Batman: Arkham Knight Sees Major Performance Boost on Nintendo Switch 2 Without a Patch

As anticipation builds for the Nintendo Switch 2, early hands-on testing from dedicated fans and industry analysts is unveiling significant improvements for existing Nintendo Switch titles running on the new hardware.

One of the most notable beneficiaries is Batman: Arkham Knight, a flagship title from the acclaimed Arkham Series.

Developed by Rocksteady Studios and ported to the Switch by Turn Me Up Games, Batman: Arkham Knight originally launched in 2015 and later received its Nintendo Switch release in October 2023.

However, its debut on the Nintendo Switch was marred by technical setbacks, leaving fans eager for a more refined experience. At release, Batman: Arkham Knight on the Switch was criticized for its poor performance, echoing findings by respected technical analysts at Digital Foundry.

The team reported that the Switch’s hardware struggled to maintain consistent performance, pointing to heavy CPU load from open-world streaming and data decompression demands.

Consequently, players frequently experienced framerate drops—often dipping below the intended 30 frames per second, sometimes plummeting into the low 20s—particularly during action-heavy moments and city exploration.

Texture quality and visible aliasing were also issues, indicating the original code was pushing the portable hardware to its limits. With the arrival of the Nintendo Switch 2, industry experts are observing remarkable gains—even without official patches or updates.

According to a recent assessment by Digital Foundry, Batman: Arkham Knight now runs "as flawlessly as it’s possible with the original code" on Nintendo Switch 2 hardware.

This means that players can consistently expect the target of 30 FPS to be reliably maintained throughout most of the game, offering a significantly smoother experience compared to the original Switch release. However, the story isn’t all positive.

While the performance improvements are substantial—particularly noticeable during standard gameplay—a few legacy issues linger.

Digital Foundry noted that during Batmobile driving sections, although the framerate remains stable, an "animation error becomes apparent." Additionally, isolated reports from a user testing the port include occurrences of crashes when pausing the game, suggesting that unpatched software can still surface some stability concerns.

Fixes for these residual technical hiccups could arrive through a post-launch patch, but the current state is already a meaningful leap forward for Switch owners revisiting legacy titles. For seasoned Nintendo fans and new hardware adopters, these findings underscore the potential of the Nintendo Switch 2 not only as a platform for new releases but also as a powerful upgrade for the extensive Nintendo Switch library.

Improvements like those seen with Batman: Arkham Knight set an optimistic tone for other demanding titles as they transition to Nintendo's next-generation console.

Stay tuned to the latest developments on Nintendo Switch 2 performance and backward compatibility as more titles are tested and the official launch draws nearer.

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