600p~ish
- 720p~ish when nothing is happening in certain areas
- 360p~ alpha + DOF
- 30fps with framepacing issues

 

[Poppyseed]

576p. Wow.

576p (and lower), frame rates that hit the low 20s at higher difficulty levels, and bad frame pacing.

Yeah, no. Pass for me.

 

[Toadthemushroom]

Seems about right. When no action was happening i pixel counted 720p in docked mode and 540p in handheld mode.

framerate has been fine playing in Nightmare difficulty, it definitely looked like it was chugging in Ultra Violence in John’s footage for DF. Not optimal.

 

[Panajev2001a]

Seems about right. When no action was happening i pixel counted 720p in docked mode and 540p in handheld mode.

framerate has been fine playing in Nightmare difficulty, it definitely looked like it was chugging in Ultra Violence in John’s footage for DF. Not optimal.

The review was quite harsh on texture quality, image quality, and frame pacing:

It's even more remarkable bearing in mind that it's not just the texture quality that gets cut down. Lights are pulled further in on Switch, for example. On PS4 and Xbox One, this setting was already reduced but on Switch, large areas are all but devoid of these lights. Screen-space reflections are also absent on Switch. These received a lot of use previously, so the loss is noticeable. There is also a lot of visible banding on Switch. Colour gradients and the lower quality ambient occlusion really stick out as a result. At times, on a large TV, it looks as if you're playing an interactive compressed video rather than a real-time game.

[...]

And if Doom delivered a rock solid 30 frames per second on Switch, it would be difficult to complain - but unfortunately this is not the case. There are basically two issues to address and the first one could potentially be corrected with a patch. Bad frame-pacing essentially makes the game look jerkier than it should, delivering new frames at 16ms, 33ms and 50ms intervals when running at 30fps. Correctly implemented frame-pacing would lock this to a locked 33ms per-frame persistence, giving a more solid, consistent experience.

and the game does go below 30 FPS. Still, The portable aspect is intriguing but limiting FOV to 90° is bad for me, I had to increase it to 100° for the console version.

 

[jdforge]

Change your location to South Africa - it’s just under £36. If you haven’t done this before - it’s simple and you just change back to UK after with no probs whatsoever.

I’ve never done this before :/

 

[MindCollizion]

Going through the campaign. It's been a great experience so far.

 

[richman555]

I might be in the minority but I never played this version of Doom as I have only owned Nintendo consoles the last several generations.

So I am very much looking forward to trying it out on the Switch.

 

[kramer]

I’ve never done this before :/

Go to your Nintendo account: https://accounts.nintendo.com/login?lang=en-GB

Sign in, go to profile, change location to South Africa and agree.

Go to eShop on Switch, it will ask you to sign in, do so, buy Doom with a card.

At any time, repeat the process and change back to UK. The game will be on your Switch and will act as if you have the game from UK.

Credit card will work, if you have any money on your eShop account though, you will have to use it or lose it.

It’s hassle free and there’s no new account set up or anything.

Hope this helps - loads of people have done this, you have no concerns.

 

[RaptorGTA]

I noticed that the reflections are on a higher setting in docked mode. In handheld mode you only get light reflections from pools of liquid on the ground. In docked mode you get proper environmental reflections.



Interesting. Were you playing entirely in English? I know the patch adds extra language support to the game.

Yea.. Only in English. But u am wondering since I had wifi on that it wanted the patch.. Maybe if I didn't wifi on it would have started without an issue.

 

[Donnie]

Tempted to get this just to show off the handheld graphics, but just not interested in this kind of game anymore.

 

[Toadthemushroom]

The review was quite harsh on texture quality, image quality, and frame pacing:


and the game does go below 30 FPS. Still, The portable aspect is intriguing but limiting FOV to 90° is bad for me, I had to increase it to 100° for the console version.

Texture quality is definitely reduced. Honestly it looks great on the Switch's 6" display which is something John stressed in the video. As I posted on page 2, the textures are actually higher quality than what the resolution even reveals in the game in handheld mode.

 

[Sohter.Nura]

Played this last night after the long ass update.

Game is amazing, specially considering I don't have a PS4. The game looks really, really crisp for someone who doesn't have one of the next gen machines.

Also, from a gameplay perspective, it controls very well, the game is very action packed, and very fast paced.

My favorite thing in the game has been the soundtrack. I rarely notice soundtracks, but in this game, the music really adds to the tension in the game and makes you feel on edge while you're playing.

Loving it so far.

I definitely managed to start DOOM this way on version 1.0 while 1.1 was downloading.

I was able to start the game, but when getting to the main screen, the game would stop me and ask me to update it.

 

[ShadowFox08]

Yeah buddy, Digital Foundry time!

Doom on Switch: The Complete Technical Analysis!

Saved for later.

 

[Vitacat]

Eh, changed my mind. Gonna pick up a copy of Switch Doom today.

Going on a trip this week and would rather not bring my laptop along, so having Doom on Switch would be a nice break from the usual Nintendo fare. Plus, with GCU it's $48, and I only paid $10 for the PC version via cdkeys, so basically I'm still spending a bit less than $60 altogether for both versions. Will be interesting to compare the 2 version extremes of this game as well.

 

[Agent_Carnage]

Glad people are enjoying it and I hope it sells well. I probably wont get it as I already own the PC version but I might pick it up when it goes on sale.

 

[Air Zombie Meat]

With the pro controller I couldn't get the controls to feel right until I turned look smoothing to zero. Would also recommend going with a control scheme that has jump on the shoulder buttons. May not seem that important at first but trust me, it is. Once you get upgrades to your jumping abilities you'll be wanting to be able to keep your thumb on the right stick while you're double jumping all over the place.

 

[Pasedo]

Hey guys. Do you think this is the absolute limit of how AAA 3rd party shooters will look on the Switch. Or given more time developers could make it pump out at a higher resolution and better frame rates? I mean DF said it's pushing the Switch to its limits so I guess we cant expect more than this?? I mean I'm super happy with it but I'm just curious about this.

 

[Vitacat]

So I just finished the first area. Played docked with Pro controller.

My verdict so far -- it's Doom. Fun as all hell (pun intended), fast and furious as always. I also have the PC version running on an i7 n1080 rig, so I know what the game looks and feels like at ultra levels and constant 60fps. Yeah, this Switch version isn't as good, obviously, BUT it's still clearly the same game, and plays damn good enough despite the occasional frame drops and lower resolution.

Happy I picked it up! Should be even more impressive on the go, which is how I'll be playing it on a trip next week.

Hey guys. Do you think this is the absolute limit of how AAA 3rd party shooters will look on the Switch. Or given more time developers could make it pump out at a higher resolution and better frame rates? I mean DF said it's pushing the Switch to its limits so I guess we cant expect more than this?? I mean I'm super happy with it but I'm just curious about this.

Hard to say. Seems like every system sees its most impressive games after a few years after devs really learn how to optimize things more. So I think it's reasonable to think we could see even more squeezed out if this hardware in the future, but probably nothing revolutionary i.e. not gonna see Doom suddenly going 60fps at constant 720p. But a bit more optimization and fine tuning... yeah. Let's see what they can do with Wolfenstein 2.

 

[Sohter.Nura]

Hey guys. Do you think this is the absolute limit of how AAA 3rd party shooters will look on the Switch. Or given more time developers could make it pump out at a higher resolution and better frame rates? I mean DF said it's pushing the Switch to its limits so I guess we cant expect more than this?? I mean I'm super happy with it but I'm just curious about this.

Hm, I don't know. The switch has only been out for 6 months, I'm sure devs could do more with it.

I'm not sure the system will have more AAA shooter titles like these, though. Honestly, if you're gonna develop AAA shooter titles, you're much better off releasing them for the PS4 / XBone.

 

[Kimawolf]

Hey guys. Do you think this is the absolute limit of how AAA 3rd party shooters will look on the Switch. Or given more time developers could make it pump out at a higher resolution and better frame rates? I mean DF said it's pushing the Switch to its limits so I guess we cant expect more than this?? I mean I'm super happy with it but I'm just curious about this.

I think a port made from the ground up with Switch in mind will be better. We'll see what more time looks like with Skyrim and Wolfenstien 2.

 

[MindCollizion]

I'll leave it to Nintendo to show us just how good a shooter can look with Metroid Prime 4, although it wouldn't be the same thing as an actual shooter. But we can definitely look forward to better looking/performing games with time.

 

[Pasedo]

I think a port made from the ground up with Switch in mind will be better. We'll see what more time looks like with Skyrim and Wolfenstien 2.

I thought I read somewhere that Panic Button who did the port had to build a custom game engine for this. Wouldn't this be somewhat ground up. Perhaps more time they can improve this custom engine. I agree I think we'll see its potential in Wolf 2.

 

[Phatosaurus]

Yeah buddy, Digital Foundry time!

Doom on Switch: The Complete Technical Analysis!

Eh, can't see myself buying this version but I can't say I'm disappointed with how it looks. The frame pacing and frame rate are the only deal breakers for me.

 

[R00bot]

I thought I read somewhere that Panic Button who did the port had to build a custom game engine for this. Wouldn't this be somewhat ground up. Perhaps more time they can improve this custom engine. I agree I think we'll see its potential in Wolf 2.

Nope. Same engine.

 

[Nategc20]

I don't know why I'm hype as fuck for a $60 Skyrim port.

 

[Vitacat]

I don't know why I'm hype as fuck for a $60 Skyrim port.

Cuz portable Skyrim with Zelda outfits is awesome.

I will really, really miss mods though. But I know I'll buy Switch Skyrim at some point, just not sure when exactly. I do have GCU and $10 in BB rewards... so $38 if I want it right away. Hmm.

 

[Sohter.Nura]

I'll leave it to Nintendo to show us just how good a shooter can look with Metroid Prime 4, although it wouldn't be the same thing as an actual shooter. But we can definitely look forward to better looking/performing games with time.

Nintendo should really, really, really make Online Multiplayer a prime part of Metroid Prime 4. Which means they won't, 'cause Nintendo.

I've said this before, if the Wii back in the day, or the Switch nowadays, had a Halo-esque kinda of game that pulled everyone to play the game online, they would've won the console wars back then, and would win it now.

 

[Panajev2001a]

Texture quality is definitely reduced. Honestly it looks great on the Switch's 6" display which is something John stressed in the video. As I posted on page 2, the textures are actually higher quality than what the resolution even reveals in the game in handheld mode.

Sure, he also says that in both modes the framerate actually dives close to 20 FPS and this is in addition to bad framepacing (and the image quality is still blurry, but not as bad thanks to s small screen... I hear a lot of it looks comparatively great/great for a handheld than great in general to be honest). Still, for portable only play it may make lots of sense (although the joycons are not the best control method) a little later down the line (with both PS4 Pro and Switch hooked up to the same TV, it would not make sense to play DOOM for Switch when I also own the PS4 version).

 

[DKPOWPOW]

Played some arcade mode today, it was damn fun. Might end up just doing all the levels in arcade before doing campaign. It's super addicting.

I got a question though, while I was messing with the control options I noticed there's a setting for motion controls with the right joycon? I couldn't figure out what motion was used for what though, or is it gonna be patched in? Some gyroscope assisted aiming would be sweet!

 

[R00bot]

Played some arcade mode today, it was damn fun. Might end up just doing all the levels in arcade before doing campaign. It's super addicting.

I got a question though, while I was messing with the control options I noticed there's a setting for motion controls with the right joycon? I couldn't figure out what motion was used for what though, or is it gonna be patched in? Some gyroscope assisted aiming would be sweet!

You shake your right joycon to do a glory kill, as opposed to clicking in the right stick. Yeah...

 

[DKPOWPOW]

You shake your right joycon to do a glory kill, as opposed to clicking in the right stick. Yeah...

Ah, that's kinda disappointing. I'll try that out tomorrow, but I doubt it'll be worth it. Doom is such a fast paced game, if there's any lag at all it would kill the vibe. Though if they went Manhunt 2 style with the Glory Kills... 😸

 

[Toadthemushroom]

Sure, he also says that in both modes the framerate actually dives close to 20 FPS and this is in addition to bad framepacing (and the image quality is still blurry, but not as bad thanks to s small screen... I hear a lot of it looks comparatively great/great for a handheld than great in general to be honest). Still, for portable only play it may make lots of sense (although the joycons are not the best control method) a little later down the line (with both PS4 Pro and Switch hooked up to the same TV, it would not make sense to play DOOM for Switch when I also own the PS4 version).

In Ultra Violence difficulty, yes.

I’ve been playing the campaign in Nightmare difficulty and for the first six levels at least there’s been minimal slowdown during the firefights. I have noticed drops when they happen (usually in very detailed open environments) but most firefights aren’t hectic enough to drag the framerate down.