MLB The Show on the Nintendo Switch over the years has been a fun, yet flawed addition to the Switch library. While the modes and gameplay were pretty solid, the visuals and performance were all over the place. With the release of the Switch 2, are these graphical and framerate issues finally fixed? Well, like so many other Switch 1 games on the new system, kinda. Let’s get into it.
Note
Before we get into the performance of The Show 25 on the Switch 2, I just want to note that if you want to read an in-depth look at all facets of the game, including modes and gameplay, we already have a review for the game that you can read here. The main purpose of this performance review is to share the improvements that you will find when playing the Switch 1 version of The Show 25 on the Nintendo Switch 2. Also, just to be clear, MLB The Show 25, as of right now, has not received a native release on the Nintendo Switch 2. Any and all improvements discussed are thanks to the tech inside of the Switch 2 itself. With that out of the way, let’s dive in.
Docked Performance
I was pleasantly surprised to find that The Show 25 runs considerably better on the Nintendo Switch 2 than it does on the original Switch. The framerate has been improved drastically with the help from the Switch 2 itself. This has been pretty consistent across the board with many games on the platform, even for games that did not specifically receive some kind of upgrade. When playing The Show 25 on the Switch, the game appears to have an unlocked framerate in docked mode. There are times when the game runs very smoothly on the older hardware, such as when there just isn’t a lot going on on-screen, but other times, the game will stutter considerably. Games with unlocked framerates seem to be benefitting the most from this Switch 2 upgrade and things are no different here. Gameplay in docked mode is pretty close to 60 frames per second and the game just runs so much smoother than it does on base Switch 1 hardware. Not only that, but load times have also been cut down considerably, too, which was a nice surprise.
Even with these positives, it’s important to note one thing - the graphics and visual elements still remain largely unchanged. The stadiums still lack some detail, textures are blurry (such as the field and signage) and some backgrounds still just look bad. If you can get over that, the improvements with performance really freshen things up and can potentially make the game easier to play because of them.
Handheld & Tabletop Performance
Although The Show fairs pretty well in docked mode, the differences in handheld are a bit more subtle. The game runs nowhere near as smoothly as it does when docked, and still suffers from many of the graphical issues that were found on Switch 1. Jagged edges along foul lines and other parts of the stadium can sometimes look absolutely terrible. The game does seem to be running a little bit smoother here, but it’s nowhere near as crisp as playing on the TV. Text is also a bit blurry and difficult to read. Sure, my eyesight isn’t what it used to be, so your mileage may vary there, but I think some others will notice this as well. The most positive takeaway from playing on Switch 2 in handheld is that the load times are still significantly faster than the Switch 1 and are in line with what you’ll find in docked mode.
Conclusion
I was pleasantly surprised to find that The Show 25 performs considerably better on the Nintendo Switch 2. It’s really night and day when comparing the experiences. The frame rate is more stable, the game loads faster and things are just generally better. Well, at least on the TV. Things are still pretty rough in handheld mode. One thing to remember going in - this is still a Switch game. Environments are low-poly, the crowd is still somewhat pixelated and the detail just can’t compare with what’s on offer on PlayStation or Xbox. At this point, it’s extremely unlikely that San Diego Studios will bother with a Switch 2 specific version of The Show 25. Even with that said, if you recently picked up a Switch 2 and already have the game, this is something that you just have to try out for yourself to believe. If you’re looking for a solid baseball game that runs pretty smoothly, playing this Switch version on Nintendo Switch 2 is pretty nice, but not without flaws. It’s going to be interesting to see where SDS takes things for The Show 26 on Nintendo’s platform(s).
But, let’s turn things over to you guys. Have you tried out The Show 25 on the Switch 2? We you enjoying it on the Switch 1? Sound off with any and all comments down below. We’d love to hear from you.
by Danny Bivens
FINAL SCORE
Docked: 8.0
Handheld: 5.0
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