LA Noire Switch tech analysis, comparisons, frame rate test

Digital Foundry has taken an extensive look at the Switch version of L.A. Noire. The game is analyzed from a technical perspective on Nintendo’s console, is compared to other systems, given the frame rate test, and more. The initial verdict is that there are improvements from the last-gen version, but also some drawbacks.

To begin, the standard resolution for L.A. Noire on Switch is 1920 x 1080 when docked. But since a dynamic resolution is in place, it can drop to 1440 x 1080 under the more stressful situations. Overall, it’s above the original PlayStation 3 version which had a 720p resolution. L.A. Noire on Switch does run at 720p in portable mode, but its resolution can also drop to 960 x 720 when it needs to.

Some textures are clearly similar to the original PlayStation 3 game. However, a number of textures have also been improved. It’s not quite up to the visual fidelity of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions though. Other changes from the original L.A. Noire concerns shadows and ambient inclusion.

One notable downside for the Switch version of L.A. Noire is that draw distances tend to be worse than the PlayStation 3 version. This is partially due to the fact that the engine was originally built with the PS3 in mind.

L.A. Noire usually runs at 30 frames per second. It should be noted that there are some dips under stress, however. And unfortunately, similar to some other Switch titles, frame pacing is an issue here.

One final point to touch on are a few small differences between docked and portable play. In handheld mode, Switch further reduces draw distances, removes ambient inclusion, and texture filtering takes a hit in quality.

You can watch Digital Foundry’s full analysis for L.A. Noire below.