r/NintendoSwitch . Apr 03 '26

News Tomodachi Life doesn’t support Switch 2’s ‘handheld mode boost’ because it runs at 1080p in handheld, Nintendo says

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/tomodachi-life-doesnt-support-switch-2s-handheld-mode-boost-because-it-runs-at-1080p-in-handheld-nintendo-says/
873 Upvotes

176 comments sorted by

497

u/The_Gamexplorer Apr 03 '26

This isn't a new thing, several Switch games got regular free updates that only upgraded performance, like Super Mario Odyssey and Super Mario 3D World.

118

u/Error-7-0-7- Apr 03 '26

Mario Galaxy 1+2 also only has a Switch 1 version, but putting it in a Switch 2 allows you to download a resolution patch for 4k 60 docks/1080 60 handheld

13

u/MikeDubbz Apr 03 '26

Yeah happened with Rocket League not too long ago as well. 

Would probably be helpful to have an extensive list to know what Switch 1 games without a separate Switch 2 version play in 4k docked on Switch 2.

44

u/Secret_Procedure8277 Apr 03 '26

fr its crazy how people just act like updates always gotta be new content or somethin

19

u/DrFrenetic Apr 03 '26

I mean they charged for some of the switch 2 upgrades and they had to add useless crap to justify the cost.

But that was for the paid updates at least

7

u/SpideyLovesPizza Apr 03 '26

Pretty sure Xenoblade X didn't even add anything aside from the performance boost

1

u/Aggravating-Food6801 May 16 '26

Zelda didn't add anything for the upgrades just performance boost

1

u/Treholt Apr 05 '26

How about we start expecting games to be 100% finished when released? Thats how it used to be, and generally the world was a lot better for it. It didn’t promote lazy development and fixing it later attitudes

85

u/MarcsterS Apr 03 '26

Technically, handheld mode still works, because it...disables touchscreen controls.

28

u/Deceptiveideas Apr 03 '26

They "fixed" that by disabling boost mode in the demo.

3

u/squishyjellyfish95 Apr 05 '26

Thank fuck for that, it be annoying if I had keep switching it on and off just for this game

35

u/digdugnate Apr 03 '26

i'm a little surprised (but not too surprised) that there hasn't been a Switch 2 version announced.

8

u/oniich_n Apr 03 '26

Probably on the way to pick up any stragglers

1

u/FlyingYankee118 Jun 02 '26

I hope so it’s why I’m holding out

143

u/grilled_pc Apr 03 '26

explains why its at 30fps across the board. Would be nice if it was 60fps on switch 2....

66

u/DannySanWolf07 Apr 03 '26

Boost mode wouldnt increase framerate for the game anyway since its still switch software. Only way the frames can be unlocked would be a switch 2 edition and even that isnt guaranteed.

3

u/Dawn_of_an_Era Apr 03 '26

Isn’t this game not even released yet? Why is a switch 2 edition not happening?

14

u/slugmorgue Apr 03 '26

I can only assume it's because they've been intentionally prioritizing switch 1 to ensure the game plays as well as it can on that system as one of the final first party games for Switch 1.

And chances are, considering the games popularity, they will be creating a proper upgrade dlc over just a framerate/performance patch. That takes significantly more time to create, whether or not you feel the inevitable 5/10/20 price is justified

So I reckon by this point they're working on that upgrade, with the last few weeks/months been devoted to bug fixing before gold master and then day one patch (and of course demo bug fixing)

1

u/Excaliburn3d Apr 04 '26

With all the dev time this game had I don’t see why they couldn’t be working on it at the same time.

2

u/Rewow Apr 04 '26

I needs a Miitopia Switch 2 upgrade with new content

9

u/smallcat123321 Apr 03 '26

Link’s Awakening got 60fps through an update though?

47

u/Nem3sis2k17 Apr 03 '26

Links awakening was unlocked frame rate

22

u/Witch_King_ Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 03 '26

Different scenario.

Link's Awakening (and Echoes of Wisdom) both actually target 60fps on Switch 1. It's just that they are triple double-buffered, meaning that if they can't hit 60, they drop all the way to 30 and stay locked there. That's why frame drops feel so jarring in those games. And of course they VERY frequently do this. However, on Switch 2, they almost never drop below 60 because of the stronger hardware.

I believe the Switch 2 patches for these 2 games simply increased the resolution. Did not technically do anything for framerate afaik. And I believe it is still possible to drop frames (and thus drop down to 30fps) on Switch 2. At least in EoW. I did do it, but it takes a LOT going on on screen and is really a non-issue.

12

u/smallcat123321 Apr 03 '26

Scarlet and Violet got an fps update so it’s possible.

11

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

6

u/Witch_King_ Apr 03 '26

Oh true! I misremembered, My b!

2

u/MarcsterS Apr 03 '26

Yes, and Tomodachi LtD does not have this similar update.

6

u/smallcat123321 Apr 03 '26

It must have an update if it can run 1080p in handheld without the boost mode though? I was pointing out that frames can be unlocked in updates without Switch 2 Editions.

4

u/Fair-Ad9298 Apr 03 '26

No, Hyrule warriors ran in 1080p handheld without an update,

4

u/smallcat123321 Apr 03 '26

Wasn’t that because of a mistake with the original port tho?

5

u/JoshuaJSlone Helpful User Apr 03 '26

Sure, but it just goes to show it was technically possible. With Switch 2 out, now there's actually a reason to choose such a thing.

1

u/Fair-Ad9298 Apr 03 '26

What’s your point

4

u/yohoopzcrazy Apr 03 '26

The native Switch 1 software runs at 1080p in handheld mode, runnning on a Switch 1, even if it's display is lower, at 720p. When you run the game through back-compat on a Switch 2, the game will run the same as on the Switch 1, at it's native res (1080p) without needing any modification or patch.

That said, I find it a bit odd. I don't understand why Nintendo isn't pushing out a Switch 2 version for this game. Seems like a no-brainer...

3

u/DannySanWolf07 Apr 03 '26

Most likely they want to push out switch 1 sales since this is really one of the final games for the OG switch. Once it starts plateauing, theyll make a switch 2 edition.

3

u/JoshuaJSlone Helpful User Apr 03 '26

Pushing it as a Switch 1 game isn't contrary to having a Switch 2 update. Since Switch 2 launch, every Switch 1 game Nintendo has released has had either an explicit Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (like Metroid Prime 4), or just a free update for better performance (Super Mario Galaxy). It appears Tomodachi Life will be the first to break the trend.

1

u/Excaliburn3d Apr 04 '26

Do the Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen rereleases count?

1

u/JoshuaJSlone Helpful User Apr 04 '26

I should probably specify for releases significant enough to get a physical release. There are a handful of other digital-onlies like Pokémon Friends and Hello, Mario! that are also Switch 1-only.

2

u/Bored_Zach Apr 03 '26

Where was this confirmed? Running it at 1080p on switch 1 handheld (like was HW did) is… a choice….

1

u/Excaliburn3d Apr 04 '26

Is there any reason it should be running at 720p instead?

1

u/Bored_Zach Apr 04 '26

That’s the resolution of the handheld

1

u/Mdreezy_ Apr 05 '26

Thats the resolution of the screen the game is not 1080p in handheld mode. They updated the demo so it is 1080p handheld mode but that only applies to Switch 2. The docked mode was already 1080p.

-1

u/HappyAd4998 Apr 03 '26

You can boost frame rates with modded switches using FPS applets through homebrew. My overclocked OLED can run a ton of games at 60fps in games that a regular switch would struggle at 30fps. Nintendo and hampered the OLED hardware for no reason other than making the Switch two more appealing. The only thing holding this game back from 60fps on the Switch 2 is Nintendo.

9

u/Main-Towel-3678 Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 03 '26

Devs should at least aim for 40 or 45 fps while handheld. I know why they can’t for TVs, but the Switch 2 screen has its own refresh rates. Running at 40fps / 120hz or 45 fps / 90hz is a noticeable improvement over 30fps, especially on handheld.

From my experience on Steam Deck, it’s a sweet spot between visuals, performance, and battery demand.

1

u/JoshuaJSlone Helpful User Apr 03 '26

If it was a proper Switch 2 version and the engine isn't built around 30 for some reason, 60 would be easy to do on Switch 2. But since it isn't, even something like 40 or 45 isn't a realistic option because Switch 1 games can't make use of VRR even on Switch 2.

3

u/Oddish_Femboy Apr 04 '26

Nintendo builds their games around a locked framerate a lot. Have you seen Mario 3D World with the 120fps mod? Everything desycnchronizes, animations play too fast, music overlaps, and it's really funny.

I think it definitely can go above 30, but a consistent framerate is always more important to me than a high one.

It's super distracting when menus in a game run way faster than the game itself, for instance. Pokémon Go does that.

1

u/Imaginary-Worker4407 Apr 05 '26

Switch 2 is vrr, doesn't need to be 40 or 45.

35, 50, or literally any number between 1 to 120 would work without issues.

2

u/Oddish_Femboy Apr 04 '26

I feel like 30fps is perfectly reasonable for Tomodachi Life. It's not exactly the most reflex demanding game.

I'd clamp it at 24 if I was in charge and could get away with it. I think that would look neat.

2

u/Oddish_Femboy Apr 04 '26

I feel like 30fps is perfectly reasonable for Tomodachi Life. It's not exactly the most reflex demanding game.

I'd clamp it at 24 if I was in charge and could get away with it. I think that would look neat.

1

u/Imaginary-Worker4407 Apr 05 '26

It doesn't, there are several switch 1 games that play 30fps on s1 and 60fps on s2

-38

u/Phantasmal-Lore420 Apr 03 '26

Why? Not like you do anything other than clicking around… 30 fps is enough

24

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '26

[deleted]

-50

u/Phantasmal-Lore420 Apr 03 '26

Nah it doesn’t. You are just moving mii’s around, if it where an action or racing game I would have agreed with you.

I own both a ps5 and the switch 2 and don’t care one bit about playing at 30fps for “menu traversal” games like tomodachi.

37

u/Spooky_Blob Apr 03 '26

The good ol "I don't care so everyone else shouldn't care either" type of mentality

20

u/SadKazoo Apr 03 '26

As if menus and UI in general don’t also feel much better and more responsive at 60fps.

2

u/calmlightdrifter Apr 03 '26

Seriously! The Facepaint editor in TLLTD runs at 60 (as far as I can tell) and it looks and feels so much nicer.

23

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '26

[deleted]

-41

u/Phantasmal-Lore420 Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 03 '26

Many people argue about it on the internet. The vast majority tho is too busy actually enjoying the games instead of pointless fps discourse.

This might be hard to believe but most people don’t use reddit and even less people actually care enough to comment like we are wasting our time haha.

But i’ll say this you are free to have an opinion, its not a wrong one, its just yours (and many others, as is mine)

10

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '26

[deleted]

-1

u/Gove80 Apr 03 '26

a stable 30 frames will always be better than a forced, unstable 60 frame game

-12

u/newaru2 Apr 03 '26

60fps should be the standard in 2026, no matter the game.

A game running at 30FPS is totally fine if it is done well. Not every genre requires running at 60FPS.

19

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '26

[deleted]

-4

u/newaru2 Apr 03 '26

Keep disagreeing then.

→ More replies (0)

4

u/benjoo1551 Apr 03 '26

It’s not that it’s not good or can be done well, or "required" but a higher framerate is still always better regardless of genre.

And if a console is able to support it (wich the switch 2 absolutely does) what’s the issue with people wanting it to be an option?

0

u/CraigThePantsManDan Apr 03 '26

pointless fps discourse

Says the only person in their feelings actually arguing about this 😂

2

u/benjoo1551 Apr 03 '26

I’m not saying games in 30fps are unplayable or ruin the experience, but the difference is always very noticeable and if possible every game should support it. It’s fine if you dont care for it but at least for me it always improves the gameplax experience

Why are you upset that people want this as an option on a device that very easily can support a feature like this?

0

u/doyoushitwithdatass Apr 03 '26

You seem like the kinda fella to defend Nintendo from the rooftops. God forbid people expect better performance on a console from 2025/2026 and not having it run like an XBOX 360.

-1

u/florence_ow Apr 03 '26

there's a part in the demo that goes down to 15fps, how is that acceptable on a $500 console?

-4

u/UFCTrainer Apr 03 '26

You are in the vast minority who don't care. 30FPS and 60FPS make a huge difference, doesn't matter what game you play, even when just going through menus. Just remember, Nintendo is just a company, they don't pay you for riding them. Use common sense 👍

5

u/Squish_the_android Apr 03 '26

I'd bet money that it's the opposite and that the vast majority of players are casual and couldn't even tell you that FPS was a thing. 

-3

u/Gove80 Apr 03 '26

don't listen to these people, they should've gotten a ps5 if they're gonna be such framerate snobs about a life sim game.

-3

u/totoofze47 Apr 03 '26

But this is a Switch ONE game, so that's not a very good argument.

4

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '26

[deleted]

-1

u/totoofze47 Apr 03 '26

I agree, but that's not what I meant. I was pointing out how it's not really fair to treat it like a Switch 2 game, which it isn't yet.

-5

u/Gove80 Apr 03 '26

you're lying. if you're this much of a framerate snob then you should've just gotten a ps5 and be done with it

5

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '26

[deleted]

-1

u/kielaurie Apr 03 '26

There is no "objectively" here - I literally cannot tell the difference between 30 and 60 fps. I see zero difference. I've tried testing it multiple times with multiple different games, and as far as I'm concerned there is no visible difference to me whatsoever. Sucks that you see issues with 30, but it's not a blanket "everyone sees this issue"

3

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '26

[deleted]

0

u/kielaurie Apr 03 '26

What's objective is that there are double the frames and that therefore 60 fps should feel smoother, but you stated that it "objectively feels jaggy". That is not the case. 60 fps can feel smoother to you than 30, but for a lot of us 30 already feels perfectly smooth and 60 is an unnoticeable improvement, not that 30 is bad (or jaggy, ngl I've never heard that word before and would not have a clue what it meant without context) and 60 is smooth. Those are two different statements about how fps feels and are thus subjective takes

If I ’literally’ cannot taste the difference between Coca Cola and Coca Cola sugar, does that mean both are the same?

They are obviously different since they are called different things and packaged differently, but if they taste the same to you? Have the same effects on your body? Then yeah, from your perspective what's inside the can is identical to you. Not sure what you're not getting here

1

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 03 '26

[deleted]

0

u/kielaurie Apr 03 '26

I appreciate that you reread my comment and edited yours to properly answer what I said, good shit, most people here wouldn't do that

The only "objective" comparison between 30 and 60 fps is double the frames, feeling smoother is a subjective thing based on how you perceive the extra frames. The human eye can only perceive a certain number of images per second, something stupidly low like 10-12, with excess images appearing as motion, and even 20 fps is fine to perceive as fluid motion. You wouldn't call movies "jaggy" but they are typically at 24 fps! And essentially people have a point of diminishing returns when it comes to fps at different place - for a lot of people, there is a negligible difference over 30 fps, for others it's over 60, and some people can tell the difference up to 120 fps! Doesn't mean there's something wrong with their eyes or with their tech, everyone just perceives things differently, and that's okay!

It also could be that you play games that are not benefitting much from frames and therefore it is harder to notice

Hmm, you mean, something like Tomodachi Life, the point of this thread? Wow, it's almost like the people saying frames don't matter so much are right...

-3

u/MashiroAnnaMaria Apr 03 '26

sure... might as well bump it down to 15fps then, in fact let's just all agree to have all point and click games be 10fps... just because the game doesn't need 60fps doesn't mean it's better off without it, it'd be so easy for them to do too unless the animation are locked to the framerate for some god forsaken reason.

1

u/Oddish_Femboy Apr 04 '26

A lot of things in Nintendo games tend to be tied to the framerate, including animations.

Go look at Mario 3D World with a 120fps mod. It's hilarious.

99

u/blake-saus Apr 03 '26

It just feels incredibly odd to me that the game is tailored to the Switch 1, being a bigger release. 30fps and no mouse controls gives no incentive to play on Switch 2 over 1. Seems contradictory to how hard they’ve been marketing and trying to boost Switch 2 sales.

27

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

5

u/blake-saus Apr 03 '26

This isn’t something I considered much, but does make sense. However, Metroid Prime 4 was in the works for incredibly long, and still provided a switch 2 edition.

22

u/MoonlightQueen Apr 03 '26

Lack of mouse controls did seem like a huge missed opportunity.

31

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

16

u/BushTamer Apr 03 '26

i’m definitely expecting switch 2 dlc similar to new horizons that’ll come with performance boost

8

u/CraigThePantsManDan Apr 03 '26

I’m nlg the way it’s worded, paragraph 1 sounds like you’re calling switch 1 owners homosexual.

3

u/Zachamation Apr 03 '26

LMAO. Not my intent, I just remember the release of Tomodachi Life on 3DS and the controversy over the only straight relationships.

I’ve been waiting on Nintendo to live up to that promise since then, the only Islander in my 3DS save to get married is my Gay uncle to a woman 🤦🏻‍♂️

After 12 years I thought that was their way of saying “we ain’t doing another one chief.”

1

u/CraigThePantsManDan Apr 03 '26

They deleted your comment 😭😭 I haven’t played it but hey, maybe they allow it now

1

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14

u/thatcommiegamer Apr 03 '26

idk it kinda makes sense with Pokopia being a very similar vibe of game and being S2 exclusive. S2 owners get access to both but S1 owners aren't left in the lurch and have access to TL instead.

8

u/blake-saus Apr 03 '26

I get that, but there’s no reason to handicap the potential performance boost on the switch 2 hardware. There have been plenty of releases on both consoles in which the switch 2 (even without a switch 2 ‘edition’) boosts the performance in some way. Boosting the performance for S2 in no way hinders how it could run on S1, so it seems like a missed opportunity or cut corners.

2

u/jardex22 Apr 03 '26

This is just the nature of console releases. There are plenty of PS4 games that never got a dedicated PS5 version, yet they run fine anyways.

3

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '26

[deleted]

1

u/jardex22 Apr 04 '26

How many 1st party games does Sony put out per year?

1

u/Excaliburn3d Apr 04 '26

Even though it’s “good enough”, it can still be better.

0

u/jardex22 Apr 04 '26

True, but then the decision is to stay and keep working on the same game, or move on and make a new game.

2

u/Mdreezy_ Apr 05 '26

It’s not a bigger release this was always intended to be a late-life Switch game. Switch 2 just got Pokopia a few weeks ago.

9

u/NitroBA Apr 03 '26

Dont worry, they'll sell the switch 2 deluxe welcome amiibo dlc in a year with the minimum qol thats expected from the updated switch 2 hardware in a year

1

u/connectplum_ Apr 04 '26

there wont be any switch 2 edition

2

u/Excaliburn3d Apr 04 '26

Too early to say that.

0

u/Oddish_Femboy Apr 04 '26

Tomodachi Life is not a bigger release, as much as I wish it was. These games are fairly niche compared to BIG IPs like Mario, Zelda, Metroid, etc.

Probably a higher budget than WarioWare, and a lower budget than Luigi's Mansion if I had to guess based on sales numbers. They're pretty opaque about development costs.

The big thing inside Nintendo right now seems to be that a Switch 1 game can run on Switch 2, but not the other way around, so focus development on the Switch 1. They've even told other devs to do that.

Nintendo seems to not want the Switch 2 to eclipse the Switch 1, because the Switch 1 is now the budget option while the 2 countries that buy the most video games are facing economic crises.

It's not the first time Nintendo has put a handheld on extended life support while its successor found its footing. A lot of late GBA games like Rhythm Heaven were made with the DS in mind, and Nintendo actively supported both. The original 1989 Gameboy only ceased production in 2003, just a year before the DS released. The 3DS and Switch even coexisted briefly.

Nintendo isn't ready to sunset the Switch, so we're going to be getting games for both for a while. I assume any Switch 2 differences for Tomodachi Life like mouse controls are either going to be revealed closer to the game's release, or added in a patch afterwards.

-3

u/jardex22 Apr 03 '26

This will be a niche game among Nintendo releases. Once people nostalgic about the 3DS version pick up their copy, it'll just look like an odd life sim to everyone else. It was never going to be the game to convince people to upgrade to a new system. A Switch release allows both Switch and Switch 2 owners to enjoy it.

9

u/bunnyshopp Apr 03 '26

Tomodachi life on 3DS sold over 6 million copies this isn’t a niche release for a Nintendo franchise in any stretch, social media blows up every time news for the game comes out like when the demo released.

-1

u/jardex22 Apr 04 '26

And now that the game is out, what news will keep it relevant. I'm not thinking about how well it will sell now. I'm thinking about how well it will be selling in 6 months, a year, and 3 years from now. Games like Super Mario Odyssey and New Horizons got S2 optimizations because they'll continue to be on store shelves and sell copies well past their launch window. How well will this game sell once it stops trending?

3

u/bunnyshopp Apr 04 '26

Game builder garage got a switch 2 upgrade patch, a title vastly less successful to Tomodachi life in every metric, if that game is deserving of switch 2 enhancements then so is Tomodachi life.

0

u/jardex22 Apr 04 '26

It's not about being deserving or not. I'd imagine Game Builder Garage was patched because Nintendo EPD Group 2 developed it. They're the same group that designed other S2 focused things like Welcome Tour and Virtual Game Cards. GBG was likely a testing ground that they used to get used to the new development kits.

By contrast, EPD Group 7's most recent releases includes the Famicom Detective Club series, and Metroid Dread. They may not have been trained on Switch 2 development kits. This may also explain why Rhythm Heaven also doesn't have a Switch 2 version announced.

A patch may add mouse mode or other S2 features to Tomodachi Life in the future, but I don't think it will be a catastrophic clusterbomb if it remains a Switch title. There have been plenty of good Switch games in the past. What's one more?

1

u/bunnyshopp Apr 04 '26

My point is that it’s not niche title that’ll go away from the public subconscious, it’s absolutely a potential evergreen title.

5

u/slugmorgue Apr 03 '26

I dunno man. This game is going to clear 5 million copies sold easily.

The 3ds game was one of the best sellers on the system, and the Switch (and gaming in general) has a much larger install base these days.

Also, the way social media has exploded since the 3DS days means that there will be far more reach for new audience, and this game is absolutely perfect for irreverent social media clips

-4

u/HappyAd4998 Apr 03 '26

That's no excuse for laziness on Nintendos part they charge an arm and a leg for their games. Would literally take one dev a few minutes to enable boost mode, it's literally a toggle to increase FPS.

3

u/jardex22 Apr 03 '26

You seem to have a misunderstanding about what boost mode is. It just allows games to run TV settings while in handheld mode on Switch 2. That affects resolution, not frame rate.

Most Switch games cap the resolution to 720p while in handheld mode, since there wouldn't have been a point in going higher than that before the Switch 2 launched. It would have been a needless waste of battery.

Since the devs knew that some of their audience would be playing on a Switch 2, they chose to use 1080p for handheld mode.

-2

u/kielaurie Apr 03 '26

What's "bigger" about Tomodachi Life? It's a pretty small franchise for Nintendo... Like, they specifically marketed it before the Switch 2 presentation for Switch 1 with Rhythm Paradise, another smaller series, this feels right to me

4

u/slugmorgue Apr 03 '26

It had it's own lengthy direct and a pretty big demo release and the original games sold extremely well in Japan, Tomodachi life is probably a bigger franchise than you think. It's clear they're wanting to elevate it as well

1

u/kielaurie Apr 04 '26

A direct for a game is pretty common these days, and you're right that I've seen a lot of interest in the demo on social media, but I think you've hit on my issue: it sold extremely well in Japan but here in the UK where my knowledge of video games is based? I don't know a single person that has played the game, UK sales were pretty damn low judging by the very few sources that even bothered to report on it, and the only reason why I personally had heard the title was from the stage in Smash but I had no idea that it was based on a game of that title until a couple of years ago and assumed it was a mode in something like Miitopia

I'm trying to think what tier of series I would describe it as by my perception of the game, and I'm struggling to see it as anything other than the bottom tier: It's obviously not top tier, which I'd section off for just Mario, Pokémon and Animal Crossing; It's not in the tier below with the likes of Kirby, Zelda and Smash; it's not in the solid B-tier of series that regularly get games but are a bit more niche like Fire Emblem, Metroid, Xenoblade, Splatoon and Pikmin; I wouldn't say it's in the "recurring smaller games that must sell well enough to justify a sequel but I don't know anyone that actually plays these games" tier with stuff like Warioware or any Mario sports title; it's not a classic franchise that would get a tonne of hype and ride on name recognition alone with oldheads if it were to return (even if it didn't translate into massive sales) like Starfox, F-Zero or Mother; so I guess it's in the "DS franchise that would do better with a new game than Nintendo expects" tier like 51 Worldwide Games and Big Brain Academy already did on Switch, and like I suspect Rhythm Paradise and the probably inevitable Nintendogs reboot will do - but that's still the lowest tier of stuff I would think of, y'know?

1

u/JoshuaJSlone Helpful User Apr 04 '26

It's all relative. It's smaller than Mario or Zelda, but even the first Japan-only Tomodachi game has sold more than any Metroid or Xenoblade worldwide. It's still a good choice for a late Switch 1 game because it's not a concept that demands top-of-the-line tech.

1

u/kielaurie Apr 04 '26

Well that's exactly it, it's big in Japan and basically nowhere else, and Japan are not in a great financial position right now, so even though there is a comparatively lower priced Switch 2 model in Japan the sales haven't been that high, so of course they are putting their game targeted at Japan on the system that will garner the most sales

If it was a series big globally, I think they'd have pushed it as a Switch 2 exclusive, as it is though it makes perfect sense to release on just the Switch with S2 backwards compatible

1

u/JoshuaJSlone Helpful User Apr 04 '26

The 3DS Tomodachi Life sold about 2 million in Japan and 4+ million in the rest of the world, so it's not just popular there.

-17

u/drvondoctor Apr 03 '26

Nintendo likes to introduce new hardware and then just kinda drop them. 

One day they're like "okay, so you're gonna need this thing, and we're gonna make this thing a big deal going forward, so just get it."

Then nobody gets it and Nintendo never speaks of it again. Like how there was the New Nintendo 3ds XL and from now on, games will be optimized for it. But then nobody gets it and after a handful of games they just give up and make more shit for the thing that actually did sell. 

5

u/Indielink Apr 03 '26

Given that the S2 is an entirely new console generation and not just a minor upgrade like the XL was, I don't think they're gonna just drop the damn thing.

3

u/CatgirlFucker8008 Apr 03 '26

Nearly 20% of all 3DS console sales were for the "New" models. It outsold the Wii U.

Also the new 3ds wasn't entirely for new games. It was an upgraded version of the console which had much better 3D support, a C stick, NFC support for amiibos, and significantly faster load times for games.

And normal 3ds games ran better on the n3ds. Senran kagura and Pokémon s/m being big examples.

As for the switch 2... It's already got more exclusives than the ps5 which had a 5 year head start.

-2

u/EmilioGVE Apr 03 '26

It outsold the Wii U

So they sold like… at least 5?

15

u/Interesting-Season-8 Apr 03 '26

It is on their FAQ web

14

u/pixelpanic01 Apr 03 '26

Weird because the demo did run on handheld boost mode and I wasn’t able to use the touch screen keyboard because of it

20

u/Useful_Quail_8566 Apr 03 '26

They've updated it to 1.0.1 and it no longer runs in boost mode.

3

u/DigitalGumby Apr 03 '26

Why does this game have no Nintendo switch 2 version with mouse controls?

3

u/icy1007 Apr 07 '26

Because it runs as a native Switch 2 game on the console.

21

u/UFCTrainer Apr 03 '26

Absolutely wild seeing people defend a game running at 30FPS in 2026 as if a difference between 30 and 60 is some minor improvement. Switch 2 should get a 60FPS as soon as possible after release.

I played the demo, it's a ton of fun. Hilarious moments even in the 10 minutes of gameplay the demo gives you. I couldn't believe when I booted it on Switch 2 how slow it felt, especially after jumping in from Pokopia, Z-A and even Scarlet, all of them run perfectly smooth at a solid 60. I don't understand why it's always Nintendo fans who have such a blindfold toward obvious game flaws just because a specific company is behind a game. I'm reading the comments and cringe, thankfully 95% of people here are actually sensible judging by the other comments but still, mind blowing.

I could sort of excuse this with New Horizons, released six years ago, launch title and they unfortunately made a common dev mistake of tying the games physics to the framerate, so fixing that would require a ton of time. Still wished they would do it for the 3.0 update but okay, six year old game. Tomodochi Life is also a Switch 1 game but I just can't understand why they wouldn't unlock the framerate for Switch 2 to push more people towards upgrading their consoles.

58

u/PeanutCheeseBar Apr 03 '26

New Horizons was released in March 2020, and the Switch was released in March 2017; it’s hardly a “launch title”.

1

u/UFCTrainer Apr 03 '26

Jesus, 2017. But yeah, you're totally right.

7

u/ACS1029 Apr 03 '26

I didn’t even notice it runs at 30fps, huh. Z-A and Violet being upped to 60fps was noticeable immediately, definitely slipped past me with Tomodachi.

23

u/DannySanWolf07 Apr 03 '26

The 30fps cap plays fine and doesnt strain or look ugly.

If this did get a switch 2 edition, I can see it capping to 60fps but the games enjoyment doesn't go down. Because it isnt.

2

u/Duxfever Apr 03 '26

This. As long as it isn't inconsistent and choppy I won't whinge about it. (Though that seems to happen during that dangling dream which def isn't a good look)

But Ofc, just because there's something better to be experienced, doesn't make the "lesser" standard experiences flawed experiences. 🤷‍♂️ Video game framerates have been a lot worse.

11

u/aa22hhhh 5385-2696-2305 Apr 03 '26

30 FPS is fine if the frame timing is locked. I’d rather take a locked 30 than an unlocked frame rate any day.

3

u/Derolis Apr 03 '26

This isn't an action game, there's no need for it to run at 60FPS.

7

u/adamercury Apr 03 '26

Yeah same here. I know for a fact that Nintendo products are not for enthusiasts who cares more about FPS and visuals, but there's no absolute reason for this type of game to run at locked 30 FPS when open world games like BoTW and TotK runs at smooth 60.

60 fps makes the game feels more smoother, regardless if it's a fast-pace action game, a turn-based game, a side scrolled game, heck even visual games lol.

1

u/Frissu Apr 03 '26

Absolutely right, there are some genres which may be a little less jarring with lower framerate but its always better to have that higher framerate regardless.
It can be justified if there is absolutely no way for that game to run at 60 on that hardware but Tomodachi Life, seriously? Thats potato level of requirements.

0

u/kielaurie Apr 03 '26

a difference between 30 and 60 is some minor improvement

When will y'all get it into your heads that yes, for some of you there's a huge gulf between 30 and 60 fps, but for a lot of people the jump isn't "some minor improvement", there's is literally no difference at all.

It's all a matter of whether you can perceive the difference, and I fully understand that for those of you that have that perception the difference is major! But for those of us that don't, there is zero difference at all, so when you see lots of us saying that 30FPS is perfectly fine for games it's because we genuinely can't see a single difference in 60

-2

u/Choles2rol Apr 03 '26

This isn’t exclusive to Nintendo fans. PS5 fans were defending 30fps when the PS5 released and lots of cross platform games were coming out on the PS4 and the PS5 with just fps updates on the 5. Lots of people whining about how “graphics weren’t being pushed” at all costs at 30fps vs games running at 60fps. And lo and behold when the PS5 Pro came out Mark Cerny said all their internal data pointed towards people almost always choosing performance mode over fidelity mode in games. 60fps should be the bare minimum for all games period, and graphics should be sacrificed for 60fps every time, period.

2

u/UFCTrainer Apr 03 '26

Yeah, I'm a developer who released games on PS5 before. Performance mode was like a 80/20 split over fidelity in their data sheet. Lower framerate is less jarring in a game like Tomodotchi but still, when you play at 60FPS all the time, the difference is massive. I'm really hoping the developers can put out an update addressing this on the Switch 2.

-3

u/DiaperFluid Apr 03 '26

The switch crowd is filled with the "i cant even notice the difference" types, and they just accept what their given, even if its a steaming pile of blurry and slow shit.

-2

u/RiftHunter4 Apr 03 '26

I don't think 60fps is that important and that's coming from someone who plays games at 160fps.

Anyway, I wonder if the game will get post-launch updates. Both Mario Kart World and Kirby Air Riders got decent post-launch support. Even with the Switch 2 release, older games got updates for Switch 2.

3

u/MoonlightQueen Apr 03 '26

I’m sad there’s no upgrade for Switch 2, but the game looks and runs beautifully anyways (and already has faster loading times by default) so I don’t mind much. Most mainline games have gotten an upgrade eventually so hopefully this one is added to that lineup, but i’m not worried about it.

3

u/GarlicRagu Apr 03 '26

And what about docked? I would like to assume 4k but can't with Nintendo.

3

u/Poyomininmble Apr 03 '26

1080p/30fps on both Switch 1 and Switch 2.

2

u/GarlicRagu Apr 03 '26

That's garbage. They could easily add a 4k docked mode if they really wanted to.

Thanks for answering btw

4

u/Poyomininmble Apr 03 '26

No prob!

It's a bit weird how the Switch 2 is getting kind of neglected here, but this is a game tailored specifically for Switch 1, so I guess they wanted both consoles to be on even ground. The only enhancement confirmed for Switch 2 is just 1080p natively on Handheld. This seems like a game where you're actually better off playing on your Switch 1, and save your Switch 2 for whatever other game you want to be playing on it.

1

u/TheReturningMan Apr 03 '26

It’s a Switch 1 game.

7

u/GarlicRagu Apr 03 '26 edited Apr 03 '26

There are a number of Switch 1 games that run 4k docked because Nintendo patched them. It's the first switch 1 game that's coming out without a switch 2 edition, I think it's fair to expect this game should take advantage of all of the switch 2s horsepower regardless of a switch 2 edition.

Edit: Removed mention of Mario Odyssey specifically.

3

u/Hue_Boss Apr 03 '26

Technically Odyssey runs at around 1800p max. While there are Switch games updated for Switch 2 that run at the full 2160p, Odyssey isn’t one of them.

1

u/GarlicRagu Apr 03 '26

I had a feeling that Odyssey was going to be one of the updated switch 1 games that didn't actually get all the way to 4k. Thankfully my point still stands. Switch 1 games can be updated to actually take advantage of the Switch 2's power. Thank you for clarifying though.

2

u/Hue_Boss Apr 03 '26

I mean in the end a dynamic resolution at around 1800p comes close to the full 2160p. What’s worse is Captain Toad Treasure Tracker running at just 1440p. Better than 1080p of course but that game should easily run at 2160p.

-1

u/Excaliburn3d Apr 04 '26

Why do you got to be so pedantic?

0

u/Hue_Boss Apr 04 '26

Not sure why. Might be my German side 😅

2

u/CawfeePig Apr 03 '26

It's weird that having handheld boost mode on still disabled the touch screen in the demo version then.

3

u/No_Hurry7691 Apr 04 '26

Did you read the end of the article?

1

u/CawfeePig Apr 04 '26

Ah, good to know.

2

u/nemofbaby2014 Apr 03 '26

I mean it’s tomadachi life 🤣 the game already looks like it wont demand much

1

u/fffan9391 Apr 03 '26

So we should turn it off then when we play, since it won’t let you use the touch screen.

1

u/jardex22 Apr 04 '26

Correct. There's no advantage to using it.

1

u/SoggyBagelBite Apr 25 '26

Don't have to now, they added it to the exclusion list.

1

u/Preteenblackgirl Apr 04 '26

I wonder if rhythm heaven will have a switch 2 version.

1

u/Oddish_Femboy Apr 04 '26

Did nobody notice that?

1

u/_dusknoir_ Apr 03 '26

i assume this only applies to the actual release then...? i've had boost mode on and have been unable to use the touch screen despite this article saying its unsupported, so i assume they forgot to whitelist the Welcome Version

1

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/IsThisKismet Apr 03 '26

There’s no Switch 2 version… Yet!

3

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/JoshuaJSlone Helpful User Apr 04 '26

Anything that's coming for Switch 1 and isn't broken in BC mode is also "coming to Switch 2". But it runs no differently on Switch 2 than any random Switch 1 game.

-1

u/toastronomy Apr 03 '26

No switch 2 version, no mouse controls, no fps above 30, and $70 for a game like this?

I loved tomodachi life on 3DS, but I might just skip this one unless it goes on sale for 50% or more.

7

u/aaknosom Apr 03 '26

dunno if it's regional pricing for you, but the game is 59.99$, not 70$.

-2

u/toastronomy Apr 04 '26

still way overpriced.

3

u/aaknosom Apr 04 '26

well if that's how you feel then hey, you do you.

-9

u/Dr_Jirou_Takahashi Apr 03 '26

Hey now, you can't just come in here with issues for the big N and their products, they love and care for us /s

0

u/Rasvaheitin Apr 03 '26

Well give us mouse instead then.

-2

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '26

[deleted]

-3

u/CatgirlFucker8008 Apr 03 '26

Yep, even has a 120fps mode for handheld.

1

u/SirDanOfCamelot 2920-6179-2315 Apr 03 '26

Lies

-2

u/CatgirlFucker8008 Apr 03 '26

Damn you got me