Apex Legends on Nintendo Switch is finally here and while a lot of people have been worried about the performance of the fast-paced battle royale game on the handheld Nintendo device, players will be glad to know that the game works almost as well as it does on the last generation consoles. There’s a direct comparison that can be made with the PS4/Xbox One version of Apex Legends and the new Nintendo Switch variant.
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While both of these variants do not offer high FPS that PC gamers rave about constantly, there’s still attention to detail without sacrificing graphics or any of the things that make Apex Legends one of the must-play Battle Royale games.
Getting Started
While most of the things work brilliantly on the Nintendo Switch, there’s still a bit of a learning curve to the game. You will still have to get used to the constant button mashing and coordinating on the Nintendo Switch. This becomes a bit difficult if you’ve just come over from the console to the Nintendo Switch.
To start things off as soon as you get in the game, you will get to play Season 8. Now, for those who haven’t played Apex Legends yet and are wishing to jump right into the new season, expect to be annihilated for the first few games. This is because if you’ve selected the Cross-Play option to be turned on. We couldn’t verify the results of only Nintendo Switch players as it was taking a lot of time to fill the lobby.
Cross-Play
Playing against other players can be a bit of a disadvantage as you’re stuck with 30 fps and a somewhat difficult controller while using the Joy-Cons. Every other aspect works great, Apex Legends looks and feels absolutely like its previous-gen console counterpart, but this does raise the question of the game being ported to mobile devices soon.
The wish for an Apex Legends mobile version has been talked about ever since the game was released back in 2019, while Respawn and EA have stated that there will be a mobile version in the future, no update has been delivered since.
Controls
When it comes to the controls of Nintendo Switch on Apex Legends, players will get the opportunity to use the gyroscopic controls to their advantage. During our testing it proved a bit uncomfortable as I was moving my hands while playing the game, certain movements did start to bother.
This, however, turned into a boon when aiming from a long distance as the gyroscopic controls when given a bit of time will help you land the perfect shot from any distance. It does bring in the constant chaotic feeling of being dropped into the warzone with these new motion-based controls in a battle royale and though it is too early to say whether it is going to be a great feature or not, it certainly is one to look out for.
The Joycons on the Nintendo Switch is certainly designed for a much slower-paced game and while we noticed other players jump around and move just like they would while using either a keyboard/ mouse combo or a traditional controller. Doing the same with the Nintendo device is a bit cumbersome.
Graphics
There is detail in the world of Apex Legends and finding these small and intricate things is one of the biggest aspects of Apex Legends, whether it is a treasure box or a key that is made to open up a safe. You can only get up to 576p in handheld mode and can take it to max 720 when docked.
While this may raise some eyebrows, it really did not bother us while playing Apex Legends handheld because the tiny screen perfectly managed to show everything in detail with crisp borders and imaging. There won’t be a point where you will struggle to see or notice things, but if there’s an enemy in the distance this might change a bit.
Verdict
While the Nintendo Switch version of Apex Legends is far from being the best variant available it certainly is better than what everyone expected out of the game. Everyone’s worst fear has been about the device not being able to handle the game has been squshed and the game is actually fun to play.
The best thing about Apex Legends on the Nintendo Switch, you can play the game absolutely wherever you wish to and can enjoy the fast action and thrill of a battle royale. This is probably the best game to have been ported on the Nintendo Switch and we highly recommend that checking out Apex Legends on the Nintendo Switch.
Not the Best Experience
Apex Legends on the Nintendo Switch is definitely one of the most unique ways to play the game. With its docked and handheld modes, it offers you several ways to enjoy it, but that's where its pros stop. Due to the hardware limitations, you will be at a noticeable disadvantage. Be it getting only 30 FPS, the limited visibility, or the not-so-smooth controls with the Joy-cons. It isn't really recommended to play on Switch.
- Accessibility 7
- Graphics 6
- Cross-play 6
