It’s no mystery in the video game community that any title released for next-gen consoles, plus the Switch, always remains slightly behind its time. Whether it’s due to clunky framerates or outdated visuals, game development in general suffers if the Switch is involved. Now, I’m all for everyone having the same gaming experience, but PlayStation and Xbox users definitely lose here.
However, that looks to be a thing of the past now with MLB The Show 26. The issue wasn’t releasing it on a separate platform, but rather the Switch’s out-of-date specs. The platform simply couldn’t handle high FPS, large game files, and frequent updates. All that might be going out the window with MLB The Show 26 possibly releasing for the Switch 2 instead of the original. How drastically will that change things? Let’s find out together.
What Went Wrong With The Switch Release?
The answer to this question is nothing, and everything at once. MLB The Show 25 functioned exactly as predicted on the Switch, so we can’t say it was something unexpected. Yes, there were a few bugs and glitches, but even those were taken into account. The problem lay in the Switch’s specifications and its capabilities.
The Switch paled in comparison to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. They had superior hardware and could run games on much higher standards compared to the Switch. So why did it take on Switch as a platform? Or at least, not make a different version for it, one more suited to its abilities?
San Diego Studios aimed for MLB The Show 25 to be cross-platform, in an effort to increase accessibility. This led them to configure the game and reduce platform-intensive settings to make it more suitable for every platform. Can we say that the blame lies with the Switch? Or should it be more focused on the studio’s mismanagement?
Before you call me out on MLB The Show 25’s Switch version, you should know more about the various issues Switch users faced. While some issues were resolved as they came up, others were just unfortunate handicaps players had to suffer through.
Lower Graphics & Simplified Assets
The most notable issue faced by Switch players was the outdated graphics and simplified assets. For a game like MLB The Show, or any sports game for that matter, graphics matter a lot. You want the crowd to look realistic when cheering for your home runs, or the batter to get a nice wind-up instead of just standing there until the ball is pitched.
With the Switch, developers just couldn’t incorporate those upgrades without compromising somewhere else. Had they added more graphics-intensive features, the game would either feel slower or just crash more often. Low-quality visuals might not have been salvageable, but they definitely left a sour taste for players.
And this dilemma went both ways, since PlayStation and Xbox players would receive lower visuals as well. Not as bad as Switch players, but definitely not up to par considering what these consoles can handle. The lack of graphical updates each year was a sore spot for the entire MLB The Show community.
Engine Optimization and Release Delays
The graphics and visuals were only one part of a bigger issue: engine optimization. The logic behind this is similar: the Switch ran on older hardware (GPU, RAM) and could not handle complex features. SDS did not want the game to look like something out of the 2000s, so they had to improvise. Downgrade a couple of features to give console players something new, but it could also work on all platforms.
Not only did this lead to less exciting features, but configuring features for weaker hardware kept developers busy longer. That time could have been used on a multitude of other things that would enhance gameplay, rather than reduce game complexity.
Different platforms also require different certifications, especially Nintendo. While the development was already slowing down due to the Switch, additional certifications made the process a lot longer. That, and bug-testing the product before launch. As we all know, the Switch version of MLB The Show 25 had its fair share of bugs. All these factors culminated in several delays in the game’s release.
How Would The Switch 2 Change Things?
The Switch 2 is Nintendo’s newest console, boasting much better, updated hardware compared to its predecessor. While platforms for MLB The Show 26 haven’t been confirmed yet, I’m hopeful SDS will decide to shift to the Switch 2 instead of the original. Now, what does that mean for the game itself? And its graphics, texture quality, and features?
Stronger Hardware Means Better Visual Quality
The Switch 2 uses a custom NVIDIA chip, DPSS, and Ray Tracing Support. In simple terms, these parts mean the Switch 2 can handle a lot more compared to the original and will be able to run games with better graphics. Will it reach PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S levels? Probably not. But the potential to get close is definitely there.
What this means for players is that they’ll receive smoother gameplay with fewer crashes. You can also bump up the frame rate from 30 FPS to 60 FPS without hesitation. It’s time to come out of the Dark Ages. All these upgrades could mean great things for MLB The Show 26 because players would finally get the crisp visuals they’re looking for.
Alongside those, SDS could focus more on modern quality-of-life features and upgrades rather than having to optimize existing features for older platforms. All in all, it would be a major improvement from the last edition and might pull in a bigger crowd.
Will It Compare To Next-Gen PlayStation And Xbox Models?
I agree that the Switch 2 will be a significant upgrade from the original Switch, but saying it will match gameplay on next-gen consoles would be false. The visuals and gameplay quality will come close to what we saw for PlayStation 4, maybe even surpass it, bu the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S are out of reach for now.
All this does come with a reminder that we haven’t yet received confirmation on the supported platforms. It is possible that MLB The Show 26 decides to stick to the Switch, which would be catastrophic in this day and age. However, for now, all we can do is wait and watch.
Published: Dec 22, 2025 04:29 pm