By Technical specifications analyzed
For those curious about how Donkey Kong Bananza performs on the Switch 2 with regard to its technical execution, the team at Digital Foundry has offered their latest review for your consideration.
It’s mostly favorable feedback, with John Linneman lauding the destructible environment, highlighting how it can open up new pathways while the game still manages to provide a fairly robust camera system when underground.
The potential problems arise with pop-in, which often occurs when progressing through the environment. It is then remarked that shadow rendering is “extremely subpar” and becomes notably distracting during gameplay. Lighting also appears somewhat outdated, and it is observed that Super Mario Odyssey‘s Switch 2 update resolved many visual discrepancies, while Bananza seemingly brings us “right back to the same types of Switch-like compromises”.
Resolution typically ranges from 1080p to 1200p with dynamic resolution adjustment. Some aliasing is reported with the environment, and it is believed that certain areas might appear a bit “soft”. In portable mode, although precise testing doesn’t seem feasible, it is probable that the game operates at 1080p, resulting in generally superior image quality in handheld.
Regarding the frame rate, there is noticeable slowdown during specific actions, such as collecting a banana or during certain camera transitions. Unfortunately, it is clear that performance drops to 30fps during some boss encounters and actually remains there throughout. This becomes even more conspicuous with the jagged destruction animations.
The frame rate also dips to approximately 30fps during photo mode, which is not entirely unexpected, to be fair. Portable mode appears somewhat improved with VRR, but the issues are not fully resolved.
All in all, image quality and performance are termed as “somewhat mixed.” It does not seem poor enough to completely diminish the experience, but it is an aspect we certainly hope will see improvements in future updates.
What are your thoughts on Digital Foundry’s review of Donkey Kong Bananza? Feel free to leave a comment below and share your opinions.
[source youtube.com]
Nintendo Life’s in-house horror enthusiast, when he’s not immersed in Resident Evil and Silent Hill lore, Ollie enjoys diving into a compelling horror novel while savoring a delightful cup of tea. He also appreciates long walks and listens to a variety of music from TOOL to Chuck Berry.