Rise of the Tomb Raider has long been one of Crystal Dynamics' most technically demanding Tomb Raider entries, and Aspyr's recent comments on a Nintendo Switch 2 port confirm the studio ran into performance limits.
Developed by Crystal Dynamics and originally released in November 2015 for Xbox One (with PC and PlayStation releases following in 2016), Rise of the Tomb Raider has seen multiple ports and re-releases since launch.
Aspyr — a studio with a track record of bringing AAA games to different platforms, including the Nintendo Switch — recently discussed its efforts to bring the title to Nintendo's next-generation hardware.
In a new interview, Aspyr producer manager Anna Grant and senior game producer Kay Gilmore said the team spent months attempting to achieve a consistent 60 frames per second on Nintendo Switch 2 hardware.
They reported that, despite sustained optimization work, the title could not reach 60fps without making "serious compromises" to visual fidelity and other presentation elements.
Paraphrasing their remarks: the producers explained that Rise of the Tomb Raider is significantly more GPU-intensive than earlier Tomb Raider entries, and maintaining the game's visual quality while also hitting 60fps proved impossible without changes that would diminish player experience.
Grant and Gilmore also said player feedback from prior Tomb Raider releases influenced their priorities.
The team noted they had seen criticism when definitive editions of Tomb Raider titles sacrificed visual detail for smoother performance, so their goal for this port was to deliver the best balance of fidelity and stability rather than forcing a higher frame rate at the cost of visuals.
Those comments imply that a future patch to unlock 60fps would be unlikely unless a different set of trade-offs is accepted.
Aspyr’s statement frames the decision as a technical constraint rooted in the game’s GPU demands rather than a lack of effort: months of optimization were attempted, but the only viable paths to 60fps would have required reductions in visual quality or other core aspects of the port.
For context, Rise of the Tomb Raider first launched on November 10, 2015 (Xbox One) and later arrived on PC and PlayStation platforms in 2016.
Aspyr’s public remarks are an example of the kinds of trade-offs developers face when porting visually ambitious, older AAA titles to newer or different hardware.
Nintendo Switch and eShop owners following the situation should look for official updates from Aspyr or publisher Square Enix for any future technical patches or platform announcements.
Developed by Crystal Dynamics and originally released in November 2015 for Xbox One (with PC and PlayStation releases following in 2016), Rise of the Tomb Raider has seen multiple ports and re-releases since launch.
Aspyr — a studio with a track record of bringing AAA games to different platforms, including the Nintendo Switch — recently discussed its efforts to bring the title to Nintendo's next-generation hardware.
In a new interview, Aspyr producer manager Anna Grant and senior game producer Kay Gilmore said the team spent months attempting to achieve a consistent 60 frames per second on Nintendo Switch 2 hardware.
They reported that, despite sustained optimization work, the title could not reach 60fps without making "serious compromises" to visual fidelity and other presentation elements.
Paraphrasing their remarks: the producers explained that Rise of the Tomb Raider is significantly more GPU-intensive than earlier Tomb Raider entries, and maintaining the game's visual quality while also hitting 60fps proved impossible without changes that would diminish player experience.
Grant and Gilmore also said player feedback from prior Tomb Raider releases influenced their priorities.
The team noted they had seen criticism when definitive editions of Tomb Raider titles sacrificed visual detail for smoother performance, so their goal for this port was to deliver the best balance of fidelity and stability rather than forcing a higher frame rate at the cost of visuals.
Those comments imply that a future patch to unlock 60fps would be unlikely unless a different set of trade-offs is accepted.
Aspyr’s statement frames the decision as a technical constraint rooted in the game’s GPU demands rather than a lack of effort: months of optimization were attempted, but the only viable paths to 60fps would have required reductions in visual quality or other core aspects of the port.
For context, Rise of the Tomb Raider first launched on November 10, 2015 (Xbox One) and later arrived on PC and PlayStation platforms in 2016.
Aspyr’s public remarks are an example of the kinds of trade-offs developers face when porting visually ambitious, older AAA titles to newer or different hardware.
Nintendo Switch and eShop owners following the situation should look for official updates from Aspyr or publisher Square Enix for any future technical patches or platform announcements.
