Wolfenstein 2 Switch Analysis: Can Mobile Hardware Really Run a Cutting-Edge Shooter? 

What I have learned: Panic Button have apparently mastered porting to the switch and should received recognition for a seriously good jobs.

"Once I reached New Orleans, things started taking a dive." -Digital Foundry on New Orleans, 2018

Finished this game last month, I was seriously blown away! Panic Button deserves some kind of award for what they've been able to do here. I played the whole thing in portable mode, and the only issue I had was a forest section that was incredibly blurry. The Nintendo Switch isn't perfect by any means, but it is a huge leap for portable gaming.

Ridiculously impressive for the hardware.

Despite the overall cutback on visual Fidelity. I have to say that IDtech 6 is pretty damn Scalable and impressive.

Panic Button did a great job as always with Switch ports. Everytime i think how weaker a Switch is, it's harder to understand the magic behind these ports (especially how they can keep the overall visual style and geometry).

Seeing current gen games running on Switch, largely unchanged visually other than slight blurriness which is counteracted by the portable screen size, makes these advanced games seem somehow vastly more impressive when running on Switch. There's some sort of weird preference to play these games on a console like Switch whilst appreciating every pixel, rather than running the game on hardware with seemingly limitless performance.

Purchased this game yesterday and got to say..dammm! This was a dream back in the days for some of the older people under us. To play this kind of games in handheld everywhere you go.

"Milkshake Nazi" - John Linneman, 2018

It's like the character you play has left his glasses at home and now sees everything blurry like irl.

Just give me Fallout 3 and Vegas on Switch and I'm good !

The biggest wonder here is the comments section. Played Doom and liked it, so I'll get this one too. Low resolution didn't bother me on NES, SNES, PS1, PS2, DS and 3DS so it probably won't start to on Switch. People really like to throw numbers more than they like to look at things and how they play and where.

I don't like the game, but this port is very impressive and the developers deserve all the praise they can get

Great port, stable fps is the most important factor. Obviously the only portable version of this game so there had to be sacrifices, but at the end of the day it is the same game across all platforms.

Nintendo Switch is a powerhouse for its size! Amazing. I will be buying this game soon, love games that push hardware to its limits.

Patch 1.2 just out. Any chance of revisiting Wolf2 (especially New Orleans) like you did with Doom? Cheers.

switch version looks like video under youtube processing hell

Impressive port

Actually, I think Panic Button forgot to give BJ his glasses which explains why its blurry lol

Very impressive, it reminded me of the Call of Duty ports for the Wii, even tho they suffered from really poor performance sometimes, the effort put in those ports were astonishing.

Very impressed, Panic Button are truly miracle workers!

Astounding work by the devs. Crazy to see this game running on the Switch.

People have to remember that this is essentially a portable console. Before this the most powerful portable console on the market was the vita. Now we have a portable capable of playing games like this. This is a fantastic port and switch is slowly becoming more of a must buy in the gaming industry.

Wow, really impressive work both by Panic Button and John. It's great to see such effort and expertise put into a port, and it's great that we have such a deep analysis of this so we can appreciate the work. Thanks!

Even tho its a downgrade it very very impressive that its running and looks like it does

I bet there will eventually be a few patches just like Doom had which might make the frame rate and resolution higher.

Panic button have done a great job. This is the last game I would expect to run on Switch. Hopefully a Fallout 4 port is possible in the near future.

It wasnt too long ago that we used to be more then satisfied with 480i/p thru s video and 720p and 1080hp thru hdmi....now we want 4k on our damn portables? I think most people who dislike the switch version due to the graphics are kind of missing the point of bringing this game to the switch......to me the minor graphic differences dont matter and they dont make the game any less playable.....its a fair trade off, for having new or recently released AAA multiplatform titles on a portable device like the switch... Really it aint no different then pc gaming, where not every pc gamer can run games at max settings, therfore being able to run games at lower graphic settings has always been an important staple of pc gaming, since lower settings would account for the majority of customers.....also theres something special about playing such a hardware demanding game on a lower spec system and seeing that system hold its own against much more powerful systems.

Wolfenstein 2 is a blast on Switch! I played in hand held the other night and sure it was muddy but what a load of fun!! Nothing that’s said in this video takes away from the fun and it’s Wolf 2 on the go 😁

I don't know why I ever glance down on the comment section. DF's videos are always great but all I see in the comment section is a bunch of fanboys screaming at each other. Pathetic.

These comments make it easy to tell the difference in generations between gamers.. lol

this is really insane that you can play game looking like that in a bus on your way home

I wish we manage to get a better battery technology, I want more and better portable device with good battery life >.

Beware of a huge amount of toxic waste in the comments below. You have been warned

If you do not watch DF's video on all the differences between Switch version and the Other versions on more powerful hardware, going from xbox one x to Switch, what will stand out the most is the frame rate. I was blown away when I saw this running on a switch. Looked the same, played the same, I could not feel any of the shortcomings here stated. Kudos to Panic Button. Of course, the purpose of DF videos is not to put down the version of the less powerful hardware, but to point out what the developer did to "shrink" the game to Switch. This is marvelous. Playing this portably is outstanding. I hope that more recent high budget games are ported to Switch. The machine can handle it, but it takes creative coding from the developers to port it right.

I REALLY appreciate these videos! I just found your channel and wow. I've been bombarded with technical information, it's quite refreshing. You know people make videos and compare graphics, but you go into the nitty gritty which has sated my curiosity.

DF knew I was up all night watching DF videos, so they gave me one more for the night. thanks guys! :D

In three years people will be calling 1080p a blurry mess since 720p was fine just three years ago. Gameplay first. Graphics will age and be less impressive with time, gameplay will last the test of time

Great work as always Jon, eagerly anticipating the return of glorious DF Retro.

What an astounding technical accomplishment. Major props to the dev team.

I think I'll end up buying a Switch sooner than I thought

Great, well-researched video for an incredible port. Thank you!

This is mighty impressive. The blurriness might put a bit of a damper on the experience, but these compromises don't seem that bad all things considered. It's amazing, hopefully this will result in more AAA releases on the Switch :)

Great analysis. Don't have a Switch but it's still entertaining to see all the engine tricks that go into these versions.

Disable the motion blur, chromatic aberration, depth of field and I'm pretty sure the game will be at the very least a 480p game.

DRAGON BALL FIGHTERZ HYPE! WOOT WOOT!

Been waiting for this video. Excellent and polished as always! A video on Crash for switch would be great, too

Panic Button should have done the Outer Worlds port...

Yessss!! Thank you Digital Foundry! Time to get some popcorn :D

Wow I am genuinely impressed at how well it came i out to be

Happy 2 year anniversary. Love the channel.

People need to stop hearing "It once dropped to 360p when the action got really packed" and now think that's how the game works? It stays 720 and only drops when there's alot on screen moving.

Now I'm really curious what that big game announcement Panic Button was teasing about. They're masters at porting. Rocket League, Doom, Wolf 2 etc are all amazingly well done.

Please do a follow up video with the 1.2 Patch update!

What an amazing video. Thanks for all you do!

They patched Wolfenstein 3d to run much better. So it's a fully playable portable version.

I think it looks superb.

The amount of people commenting about the resolution .... Just be amazed at how well a tablet is running this game lol (emphasis on the word "well" not perfect)

Thorough high quality stuff, cheers John. Also a very impressive port I think.

I'm just gonna go out and say it: this is *very* impressive. This is a current gen game, on a current gen engine, ported to a mobile device (let's face it, the Switch *is* a mobile device) and its very playable and maintains its artstyle and atmosphere fairly well. The slomo version of Wolf 1 in-game is probably an oversight. That game works in the way of framerate = game speed. I'd not get a Switch for games like this... I've got an old gaming PC for that and it does a way better job, but it's still impressive none the less and I know people who now have access to titles like DOOM and Wolf II thanks to this little machine. It's quite impressive imho.

I remember when Razer came out with a windows tablet called Razer edge. It had an Nvidia 600 series mobile gpu and 4 or 8 gb of ram and it impressed me alot as you could play pc games on the go. It wasn't great and wouldn't have been able to play games like doom and wolfenstein and this is the reason the switch blows me away playing all these fullblown games. Credits to panic button.

Gonna buy it just to support the devs' incredible work.

Nice video John. As always. I think you should compare kill zone mercenary on Vita, Doom on switch Vs Wolfenstein on switch. It'll be interesting to see how things progressed in the portable console space. I love hardware pushing software, just like you, and these 3 are definitely powerhouse titles on their respective hardware.

Holy crap! I knew that PanicButton! did a good job, but MAN! I am now hyped to get this for my Switch. I loved the first Wolfenstein, and now that I don't have my gaming PC anymore, I am very happy to hear that Wolf 2 on the Switch is still the full experience. Panic Button deserve high praise for their fantastic work in what was clearly a labor of love and a high standard of quality and professionalism. Digital Foundry, thank you for making this video, to put my worries to rest about purchasing this port; and PanicButton!, if you're reading this, you have my utmost respect for the hard work y'all poured into this game. Well done.

Update 1.2 actually looks as though it improves the game

Patch 1.2 Analysis pls! The game looks even more amazing with it!👍🏻

9:24 - Switch image looks like somebody with a bad prescription for their glasses/somebody who forgot their glasses and he says detracts "slightly" from the presentation, lol.

What a great port, I don't own a switch but can appreciate a job well done! :)

The game looks like motion blur is on every frame lol

wow this game looks awesome.I will try this .

I gotta say I really appreciate your perfect comparisons between the consoles. The same exact moments in the game being shown on both consoles, with the same walking speed and direction. It was an awesome attention to detail that I really loved. 10/10 comparison. I love you. Marry me.

The GBA version of Doom II used that same trick, actually. The levels are mostly intact (With just two of them cut in half) but there are tweaks to them to reduce visibility. For instance, in the Crusher level, a big pillar is added to the large crusher room tor reduce visibility.

I held off on every other version for this! Wolfenstein on the go babyyyy!

See when I was a young teen I had a PC that could just barely run half life and CS, I mean I'd have to run them on low settings and 640x480 on a CRT, before AA, but hey, it ran and I enjoyed the hell out of it, So when resolution comes into things I don't really care, especially when its while using it portable, I mean, the screen is small enough for it to not matter too much, the real thing that seems to make these feel so much more alive than older games seems to be animations and lighting, and for that honestly, I find stuff like this staggeringly good

This is great content, DF. Great job.

Great analysis. Looking forward for one on Crash N Sane Trilogy as well!

A new patch came out not too long ago for Wolf 2. You guys should check it out.

>360p in 2018

That's crazy-impressive for what it is. I mean, I've got a powerhouse PC and don't need to play this game on a Switch, but I'd be grateful to have the option, and I love what it says about the future of the Switch.

Great review! I own the game and no lie, the game looks and plays incredibly well on the Switch in both modes. I play on a 65' HDTV when docked btw.

Please cover the new patch for Wolfenstein two!

Patch analysis would be amazing!

Good video. Game is definitely lower res, but I'm playing it at work right now. And lemme tell ya- playing Wolfenstein 2 on a handheld at work is incredible, especially with motion.

Very Nice review man! Subbed!

I'm willing to bet that they'll update it and hopefully the resolution increases. I mean Doom got a ton of those. Let's just hope

Please make an Update including the new Patch from 2 days ago!

I noticed another big geometry change similar to the wall earlier in the video. In the background of the water segment, the brick building towards the rear has been given a second story.

Dark1X does the best technical game analysis for DigitalFoundry. Excellent narration as always.

Awesome game. Very impressive that it runs and looks as good as it does on the Switch. The price is still $60. That's far too expensive for a game that they are too cheap to fit onto a cartridge. The most I'll pay for it is $20. Then we have the Witcher 3 coming with the full game on the cartridge. That's a publisher that has always respected it's customers.

Excelent job from panic button

Thank you for this video and this is incredible

Once we get a Switch Pro with Tegra X2 or the newer Xavier chips, this thing will fly off shelves even faster.

Honestly everyone whos bitching about it being 360p at times, I really couldn't care less. I can play this version of the game whilst sitting in bed, and that makes it the best.

Damn, this port is just a little too blurry to me. I don't know why they didn't reduce the geometry of the stages instead on a small screen it wouldn't look so bad.

I love these switch comparison videos

Great video John!

THIS is how you port a game to Switch! Panic Button deserves more recognition for their work. They crammed a super advanced current gen game onto a little tablet, and made it work! ...unlike some ports (cough WWE 2K18 cough)

You should compare it to more similar hardware like the OG Xbox One instead of the best console version (Xbox One X)

Geez it looks great to in the side by side comparisons.

Switch version has motion control by the way, the most important feature to note of, and should have proper HD Rumble support.