Is Nintendo Switch 2 underpowered compared to PS5?

The Tuesday letters page is very disappointed by the new State of Play annoucement, as one reader praises Silksong and Chronos for being cheap.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

No port in a storm
Given how badly Star Wars Outlaws and Elden Ring seem to run on Nintendo Switch 2 I really don’t see the point of bringing PlayStation 5 games to the console unless the publisher is going to make a proper effort. All it’s doing is bringing down the Switch 2’s reputation and making everyone assume that the Switch 2 is underpowered and can’t run any third party games properly.

Cyberpunk 2077 has proven that the Switch 2 is actually pretty powerful, somewhere between a PlayStation 4 and Xbox Series S, just like the early rumours said. That means it should be able to do last gen ports without any problems at all and some current gen games… if they get a really good developer to put the effort in.

Even if the excuse is that they didn’t get devikts in time, what’s the point in putting something like Star Wars Outlaws out right now? It’s not like people are really waiting for it and it just adds to the negativity. I don’t feel Nintendo are handling this well at all.
Mish

Wrong audience
I would love to know what the explanation is for the EA guy trying to pretend the Switch 2 is as powerful as a PlayStation 5. Obviously he’s trying to make people buy his game but who does he think is going to believe that nonsense?

Impressionable casual gamers, who might possibly believe him, are not going to be reading any website where those comments are shown, so what is the point? All it’s going to do is make the people that do see it think that EA Are willing to say anything to get people to buy their games.

I wonder if he meant to say ‘parity’ in terms of features and not graphics, but that’s not the quote so who knows. Either way, I wouldn’t dream of buying a game like EA Sports FC on Switch, no matter how good the graphics are.
Bligh

The one that got away
It’s crazy how well the PSP did and yet probably most people today have never even heard of it and those that have think it was a flop. It outsold the 3DS, the Game Boy Advance, and every Xbox except the Xbox 360 (and it was only a couple of million off that). All based on Monster Hunter, back when it was still only popular in Japan.

Crazy really, that it seems to have such a smally legacy, with only a few games associated with it, and a lot of those are lesser versions of existing PlayStation franchises. I always wanted one back in the day but never got round to it. But now I look back at the ‘best’ games on it and I wonder what I was ever going to play on it. Also, doesn’t that mean that the DS must be around 20 years old too?
Limpton

GC: The DS turned 20 last November, although it’s European launch was March 11, 2005.

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Considerate pricing
I rate both Hollow Knight and Silent Hill 2 remake very highly.

The next games from each developer are out a day apart from each other, in a few days, and by the sounds of it both are priced considerately.

We’ll have to see how Cronos: The New Dawn and Hollow Knight: Silksong turn out.

But if they’re as good as their previous games I will have to consider picking both up day one to show my support.

I buy digital and with the confirmed pricing of £50 for Cronos and $20 for Silksong, so at most 20 quid in Blighty, it’ll cost a reasonable £60 for both by purchasing a £70 PSN voucher from ShopTo, sold by them for £60.
Simundo

What is the point?
With PlayStation/Xbox going on about next gen now, after what I’ve heard about it I’m not bothered one bit. AI isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I’ve had an S25 Ultra, had it since launch day, and as far as I’m aware I haven’t used AI one bit and as for the adverts for AI, all AI can do is tell you how to make something if you mess up cooking. The latest advert is how to place your furniture. If that’s what AI is for, what is the point?

Maybe I live a boring life but if that’s all it can do I don’t want it, same with Apple Watch. The watch has sensors, if you have a crash it will call emergency services and another band shows you how to take a photo. I mean, if that’s AI in a phone that you carry everywhere with you, what’s the point of having AI in a box under your TV? To me it’s going to be a boring waste of time and money.
David

Relatively cheap
I’m interested in getting the Xbox ROG Ally but I wouldn’t say I’m completely sold on it yet. I think I’d need to wait for some proper reviews to make that decision.

Mostly I use remote play for Xbox and PlayStation, using a Logitech GCloud and a PlayStation Portal. So handhelds are very much my thing.

I’ve got concerns with it though. The screen being seven inches rather than eight is a bit of a letdown. It remains to be seen how well the games run and are you truly free from needing the Windows desktop? Also, how loud are the things?

As for which one, that really just comes down to how well the cheaper one runs games. I’ve never looked at games running on my Xbox Series S and thought there was any great difference to games on the PlayStation 5, so if it’s like that I’d just opt for the cheaper model. If it’s a more important difference then I’d go for the Xbox ROG Ally X. £800 is a lot, but it would still be the cheapest Windows device I’d ever owned.
Tim

Bond is back
I have never been so excited and then disappointed in quick success than the new State of Play announcement. So that means we probably won’t get a general State of Play for the rest of the year, right? That is so pathetic I can’t even describe.

Especially as there were rumours about a 007 First Light reveal this week, before this, so presumably that’s what the secret game is. They said they’d reveal it this summer and technically it’s autumn now, so they’re actually late.

Maybe the game will be good but in terms of State of Play announcements go it’s a massive disappointment. Especially as it’s multiformat and has nothing specifically to do with Sony.
Namar

Prime advice
I’m currently playing Metroid Prime Remastered on Switch, on normal mode, and I’m really struggling in one area. I’ve even had a look at a guide for the game, and my problem isn’t even highlighted as being a problem area of the game. What’s worse is I’m reading it’s not even a hard game, which is making me feel kind of pathetic at the moment, as I’m an experienced gamer.

Basically, in the Phenandra Plains area, when you acquire the thermal visor and you get the blackout happen, I can’t make it back to a save point without dying. I’ve got limited missiles and can’t find any more in the area. As soon as I get through the door you must unlock that’s when I start having trouble with the space pirates and a gun sat behind the door. The worst part is when I die it sets me back a country mile to the last save point, where I can’t even remember where I am, especially after not being able to keep playing and having another go where my spare time allows me to after work and home life etc., etc.

The save points seem so outdated now. It makes me want to give up. I absolutely love the game though, apart from this, I don’t even mind the respawning enemies when you need to backtrack to areas. The sound and setting is top notch and creates a real sense of atmosphere. I’m starting to think it’s possible I’ve arrived at this area too early and without being powered up enough. I’ve got the wave gun, and I’ve got the missile upgrade that shoots five at once. I’m scratching my head a bit with this.

Can anyone that’s a seasoned pro offer me any advice? Should I restart on casual? That for me would be admitting defeat. Any help would be appreciated.
Nick The Greek

GC: The best general advice is to seek out extra missile and energy banks and come back to wherever you’re stuck later. A guide will make it clear where they are and you’ve inevitability missed a whole bunch. You’ll definitely need them for the Meta Ridley fight later…

Inbox also-rans
That Hellraiser game sounds pretty crazy, I’ll keep an eye on that. I get the feeling that Clive Baker must like video games because he’s been involved in few, including an original team shooter that I can’t remember the name of right now.
Biff

GC: You’re thinking of Clive Barker’s Jericho from 2007, by MercurySteam. There was also Clive Barker’s Undying in 2001, so there does seem a good chance he’s interested in games. John Carpenter is definitely a keen gamer and is involved in the upcoming Toxic Commando.

So Kojima Productions is celebrating 10 years and it’s only made two games in that time, one of which only just came out. If this was a couple of generations ago they’d have had five or six, at least, in that time.
Benjy Dog

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader’s Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE: Games Inbox: How much is Hollow Knight: Silksong?

MORE: Games Inbox: What is Sega’s best retro video game?

MORE: Games Inbox: Should Sony cancel the PlayStation 6?