TECH NEWS – Epic Games’ powerful engine might be a bit too much for Nintendo’s upcoming console — especially if all its advanced features are turned on simultaneously…

During the latest Digital Foundry podcast (embedded below), the editors responded to a supporter’s question about how the Nintendo Switch 2 will handle games powered by Unreal Engine 5, particularly with features like Nanite, Lumen, and Virtual Shadow Maps.

While nothing is confirmed yet, chances are high that games using the engine won’t be able to utilize all these features at once, and they might struggle to even reach 30 FPS. Significant compromises will likely be needed in terms of resolution, visual quality, and overall performance. Even PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X had difficulty running Unreal Engine 5 games that activated all three features — so Nintendo’s hardware would be under even more pressure.

Fortnite Shows What to Expect

This doesn’t mean UE5 games won’t run on the Switch 2 — just that not all advanced features will be used simultaneously. According to Digital Foundry, the way Fortnite runs on the system is a good preview. It was showcased running at 60 FPS, but without Lumen.

This aligns with test results of The Matrix Awakens demo, which was ported to the latest UE5 version and ran on similar PC hardware using Ampere-based GPUs. Even at low resolution, Lumen proved too demanding, and Nvidia’s DLSS Performance mode didn’t help much.

Lumen and VSM Likely to Be Cut or Reduced

It seems Lumen and Virtual Shadow Maps might be the first features on the chopping block if the Nintendo Switch 2 — releasing on June 5 — is to maintain acceptable performance in Unreal Engine 5 titles.

Source: WCCFTech