Fortnite Switch technical analysis and Xbox One comparison

Following Nintendo’s E3 Direct, Fortnite made its debut on Switch this week. Digital Foundry today takes a closer look at the game with a technical analysis and Xbox One comparison.

When docked, Fortnite’s maximum resolution is 900p. Depending on what’s happening on screen, the resolution can drop lower than that.

The field-of-view for Switch and Fortnite is actually the same. Also, the HUD is rendered at 1080p. Draw distances have been scaled back though, and shadows only fade in at close distance. But all major geometry, trees, and players render properly. Grass also renders properly up close, and the core sprite work quality hasn’t changed. Pop-in is more obvious on Switch. Other graphical differences between Switch and Xbox One relate to elements like texture quality and shadow resolution, though they don’t affect the gameplay experience.

What about in portable mode? 720p is the maximum resolution here, but again that can lower depending on what’s taking place on screen.

As for frame rate, Fortnite aims to hit the 30FPS mark on Switch. There is the occasional frame pacing problem and frames may start to drop when the action begins. We’re essentially looking at 20-30FPS here. It all depends on location and number of players.

You can watch Digital Foundry’s full analysis below.