Starting today, Fortnite should run a lot better on Nintendo Switch thanks to an update from Epic Games. When Fortnite launched on Switch in 2018, fans were disappointed by the number of bugs and rendering issues that plagued the experience, but the developer has been aiming to improve it since.
Many of the bugs and issues have been ironed out, but some fans have still struggled with low resolution and frame rate on the console. The issues were not as severe when the Switch was in docked mode, but many players still found issues in the low resolution decreasing the visibility of other players when playing Fortnite in handheld mode.
Today's update comes after a lot of positive moves by Epic, and aims to address these issues. Epic's post claims the update will significantly improve the game's resolution without impacting performance. Before the update, Fortnite ran at 1000-by-560 when handheld and 1390-by-780 while docked. After the update, Epic claims the game will be able to maintain 1170-by-660 in handheld and 1560-by-880 when docked. Fortnite does utilize a variable resolution to help maintain a smooth framerate, but Epic says those dips should be less frequent after this update. The post also states that the update improves the game's framerate, making it more consistent while decreasing the file size 140MB.
The bump in resolution seems pretty significant, but only time will tell just how steady the framerate will be for players after the update. The post is sparse on specifics, but does attribute the improvements to upgrading the game's renderer to make better use of the Switch's GPU. The update does come amidst a lot of new content for Fortnite, making now a great time for players to jump back in on Switch to see what is all new.
Improvements like these are very important for a multiplayer game like Fortnite, especially when it has crossplay with other systems that have better resolution, making it easier to spot enemies off in the distance. The improvement may help Fortnite get a leg up on its competition, as Apex Legends players had similar complaints about resolution and framerate issues when that launched on the platform this year. Many Switch ports are impressive, with big titles somehow finding ways to downgrade enough to run on the system. Hopefully, Epic's upgrades to the renderer here mean any future titles they release on Switch can launch with better optimization as well.
Fortnite is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Epic Games