We’ve learned little of the Nintendo Switch version of Dark Souls Remastered, except from a short gameplay clip that spent a lot of time showing off a Dark Souls Amiibo. However, a deep analysis of this gameplay already reveals some important graphical improvements coming to the game.
In an attempt to discern any meaningful differences between the Switch version and the original Dark Souls on Xbox 360 and PS3, Digital Foundry took a close look at the gameplay clip that was recently shown in a Nintendo Direct, which you can see in the embed above. From this footage, Digital Foundry was able to determine that the game was, in fact, running in 1080p.
If this clip was actual Switch gameplay, then this would be in line with Bandai Namco’s target of 720p in portable mode and 1080p docked. This is a big boost from the original versions, which outputted at 1024×720.
Although it was able to determine this resolution increase, Digital Foundry had trouble finding any other meaningful graphical changes from the 360/PS3 versions. This doesn’t mean that the Switch release won’t have any changes to textures or lighting; rather, the trailer simply doesn’t show them right now. Digital Foundry did find “extra pockets of shade,” which indicate that the port may add ambient occlusion. You can read more of Digital Foundry’s analysis here.
This is great news, since it suggests that the Switch version might be more than just a straight port, and it indicates that the game seems to be running well on the console. It’s also no small feat, considering that Dark Souls ran poorly on its original consoles, so hopefully the full game bears this out. It’s currently scheduled for release on May 25 and will have a technical test sometime before that.