Diablo 3 on Switch is a “brilliant” port, says Digital Foundry

Diablo 3 on Switch is being made by Iron Galaxy Studios, responsible for ports such as Skyrim and Fortnite. The Switch version is based on the game’s latest version, including the Reaper of Souls and Rise of the Necromancer DLCs. In a recent analysis by the Digital Foundry team, it was found that the Switch version of Diablo exceeded the performance of last-generation games (PS3 and Xbox 360).

“The Switch version of Diablo 3 uses dynamic resolution so it can get as close as possible to the 60fps target. In our tests, we found that in Dock mode, the resolution peaks at 1600×900 and drops to 1344×756 when under load. This compares favorably to the PS3 and 360 versions of the game, which run at 720p (1280×720). In the Switch’s handheld mode, the maximum resolution is the screen’s native 1280×720, but when there are many enemies on screen, it sits at 960×540. That sounds low, but in practice it’s not bad for the size of the Switch screen, and tends to happen only when the game is at its peak and the screen is overloaded with effects.

In terms of effects and image quality, the Switch version sits between the earlier versions (PS3 and Xbox 360) and the current ones (PS4 and Xbox One). Shadow quality, ambient occlusion and flora reach a level comparable to the PS4 and Xbox One, while the resolution visibly softens textures in the isometric perspective. You can think of it as a last-gen version of the game, especially when taking all the extra content into account.

The same story applies to performance, where the Switch fares better than the older PlayStation and Xbox. During low-intensity play, the game runs at nearly 60 frames per second and employs v-sync for a stable image. This is a big improvement over the PS3 and Xbox 360, when the game suffered frame drops”

DF also points out that the lowest frame rate (FPS) found was 40FPS in Nephalem Rifts “packed with enemies”. Here is the comparison video (in English):

Full analysis: Eurogamer / Digital foundry