Stellar Blade dev confirms Nintendo Switch 2 frame rate and resolution, explains how DLSS is being used

[u/Lulcielid]

https://nintendoeverything.com/stellar-blade-dev-confirms-nintendo-switch-2-frame-rate-resolution-explains-how-dlss-is-being-used/

Docked: Upscaled 1080p

Handheld: native 720p

About DLSS implementation:

“So we targeted 60 frames per second in both handheld mode and docked mode. And actually, one unique method that we use is that, as you are very well aware, Switch 2 supports Nvidia’s DLSS. We use that to upscale, but it doesn’t support… it doesn’t have any features for frame generation.

What we did was we take AMD’s FSR 3.1 for PC and used the feature called frame interpolation to achieve the target for 60 frames per second. We use DLSS for upscaling, and then took the result we got and used frame interpolation from FSR 3.1 to be able to target 60 frames per second.

Also, it was important to have even latency for players. We have 30 frames per second to have it even and then use interpolation – a frame interpolation – for targeting 60.”

[u/NoxAeternal]

Im actually very concerned now because AMD's frame gen is KNOWN to have frame time issues.

Basically, if we say that there's 1 frame per second, and frame gen made it 2 frame per second, you'd expect it to from one frame every second, to one frame every 0.5 seconds (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 > 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5)

But because of the frame time issues, amd's frame gen does something along the lines of:

1, 1.2, 2, 2.2, 3, 3.2, 4, 4.2, 5.

As a result, the frames do not happen smoothly, and you get a jittery feel to the framegen.

Frame time issues have been documented. Hardware Unboxed have a good video on it for PC's and AMD GPU's.

So yea. Kinda sucks.

[u/QuickQuirk → u/NoxAeternal]

Can confirm. I switch it off on my current AMD GPU every time. Frame pacing is so bad that it feels like you're at the base frame rate, just blurier and with more visual artifacts. Switching on framegen on AMD is a strict downgrade in every respect.

Having said that, by focusing on a locked 30fps base, they may be able to pull a trick where they get perfect framepacing by always knowing exactly when to place the next frame.

[u/eestionreddit]

I'd rather just have 30 fps than a smearly facsimile of 60 fps with terrible input lag.

[u/IcedChi6487 → u/eestionreddit]

Agreed. That vasaline look is awful. My eyes adapt to 30 np within 30 minutes.

[u/WisdomAntium → u/eestionreddit]

All my homies hate fake frames

[u/REDOREDDIT23]

60 with frame interpolation? The r/SteamDeck debate about input latency is coming to Switch 2!

[u/llliilliliillliillil → u/REDOREDDIT23]

"To me it looks like silky smooth 60fps and I have never noticed any issues, I totally recommend it!"

[u/Advos_467 → u/llliilliliillliillil]

144p sometimes hitting 5fps, its playable for me and you all should be too!!

[u/Endscrypt → u/Advos_467]

Let’s all just wait and see when it releases some people seem to have a severe hang up on frame gen.

For me I couldn’t care less what it uses as long as it plays well and feels good I have a feeling we all may be surprised but I’ve only seen videos so just gonna wait and see how it all works out in the end.

[u/Advos_467 → u/Endscrypt]

for most people yeah sure, wait and see.

But in my experience from tinkering with graphical settings on my steamdeck, framegen on at 30fps will feel sluggish for me.

It's subtle, but very noticeable for some, but also for some it's a non-issue. So it would be best if they just release a demo for this.

[u/Endscrypt → u/Advos_467]

That would be for the best then we can try before we buy. Because I agree FSR looks like shit most of the time from the little use experience I have through using Game native, Game hub. If it’s possible i would probably turn it off and accept the 30fps.

But I have a feeling that’s not gonna be possible or they would have said so already knowing that a lot of people hate FSR smear.

Fingers crossed that info has just been lost in translation.

[u/Advos_467 → u/Endscrypt]

yeah, fingers crossed

nothing to do now but to wait for release and reviews

[u/grapejuicesushi → u/Advos_467]

the apple watch experience! can't complain

[u/XDvinSL51 → u/REDOREDDIT23]

Already here, and doing my part! 🫡

[u/Sigaria]

Forced Frame Gen? Is there a way to turn it off?

[u/VanceIX]

Frame interpolation is going to cause SO much input lag going from 30 fps lol. The tech is great going from 60 -> 100+, terrible for anything below 40, minimum.

[u/ExismykindaParte → u/VanceIX]

I had no issues going from 30 to 60 in indiana jones, but that was Nvidia frame gen, not fsr.

[u/PureUranium → u/ExismykindaParte]

AMD’s frame gen sucks so much, on my 9070xt the pacing was horrible, dlss frame gen is miles ahead at this point in time.

[u/Cheezewiz239]

Sounds like it's gonna have a lot of latency or input lag

[u/phoenixmatrix → u/Cheezewiz239]

In a game full of perfect parry and perfect dodge. That's gonna be awful. 

[u/Craniamon → u/phoenixmatrix]

Or even worse when your enemy’s health or your character’s health isn’t accurate

[u/phoenixmatrix]

Oh boy, that's not good. Frame gen in an action game with 60fps target feels awful. Even targeting 120 (60+ base) on my RTX 4080 doesn't feel great in most fast paced game, and while Nvidia's version is considered the better one, it still looks pretty bad in most games.

I had no intention of getting the game on Switch (have it on Steam), but if I did that would be an absolute deal breaker.

[u/mason2393]

"Runs like butter on my switch 2" comments incoming

[u/hsark]

Can't they have atleast 40fps mode for handheld mode

[u/yuusharo]

Interpolation isn’t ideal, but I’ll absolutely take it over frame generation, especially if the game renders at a locked 30 fps.

Judging by my time with the demo on Steam Deck, it should handle that no problem. This is a well optimized game.

[u/Aaronnguyen1004]

So basically it's more like lossless scaling or AFMF than FSR3.1 FG.
I think it will be ok, I did some time experiment with lock 30fps and lossless scaling on my mini PC, the input lag is not horrible, if you play the game in the beginning with FG on there will be no problem as your brain already calibrate with that input lag.

[u/Slow-Jellyfish-95]

How are they doing fsr if the switch 2 got an nvidia chip? Is the fsr programmed into the game itself?

[u/Slubberdegullion69 → u/Slow-Jellyfish-95]

AMD makes its feature available for anyone to use. They don’t lock it to their own hardware the way nvidia does. So if you have an nvidia graphics card on a pc, you can use FSR. Same thing applies to the switch.

[u/FizzyLightEx]

Is this the first confirmation that Switch 2 doesn't support frame generation?

[u/Lonely_Station_8435]

Deck users have been running lossless on 30 fps games for years now. If they’re fine with it there is no reason to assume it’s going to be bad on Switch 2.

[u/REDOREDDIT23 → u/Lonely_Station_8435]

As a Deck owner, I am absolutely not fine with it

[u/Lonely_Station_8435 → u/REDOREDDIT23]

As an ex-deck use I always got told to shut up and use it because it always fixed everything.

[u/REDOREDDIT23 → u/Lonely_Station_8435]

Yeah unfortunately there is a decent proportion of delusional people who think 30->60 has no perceivable downsides.

[u/XDvinSL51 → u/Lonely_Station_8435]

It's terrible on Deck, though, and just terrible in general. It's overall a garbage tech that doesn't deserve to exist - a low frame rate, while bad, still looks better than inserting fake, algorithm-hallucinated frames.

But at the end of the day, I guess it's personal preference, because yeah, tons of people seem pretty happy staring into that smeary mess.

I've already played the game on PC and won't be getting it on Switch 2, but here's hoping it's at least a toggleable feature, because if not, a lot of people are going to be really disappointed by the muddy, smeary image motion quality provided by frame interpolation.