“The technical improvements are substantial”
Sonic Frontiers got a not-so-surprising Definitive Edition release on the Switch 2 last week as part of the ongoing Sonic the Hedgehog 35th anniversary celebrations.
Digital Foundry has now taken a closer look at this version of the game, and while it’s not the “perfect port”, it’s a “substantial” improvement on the technical front.
The game now offers two distinct visual modes – with the default setting prioritising 60fps performance and the graphics mode targeting higher fidelity at a mostly “stable” 30fps. In portable mode, there are more frequent dips in the open-world segments, but dynamic resolution scaling makes it a “largely playable” experience, “on the go”. As for cutscenes, they mostly remain locked at 30fps.
The resolution in graphics mode runs at a native 1080p resolution, while the performance mode is 720p. “Crucially”, the graphics mode retains screen space reflections (SSR) on water, which Digital Foundry describes as the “standout visual flourish from the original Switch release”. In handheld, performance mode displays between 480p to 720p, and quality mode is 720p to 1080p.
Other improvements in the Switch 2 version include “higher-quality shadows, better texture filtering, and improved levels of detail” across the open world. Unfortunately, “pop-in” is still apparently “highly distracting” and this version of the game misses out on some “premium” features including motion blur, water ripple physics and high-end global illumination settings.
Of course, there’s no upgrade path for owners of the Switch version of Sonic Frontiers. However, existing Switch save data will transfer over the Switch 2 version of the game. The physical Switch 2 release has also been confirmed as a Game-Key Card.
