Digital Foundry’s latest technical review indicates that the new Tomb Raider release for Switch 2, handled by Aspyr, delivers a significant downgrade in visual presentation despite initial expectations. The game launched without prior announcement on both Switch 2 and the original Switch, with each version occupying 27 GB of storage and incorporating the original eight-player multiplayer mode. In principle, this release should have represented the strongest console interpretation of Crystal Dynamics’ 2013 reboot. However, the analysis shows that the Switch 2 build falls short even when compared to older hardware iterations. Although Switch 2 maintains a stable 60 frames per second throughout the early portions of the campaign in both docked and handheld mode, this performance target comes with visible trade-offs across core rendering features.
Digital Foundry notes that the Switch 2 version inherits certain characteristics from the 2014 Definitive Edition on PS4 and Xbox One, including improved textures over the PS3 release and a brighter, more saturated color profile. While docked and handheld resolutions both remain at a native 1920 by 1080 with no dynamic scaling, the absence of temporal anti-aliasing means the image relies on a simpler anti-aliasing solution. Switch 2 does not provide any additional uplift when docked, even though the hardware offers greater GPU and memory bandwidth. As a result, the game’s visual presentation does not scale with performance in the way players might expect.
The most apparent downgrades involve shadows, foliage, and ambient occlusion. Digital Foundry reports that shadow coverage is heavily reduced in dense forest environments, with missing or static tree shadows and subdued ambient occlusion producing a flatter overall look. Foliage density is thinned in several areas, which creates more open environments than intended. Remaining shadows render at lower quality, contributing to a softer and less defined scene. The team argues that the nine year old PS4 release still produces a richer image with more consistent detail.
Another major omission is the TressFX hair simulation introduced on PS4, where Lara’s hair moves independently strand by strand. Both Switch versions revert to the older PS3 style, where the ponytail behaves as a single rigid piece. Additional reductions include simplified depth of field and bloom effects during cutscenes, more aggressive foliage level of detail transitions, and lower geometry detail in environmental objects such as campfire rocks.
Perhaps most surprising is how often the Switch 2 edition loses ground to the 2013 PS3 version. While the PS3 build uses a muted color palette and renders at 720p, it contains certain effects absent even from the PS4 Definitive Edition. These include camera-based rain droplets and rain splatter across vegetation, neither of which appear on Switch 2. Shadow coverage and some geometry elements also remain superior on PS3, making the Switch 2 visual omissions more visible, given its more capable hardware.
On the performance side, Switch 2 remains steady at its targeted 60 FPS, with only minor dips into the upper 50s during busier sequences. The port offers no alternate 30 FPS quality mode, which could have permitted higher visual settings. While this frame rate stability surpasses the fluctuating 40 to 60 FPS range seen on PS4, the gains come at a clear aesthetic cost. By comparison, running the PS4 release on PS4 Pro or PS5 resolves many of the earlier performance issues without requiring substantial cuts to visual fidelity.
The situation on the original Switch is more demanding. Powered by the Tegra X1, the system targets 30 FPS, with resolution shifting between 864p and 900p. While image quality remains acceptable, shadow quality suffers further, with pixelation and flickering becoming more evident. Level of detail transitions are more abrupt, leading to noticeable pop in during wider shots. Frame pacing problems also occur frequently, and busy cutscenes with multiple characters can fall into the 20s. Combat encounters may experience mid-20s frame rates due to CPU pressure, mirroring the limitations seen in the PS3 edition.
Digital Foundry concludes that Tomb Raider on both Switch systems offers mixed results. Switch 2 provides strong performance but makes substantial compromises in shadow rendering, foliage density, geometry detail, and post-processing effects, placing it below the base PS4 presentation. While the port remains technically stable, the scope of the downgrades prevents it from serving as the definitive console edition. A potential 30 FPS quality mode might recover some of the missing features. As it stands, Tomb Raider on Switch 2 functions as a competent but reduced interpretation of the 2013 reboot rather than the enhanced version players might have anticipated.
