– Switch version is comprehensively downgraded from other platforms but the overall image is comparable
– Reduction in texture detail on Switch with lower resolutions and simplified layers
– Foliage also paired back and altered
– Bushes feature much lower resolution alpha textures and have simplified layouts
– Grass density only mildly paired but, but 3D polygonal grass in the original versions replaced with alpha tested textures
– Lighting has been simplified to some degree
– Volumetric lighting absent or significantly scaled back on Switch
– Differences in ambient lighting at times
– Most of the time the Switch version looks fairly similar in this regard, comes down to smaller scale details
– Some of the geometric details in the environment have been lost on Switch
– Things only stick out in side-by-side comparisons
– Most cuts on Switch don’t stand out when playing
– Pop-in is a major issue, but this happens on other consoles as well
– Switch version has anti-aliasing, which gives it a leg up on other consoles
– NieR: Automata resolution on Switch aims for 1080p when docked, which is higher than last-gen base consoles
– Targets 720p in portable mode
– Visuals are similar in docked and portable modes
– NieR: Auomata frame rate on Switch cut from 60 on other consoles to 30
– Early on, the frame rate is very stable
– Frame rate hitches become more common as you progress in the game
– These issues become more pronounced later on
– Some fights play out in sub 30 FPS territory and hung in the low to mid 20s at worst
– A handful of environments cause extended frame rate issues
– Frame rate may be a bit more stable in portable mode
– Performance level is overall reasonable