Key Takeaways
1. IO Interactive acknowledges performance issues with Hitman: World of Assassination on the Nintendo Switch 2 and is actively working on fixes.
2. Franchise director Jonathan Lacaille confirmed that improvements will be addressed over the summer, though no specific update timeline was provided.
3. Insights from the performance challenges of Hitman will inform the development of their next game, 007 First Light.
4. The decision to natively port Hitman to the Switch 2 was influenced by the underperformance of the previous cloud version on the original Nintendo Switch.
5. IO aims to provide a high-quality native experience on the Switch 2, learning from past technical problems to enhance future titles.
IO Interactive has recognized the performance challenges that Hitman: World of Assassination is facing on the Nintendo Switch 2. This launch title was anticipated to highlight the handheld’s impressive graphic capabilities.
Performance Issues Acknowledged
However, the Switch 2 version of the game has come under fire for its inconsistent performance. In light of this, IO has assured players that they are diligently working on fixing these performance problems.
In a recent chat with VGC, IO’s franchise director, Jonathan Lacaille, addressed the worries surrounding the game’s port. He mentioned:
“The team is working on some of those performance issues right now, and they are addressing them over the summer.” Nonetheless, Lacaille did not specify when players can expect future updates.
Future Projects and Improvements
Additionally, he gave some reassurance to Switch 2 users about their next game, 007 First Light, indicating that insights gained from the performance challenges of Hitman: World of Assassination will help enhance their forthcoming title. Lacaille also added:
“It’s, of course, good learning for us to bring First Light as well, so all of this will be learnings we bring to the next title.”
It appears that IO is committed to providing a robust native experience on the Switch 2, which is a significant change from their previous cloud-based method for Hitman 3 on the original Nintendo Switch.
Motivation for Porting
When discussing IO’s reasons for natively porting Hitman: World of Assassination to the Nintendo Switch 2, IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak remarked that the earlier cloud version “wasn’t as successful as Nintendo had expected,” and expressed that there was “unfinished business” to attend to. Abrak also stated:
“There are also various Hitman modes that lend themselves really well for a platform like Switch 2. We thought we had a game that was very compatible with playing on the go, and that we owed our players to deliver that in a native way on the platform.”
This isn’t the first instance where IO Interactive has struggled with performance issues. Recently, the launch of MindsEye faced considerable backlash due to technical problems, leading to full refunds for PlayStation 5 users, despite the platform’s policy against reimbursing downloaded games.
With a summer update on the horizon for Hitman: World of Assassination, Switch 2 users can anticipate a more refined gaming experience. Furthermore, IO’s comments about 007 First Light imply that the studio is striving to deliver high-quality native titles that can fully leverage the capabilities of the Switch 2’s hardware.
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