FIFA 18 Switch tech analysis, vs. Xbox 360 / PS4

EA is finally back on Nintendo consoles with FIFA 18. But how exactly is the game from a technical standpoint on Switch? Digital Foundry investigated the game to find out.

The initial impression is that FIFA 18 on Switch has roots from last-gen versions of the game, but expands with new graphical features and gameplay tweaks. It’s sort of an in between release. The Switch version feels like it’s an extension of FIFA 17 instead of down-porting from FIFA 18 on other consoles.

From a core perspective, assets actually appear to be from the last-gen Legacy Edition, resulting in similar stadium modelling and player animations. The crowds are also animated 2D sprites instead of 3D crowds. However, character models have higher resolution textures and normal mapping compared to the Xbox 360 version, which is a bit closer to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One releases. Lighting and shader work have also been overhauled, while the pitch has improved use of 3D grass in replays and post-processing.

FIFA 18 runs at 1080p when docked on Switch. Anti-aliasing isn’t really present here, though.

Depth of field appears to be somewhat comparable between Switch and current-gen versions of FIFA 18. Due to a level of depth with the presentation, it further indicates that FIFA on Switch sits somewhat between current-gen and last-gen versions.

As promised, FIFA 18 pretty much runs at 60 frames per second during gameplay. Similar to other versions, the performance takes a hit during replays and pre-match sequences.

This is just a summary of Digital Foundry’s investigation of FIFA 18 on Switch. You can watch the full analysis below.