Mortal Kombat 1 is available now to those who want to buy in early, and alongside the Xbox Series, PS5, and PC, it’s also on Nintendo Switch.. Recently released footage shows the Switch version has something more gruesome than horrific fatalities: downgraded visuals.
Mortal Kombat 1‘s visuals on Switch are many steps below its counterparts, but it’s a shock how bad it is. Posts have been floating around Reddit and X (Twitter) showing screenshots comparing the different versions, and the differences are nightmarish.
The downgraded textures are comparable to older console generations, but the worst part is the eyes. Reptile here has a thousand-yard stare only belonging to a man who journeyed to hell and back. It’s as if every single fatality he’s been forced to endure suddenly came back to him all at once.
Memes are already cropping up to further ridicule how bad the disparity is, and it’s easy to see why. Comparing the PS5 and Switch versions almost feels like comparing different games, but one thing similar is the price.
Mortal Kombat 1 costs $70 on every platform. This includes the Switch version in its current state. The saddest part is that Mortal Kombat 1 is somewhat playable on the system.
SwitchUp‘s performance and tech review show about 10 minutes of gameplay where it mostly says at its 60fps target. Framerate dips and visual glitches are noticeable, but it’s possible to sit down and enjoy this version if your eyes don’t bleed from the visuals.
If Mortal Kombat 1 on Switch didn’t cost $70, the visuals would have been somewhat easier to swallow. It’s commendable that the game can run on Nintendo’s handheld, but there’s a point where the compromise for portability is too much.
