Two prominent developers are using an unusual mix of technologies to hit a 60 FPS performance target in their Nintendo Switch 2 ports. Basically, the teams are combining NVIDIA's custom version of DLSS Super Resolution to hit 30 FPS, and then AMD's FSR 3.1 Frame Generation to run their games in an interpolated 60 FPS mode. The two games in question are Stellar Blade from Shift Up and Dragon's Dogma 2 from Capcom.
In Stellar Blade and Dragon's Dogma 2, Shift Up and Capcom both offer 30 FPS and 60 FPS modes. Digital Foundry discussed this in the latest Q+A episode of its DF Direct podcast, noting that the Nintendo Switch 2's Stellar Blade demo features this 60 FPS mode that blends DLSS with FSR Frame Generation, and the results are mixed at best.
They note that, naturally, the combination doesn't deliver an experience that feels like playing the game at 60 FPS, and it introduces issues with particles and animations rendered at 30 FPS that are then put through Frame Generation. Also, because the game is still technically rendered at 30 FPS, the controls and input latency still feel like you're playing at 30 FPS, and performance stutters and issues are more noticeable with Frame Generation than without.
The reason why developers are opting for FSR Frame Generation, the version before FSR 4 switched this to an AI solution, comes down to DLSS Frame Generation not being officially supported on the Ampere hardware inside the Switch 2. Digital Foundry also makes a case for the technology as a viable option, even when used to boost a 30 FPS presentation to 60 FPS. Because both NVIDIA and AMD recommend using Frame Generation with a minimum of 40-60 FPS as a foundation, this unique combination on the Switch 2 could help in slower-paced games like Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave, rather than a fast-paced action game like Stellar Blade.
With the Switch 2 hardware not powerful enough to render 60 FPS in many games, developers are clearly looking for a solution to deliver a smoother presentation. With modders in the PC space getting DLSS Frame Generation and even Multi Frame Generation to run on Ampere-era GeForce RTX 30 Series cards, perhaps NVIDIA could deliver a version built specifically for the Switch 2 designed for this very purpose.
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How does DLSS Super Resolution affect image quality in the Switch 2 versions of Stellar Blade and Dragon's Dogma 2?
How much input latency does FSR 3.1 Frame Generation add compared with 30 FPS mode in Stellar Blade?
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Either way, with Stellar Blade and Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen using this unique DLSS and FSR combination to hit 60 FPS on the Switch 2, we'll probably start seeing more third-party developers adopt a similar solution.
