Is Switch proof that graphics don’t matter?

We don’t know how the Xbox One X is doing per se, but I think we can safely assume that it’s not selling more than the Switch is right now. Looking at games like Zelda, and the new Xeboblade, the graphics look like something from last gen. But the games are actually fun, and having them available on the go is a huge plus. Then there’s games like Mario, which are beautiful, but the graphics are not complex. Nothing to really brag about. Yet the game gets praise from critics and fans and is one of the year’s best. So what do you say, SW? Is Switch proof that gamers don’t really care that much about graphics? Do you care about graphics?

But both Mario and Zelda look fantastic :(

Graphics matter up to a point, but graphics aren't everything and they certainly don't "make" a game.

A game needs to be great first and then adding a touch of graphic shine will make you appreciate a little more.

Nintendo can cover it up with an art style and a lot of what is big on switch are indie games anyways, the switch doesnt seem to be pushing into the top graphic multiplats. Its more like a 3ds than a wii u

The Switch is proof that Nintendo > all

I think what we call "graphics" is two parts: the technical side and the artistic side. I think the importance of the technical side is overstated, while the importance of the artistic side is underestimated. The Switch, Cuphead and even Overwatch are evidences of this.

No, but it's proof that top notch graphics don't matter

It proves that games and how they're played are also an important factor.

Switch is proof that people would by repackaged last gen hardware.

Graphics definitely matter, but a fun and playful art direction can make up for technical limitations. For games that aim for realistic graphics, technical capabilities of hardware is very important.

It all depends on the game. I would rather play a game like Battlefield instead of something silly like Overwatch/Team Fortress 2 when it comes to shooters. However, I can appreciate the cartoony graphics for platformers.

I would also never buy the Switch as a primary platform because the hardware is shit and it limits the type of games that can be made for it. Just look at Breath of the Wild.... It is a very simple looking game and it doesn't even run at 60fps. The hardware is shit.

Everyone just wants their game to look good. Some game types require more grant to pull that off, and other times artistic strokes are better. Switch games look great, and we are in an era where graphics can only be told apart with comparison videos

-Is damn good game design proof that having relatively great technical graphics isn't a big deal?-

Yes.

I wouldn't say Switch proves this, but rather some Switch games reaffirm what has been evident throughout the history of video games.

Graphics always matter to a certain degree, but aren't the end all factor.

At least for me, In the broadest sense, boiled down to crude categories, my priorities would go;

1. Gameplay
2. Performance
3. Sound
4. Graphics

Still, it's not as if these Switch games are a slouch either. Would I prefer they look even better? Of course. But are they bad? Not at all.

Games like BotW and Odyssey do have great graphics lol. Aside from Nintendo obviously nailing the art, it's not as if these games are suffering on the technical end either. Far from being at the tip top of modern standards, sure, but they're not hindering the games to any significant degree.

BotW could definitely benefit from better hardware, not so much for the graphics, but for performance and and draw distance. And Odyssey, aside from frequent frame dips in New Donk, came through just fine. Visually they hold their own with many modern games and in some instances look absolutely brilliant.

But it is all relative of course. If the Switch was more like a PS1 or for something more extreme, an Atari 2600, doubt too many people would agree. Graphics do matter to an extent.

I think the games on the switch look just fine. No issues so far with its graphic fidelity. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 looks good to me as well.

Graphics are very important but quality games matters the most. To be honest, I wouldn't be as happy with my Switch if I didn't also have my PC & PS4, they complement each other. Both Switch & PS4 have great exclusive games, but my PC still rules them all.

Nintendo shows that quality really matters in the end. It only took one game for Switch to go from flop in the making to a success. People expect quality from Nintendo and it's to damn bad MS cannot understand this. Gamers expect quality exclusives coming from your console MS!

If Mario or Zelda were ugly, Nintendo fans would kick up a fuss. Theres a high expectation of each game looking better then the last and they succeed in that.

This is silly, of course they matter, but games matter so much more.

Nintendo is making games that people who ever played and liked Nintendo games before want/need to play. They are willing to pay the price because the games are that good.

Graphics do matter and always will but context and game library are both part of that formula

Im curious to see how well doom sold. It selling well would be a pretty strong indication that the market for a "full game" portable experience is quite strong. Skyrim too of course

@22Toothpicks: DOOM is pretty shit on the Switch. 30fps with a controller is a terrible experience that does not do the game justice. The graphics and resolution have also been scaled back. DOOM is best played on PC to get the proper experience. It is playable on PS4 and X1, but I would avoid the Switch version at all costs.

Of course graphics alone doesn't make a game good... they just make it better :)

I mean if you had the choice to play Doom or Skyrim on either XB1 X/PS4 Pro or Switch (in docked mode - take the portability factor out of the equation for a second), then which would you rather play them on? I know which I'd rather have.

@Enragedhydra:

Yeah, definitely a crude breakdown on my part.

For example, we could look at animation as its own thing, yet some people would consider animation a part of graphics even though animation has a very direct effect on the gameplay of various action games.

And in a similar sense, yeah, performance and gameplay are intertwined. In some cases inseparable. Like a fighting game, beat em up, or shooter with poor performance is an absolute no-go. Even if all other facets of the game are well designed, if they run like shit, they'll play like shit.

But then again, a game like BotW for example. The performance isn't ideal at all, and it can get pretty bad at times. Still, doesn't get in the way of what the game is good at, so it doesn't really take away from my enjoyment too much. I'd love for it to perform better of course, I'd gladly give up some graphical fidelity or resolution to get there, but the game is still enjoyable regardless of the issue.

I'm pretty much in agreement with you, I just think the weight of performance on playability can vary by game. I'll always take the best performance I can get, but a well designed game can still shine through some questionable framerates in some cases.

To the average/casual gamer graphical advancements have stagnated. With last gens focus on games looking like real life, and this gens continuation of that trend, it was bound to happen. Sure, there is a clear difference between DOOM on Switch and DOOM on a high end PC, however it a very small minority who actually care about this sort of thing, for most as long as it still looks decent it's fine.

It also helps that Switch is just easier for people to fit into their lives. I don't know about others here, but with work and other commitments, I've been lucky to get one evening a week to actually sit down and play games on my other systems in the last few months but Switch thanks to it's portability, I can just take with me, and just fit in sessions whenever my schedule allows, and TBH, I don't really want to go back to be tied to the TV screen.

No I would avoid PS4/Xbox One/ and Switch at all cost! Playing Doom 2016 on the PC is the real deal only!

@davillain-: At least the other consoles run the game at 60fps. So, they are not as bad. It is not ideal playing a twitch shooter like DOOM with a controller though as that will definitely have a negative impact on the experience. However, it is still playable. If Switch was my only option for the game, I would not even bother with the game at all as the experience would be completely ruined.

Doom 4 on anything but PC is a different experience, but not even because of the graphics. 144hz. FOV adjustment without the limits and compromise of the console versions. M/kb. Each of them being a big deal on their own, add them all together and it feels like a different game.

Best playing version all around, being the best looking version is just a nice bonus.

This is a prime example of how ignorant you people are.

Switch is proof that graphics don't matter?... The ENTIRE selling point of the Switch is how amazing the graphics look for a handheld. Almost every review talks about that for the games.

You guy's are just ridiculous.

Marketing sells consoles to the general demographic not games or graphics its why the Wii and DS was sold to average Joe by the millions just for Wii Sports and Brain Training. Wii U failed because Nintendo had financial issues and couldn't market it as strongly as the Wii or DS. The Switch also looking like a modern device with good graphics makes it easier to market.

Logic in this place is sub par.

I wish the Switch was much more powerful. Xenoblade looks like a jaggy, blurry mess. And on top of that, it performs like absolute dogshit.

Same with its predecessor on the WiiU.

Yeah, I think Switch is at the graphical level where it's just good enough to feel modern and be able to get ports of AAA games with reduced resolution, like Doom and Wolfenstein.

No. Graphics have always mattered and always will matter. People don't buy $800 GPUs for no reason. However the market is both very large, and enjoying graphics is not mutually exclusive with enjoying good gameplay. You can enjoy buying a game for visual fidelity alone to enjoy the experience while also appreciating and enjoying less graphically demanding games that are just really fun.

Why the hell is this place so black and white? You can like a lot of things. You don't have to pick a side for every opinion.

Switch games look great. So yeah, graphics do matter. Does all consoles need 4K and the latest in graphics? Not at all. In fact, I hope AAA studios will chill in the graphics department and focus on fun instead.

It's the art direction that matters more than technical graphics. The top games this year may have lacked in the technical department, but they more than made up for it with great art direction.

Graphics do matter, to an extent. A system that can render high end graphics can also render a ton of content.

I'd never be able to get my full gaming fix in with just a Switch. I need a PC as well. Nintendo games simply can't match the scale and detail of games like the Witcher 3 or GTA V. As great as BOTW was, it pales in comparison to a game like the Witcher 3. TW3 was more immersive thanks to its enormous world, detailed and plentiful characters, and absurd amount of world-building content. A Switch game simply has no way of containing that much content.

I started console gaming on the 8-bit Sega Master System, so graphics have never mattered to me. Good graphics are just a bonus now as technology has advanced nothing more, nothing less.

This argument doesn't make sense. 8-bit graphics were cutting edge at one point too.

One of the reasons I have always been a PC gamer and keep my rig up to date is because I like the best of both worlds. BOTW is my favorite game this year though and thats on the lowest spec console and it looks great as far as its graphics go.

They matter, just not a ton.

Graphics matter, but Switch games look perfectly fine, so.

Yes but couldn't render faces, etc like todays games. Gameplay was king back in the day, not so much these days with so many movie games/walking simulators/visual novels etc that pass for games these days.

lol someone understands

lol Switch. lol Nintendo

@ConanTheStoner: I think it helps too that not only are these games well designed, but they were unique experiences for the Nintendo Switch. Consider a game like DOOM; if DOOM was the killer app for Switch at launch, I doubt people would be as inclined to purchase a Switch given that the game is available on other platforms with better performance, despite being a well designed game.

Performance wise though, while the Nintendo Switch games are never ideal, they are good enough not to distract from what these games do really well, which is well designed and fun gameplay.

Sure it doesn't lol

Hey, how'd that Wii U do with dated visuals compared to the others? Oh that's right. it was a home console not a handheld where "N" has always done well.

Did we need proof? Some of the best selling consoles ever had the worst graphics.

To say graphics don't matter at this point in the game is incredibly stupid. One thing is, graphics have looked fantastic since the Gamecube/PS2/XBox era. Every console before then look great in their own rights up, this gen is really where games stopped looking "bad" IMO. If the Switch could only produce games that looked like N64 games, and was as successful than it is then, yeah, you could honestly say the Switch's success shows that graphics don't matter. That, of course, is not the case here. Switch shows that top notch graphics don't matter, but, decent graphics will always matter. Doesn't matter if it's 8bit, 16bit style graphics or Star Wars Battlefront graphics. It has to look sharp.

Before the PS4 the console leader has never had the best graphics. The switch is the rule, PS4 is the exception. The best selling consoles had the worst graphics. I.E. PS1, PS2, etc etc.

Although now with the One X on the market the market leader is back to not having the best graphics, thus returning us to the norm of the rule.

I think it's proof that, until we see another substantial graphical leap, graphics don't matter as much right now. I don't find the difference between Switch's output and PS4's output as stark as with, say, Wii and PS3. I imagine most casual buyers would agree.

How much proof do we need, indeed. Although I think the success of the PS4 has clouded many minds.