Some tech experts think the latest The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 footage suggests the game's graphics are too advanced for the Nintendo Switch.
In the most recent episode of Digital Foundry Weekly, Richard Leadbetter, John Linneman and Alex Battaglia discussed the upcoming Breath of the Wild 2. Along with some detailed technical breakdowns of what they witnessed in the trailers, including anti-aliasing, 1080p/720p rendering, draw distances and more, the trio went into their predictions on whether the game could run effectively on Nintendo Switch. Ultimately, they cast some doubt on the Switch's technical capabilities in the face of such high-quality graphics. Their entire Breath of the Wild 2 conversation is timestamped and linked below.
In particular, Battaglia raised some theories that Nintendo may intend to release a new Switch console around the same time as Breath of the Wild 2. When the first Breath of the Wild game came out in 2017, it was released both on the Wii U and Nintendo Switch consoles. Battaglia suspects Nintendo plans for something similar with the sequel's release, launching it both on the Nintendo Switch and a brand new console.
Part of this theory stems from the fact that the game's trailer shows it running on perfect anti-aliasing. This suggests a new console, as anti-aliasing is something even the Xbox S/X and PlayStation 5 struggle with, let alone the 2017 Nintendo Switch nailing it perfectly. Another hint that what we see in the trailer runs on a different console than the Switch is how volumetric clouds don't break down as Link approaches them. This leads the hosts to believe the trailers show Breath of the Wild 2 on a more robust system.
The Legend of Selda: Breath of the Wild is arguably one of the most successful games of all time. The game is wildly beloved for the way it reinvented the series, creating an RPG quality with an open world, crafting system, creative painterly style graphics and focus on character in the storytelling. The game takes place a century after Link and Zelda failed to stop the Great Calamity. Link wakes up without his memories and must defeat Ganon with the help of a new team of Champions of Hyrule. Though it is well-loved, something even the hosts of Digital Foundry pointed out was a lack of characteristic dungeons in Breath of the Wild, something they and many players hope to see rectified in the sequel.
Initially due out this year, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 has been delayed until sometime in 2023.
Source: YouTube
