Nintendo Switch 2 has enough power to deliver mid-tier PC visuals, Civ 7 developer says

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The Switch 2's new upgraded chipset has excited developers who seek squeeze more performance out of their games.

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With its Tegra X1 and 4GB of RAM, the Switch 1 was pretty outdated at launch, and delivered lower-end performance in modern games. Developers often had to make considerable trade-offs to get their games running on the Switch, often dropping both resolution and frame rates to get stable mobile performance.

The Switch 2 changes all of that. It's capable of delivering 4K 60FPS gaming when hooked up to a TV, and 1080p 120FPS gaming while on-the-go. The Switch 2's new custom onboard NVIDIA Tegra chip can deliver 10x the graphics performance of the original Switch, and the simulation masters over at Firaxis have some stellar praise for the next-gen machine.

In a recent interview with Stephen Totilo's Game File publication, Firaxis executive producer Dennis Shirk said the team was "extremely happy" with the console's new power boost, and that the Switch 2 can deliver mid-tier PC levels of visuals...at least in Civilization VII.

"We were able to make [Civ 7] look like a mid-tier PC, because it's got enough power," Shirk said at a Switch 2 hands-on event.

Civ 7's next-gen upgrades won't be free, though. Nintendo has given publishers the option to charge for next-gen Switch 2 versions of previously-released games. Publishers and developers are predictably taking advantage of the opportunity.

Firaxis will sell a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Civilization VII. If you already own Civ 7 on Switch 1, you can just buy the Switch 2 Edition upgrade.

Apart from the visuals, Civ 7 will also take advantage of the Switch 2's new mouse mode for its JoyCon controllers.

"We're releasing a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Sid Meier's Civilization VII. In Civ 7, you'll establish an empire and guide your people throughout the ages of history. With the new mouse controls, players can enjoy a more intuitive gameplay experience. Civ 7 launches on the same day as the Switch 2, and if you already own the Switch version, you can experience mouse controls on the Switch 2 by purchasing the upgrade."