Coming off the first Feature Premiere where the new co-op mode was explained, today was all about MLB The Show 22 on the Nintendo Switch. This is the next big venture for SDS as it tries to complete its multi-platform evolution (we are all still hopeful for a PC build one day). There was not a ton of new info if you’ve been following along since the Switch reveal a couple weeks back, but let’s cover what was here.
MLB The Show 22 On Nintendo Switch
The biggest thing today was seeing a more recent Switch build. The tech test with MLB The Show 22 on Nintendo Switch was a bit rough at times when it came to performance and frame rate. SDS is stating that the goal is locking the gameplay at 30 fps on the Switch, and the build shown today got closer to meeting that goal.
I would like to point out the developer speak in that statement by saying “goal” was said because it was clear that while that is the mission, they must realize they’re still not quite there — and you could see that in the footage shown today. There are still some dips it seems as you transition to home run trots or cutscenes that switch to a new batter, but it certainly looked better than the older build.
In addition, it was called out that in handheld mode the resolution will take a hit, but that will be in an effort to keep the frames from dipping. This is a very normal thing just about every Switch game does, so that was expected here.
Either way, frame rate will mean everything here. The Show in part looks great (even if some were underwhelmed by the next-gen leap last year) because the frame rate is so solid now on the next-gen versions. It’s running at 60 fps there, and that was a big highlight of the upgrade from the old-gen to new-gen versions when it launched. That remains the case today, and to me it’s the issue the Switch will have to deal with the most even beyond the resolution downgrades. When The Show (like most sports games) does not have a smooth frame rate, it brings down the experience.
Of course, the added element here will be what the frames come out to when you play online. There was a major push again mentioning cross progression, crossplay, and cross saves, but considering co-op mode in the tech test could already suffer from some lag and dips in performance on the next-gen consoles, the Switch will be in “prove it mode” here for me.
The Show On The Go
Beyond getting a look at the new build, the biggest thing SDS seemed to be driving home with this version of The Show was the concept of it being your “mobile” version of the game. Because cross saves exist, this means RttS and franchise mode become viable if you’re on the road or away from home for a stretch. You can knock out some games, then just link the save back to your home console (assuming you tie your Show accounts together between platforms).
The same goes for something like Diamond Dynasty with cross progression where you can beat Moments or get a couple Conquest games in before transferring that progress back to your home console. The one caveat is that if you purchase any stubs, those will be tied to a specific console. Any stubs you earn the normal way can transfer between consoles, but since you put real money in with purchased stubs, that gets into trickier territory for SDS (any other games that are like this), so this is normal.
Of course, this also means you would be buying The Show twice (or once and having a Game Pass subscription), but I get the appeal and the reason SDS would push this angle.
I do think the appeal mostly ends there. While crossplay is here, I can’t imagine we’ll run into many Switch players in our online games on next-gen consoles, and I think the lower frames per second would put them at a disadvantage by default. The co-op mode has some element of intrigue if it works right, but that’s about where I would halt that aspect of things.
Feature Complete Except For Stadium Creator
We did already know SDS was going to have everything included in the Switch version besides Stadium Creator, and that was reiterated today. This does deserve praise, and I do think it should put it in line with NBA 2K as the most feature complete sports game out there when comparing it to its next-gen brethren. There is not a lot of focus on making the Switch version unique it seems (no motion controls etc.), as I think most sports developers realized after the Wii that this usually ended up not being worth it. There was one mention of using the Joy-Cons for the Home Run Derby, but that’s about all that was called out.
Kirk Gibson In The Show
Lastly, we did find this out earlier today, but SDS pointed out once again that Kirk Gibson will be in the game this year, and he will have his iconic home run trot as well. We will get most of the big legend reveals on March 31 when the live team and Diamond Dynasty updates take center stage. However, we should still expect some legend reveals like Justin Morneau/Joe Mauer last week and Kirk Gibson today on the road to that March 31 date.
Bottom Line
The big takeaway today was that SDS wants this to be your “second” version of MLB The Show 22 in a perfect world, but it can be your first if you want it to be as this will be the complete game you already get on the PS4 or Xbox One (with worse graphics and frame rate). They did make it clear in order to have access to all the modes, you will need about 20 GB of space on your Switch to download the extra information from the Switch servers. So if you do get a physical copy of the game on the Switch, just realize you’ll still need to connect to the internet to download that extra data and get the “full” game.
I don’t see myself playing this game on the Switch at this point because I don’t play any cross-platform sports games on the Switch as of now. But I do think selling it as the “second” version you buy was smart. If I did get MLB The Show 22 on the Switch, I would absolutely take advantage of the cross progression and cross saves.
Published: Feb 24, 2022 06:46 pm