FIFA 18 on Nintendo Switch Runs at 1080p Docked, 720p Portable

EA Sports has confirmed that FIFA 18 on the Nintendo Switch will run at the maximum available performance levels, which is full-HD (1080p) at 60fps when docked, and HD (720p) at 60fps in portable mode.

“We spent a lot of time actually understanding what the console is. In dock, what we’re seeing right now, for example, is 1080p running at 60 frames per second”, Andrei Lăzărescu, the supervising producer for FIFA 18 on the Nintendo Switch, told NintendoEverything in an interview at Gamescom in Cologne on Thursday.

“When you plug it out, and you play in handheld, it’s 720p at 60 frames per second”, he added. "And we spent a lot of time making sure that transition happens seamlessly, and you still get 60 frames per second, because that's the beauty of the console at the end of the day."

Until now, fans were wary that FIFA on Switch would be hampered by its comparative lack of power against PS4 and Xbox One. But it seems that EA's decision to rely on the older engine – Ignite instead of Frostbite – has allowed it to eke out better performance.

The lack of Frostbite does mean that Switch players won't have access to The Journey mode, starring fictional footballer Alex Hunter, as the cutscenes are entirely driven by the new game engine.

We still don't know how long the Switch's battery will last while playing FIFA 18, though. For comparison, a heavy-duty title such as The Legend of Zelda drains the Nintendo console in about three hours.

FIFA 18 is out September 29 on PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, and Switch.