Monolith obviously didn't optimize the game enough in portable mode. I still play from time to time in portable mode, and I can definitely play it without some problems. It's still pretty blurry, but I didn't think it was such a mess, My eye is definitely not well-trained to see those things xD. The game has a powerful sense of scale and a beatiful art style, so I guess that everything else is secondary.

I honestly feel that it looks good in portable. I play both ways quite often.

Again, its one example, every other 1st party Switch game has optimized good, we don't know why specify this one isnt, maybe they wanted to release it in time for holiday season and they rushed game...in any case one bad example dont prove anuthing, esapcily when they can easily patch game later. Zelda for Switch is ported in a less than a year and Nintendo even for Zelda BotW is not best optimised for Switch hardware.

Actually all infos we had is that Switch is very dev friendly (last one is link down), its platform to easy work with and has great tools. Support from western devs can be only stronger how Switch continue to sell good and isnstal base getting bigger and 3rd party games continue to sell good on Switch, so you will see much bigger and stronger 3rd party announcements in next year.

Allowing only docked-only games would go against Switch concept and Nintendo will not allow that, and there is no need for that in any case, and something like that would definitely effect on sales of those games because lots a 3rd party games are selling good on Switch because of portable mode in first place.

Like I wrote, you can bet that 3rd party support for Swtich will be only stronger how times go and much more stronger in 2018. than it was in 2017.

http://nintendoeverything.com/super-meat-boy-forever-dev-ported-the-game-to-switch-in-a-couple-of-days-says-nintendo-is-really-pushing-indies/

Depends what games you mean by third party support. Demanding western AAA games will not be coming to Switch. New Battlefield or Battlefront, Fallout 5 or TES VI, Mass Effect or Dragon Age, Witcher 4, GTA 6. These big power-hungry games won't be coming to Switch. Doom was a blessing, but even that type of third-party game won't be coming to the Switch in a couple of years. The Switch's power deficit is only going to become a bigger isssue for these AAA western developers with time.

You cant know that, evre western AAA game can be ported to Switch, only question is how much will be downgraded, but if games sales and there is profit they will offcourse make effort for Switch port. Saying that "Doom was a blessing, but even that type of third-party game won't be coming to the Switch in a couple of years" doesn't make any sense because Bethesda in same time announced Wolfenstein 2 that's more demanding than Doom for next year.

Switch will have much more 3rd party support and announcements in 2018. in any case, including western AAA games, you can bet in that. Most of devs that didn't release games on Switch until now waited to see how much successful Switch will be, other that gave same support promised much stronger support for Switch. Switch will probably be Nintendo platform with strongest 3rd party support from SNES.

Yipes, that resolution downgrade for portable mode is more than I expected. Not that it matters, since Best Buy has seemingly lost my copy in the mail. Every day it says the game is out for delivery, every day the game doesn't show up in my mailbox or at my doorstep :(

You're right I can't "know" that, but I can make a guess based on the industry and the power of the machine. Just as pre-launch we made guesses on the resolutions of switch games.

Rockstar, Bioware, Bethesda etc won't let there games be held back by the Switch. It's not as simple as "scaling" especially when you're talking about a RAM and CPU deficit as well, they can't necessarily just turn some effects off and lower the resolution and make it work. Not to mention we're only 2-3 years away from Sony/MS's next-gen machines. Western Third Party support is going to drop like a rock.

There's many many people with crappy laptops, but they don't make there games run on every intelhd laptop because there's money to be had. There are minimum requirements for a reason.

Yes, you can guess, but evre western AAA game can be ported to Switch, only question is how much will be downgraded, but if games sales and there is profit they will offcourse make effort for Switch port.

Offcourse that not single one game will not be held back buy Switch, devs can work on same time on game for PS4/XB1 and on Switch version, or like we saw until now first on PS4/XB1 and then downgraded it for Switch. No, 3rd party support will not fall like rock for Switch until Switch and Switch games are selling good, while 3rd parties make profit on Switch.

Comparing laptops and consoles don't make any sense, because you have on hundreds of laptops with different specs and strength so of course that devs can't focus on every single device in market, you can't compare that with console platforms that are usually 5-6+ years on market.

I honestly haven't noticed any of the low-resolution stuff except for a second or so after warping to a landmark.

I am on Chapter 4.

I'm not usually such a stickler for performance, but that portable mode resolution is unacceptable. I intend to play most of the game that way, and there's no way I'm buying it if it's going to perform that badly. Hopefully they patch the game with performance improvements like Zelda was patched, but until then I'm gonna have to pass on this.