Ahead of more official news about futureMetal Gearreleases, theMetal Gear Solid Master Collection: Volume 1has continued to receive fairly regular updates, proving, at the very least, Konami’s commitment to the bundle. The most recent of theseMGS Master Collectionupdates came on November 15, adding a host of performance updates and quality-of-life features, with the goal of making the package a bit smoother overall.
The most exciting aspects of this recent update include higher settings for internal and upscaled resolutions, both for gameplay and in-engine cutscenes, up to UHD or 4K in many cases. This applies to the PS4, PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S versions of theMetal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1, but not a single one of these options is being made available on the Nintendo Switch. In fact, the only benefit that Switch players will be able to reap from this update is the option to remap their controller bindings which, while certainly a nice addition, somewhat pales in comparison to what other platforms are offering.
Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1’s Lack of New Nintendo Switch Options Is Disappointing
The Switch Continues To Be a Subpar Choice for Many Gaming Experiences
The fact that none of the olderMGSgames can run at 60FPS on Nintendo’s console is somewhat puzzling, as there areplenty of Switch games that can maintain a steady 60FPSwhile being ostensibly more graphically demanding than, say,Metal Gear Solid 2. For many players, the lack of such a progressively commonplace feature for the Switch versions of these games is nothing short of disappointing and frustrating, especially as Konami appears to be making a concerted effort to polish them on other contemporary devices.
These FPS comparisons really only apply toMGS 2andMGS 3on theMaster Collection, as the firstMetal Gear Solidis locked at 30fps on all platforms.
Comparably worse performance on the Switch is exacerbated by the lack of newer graphical features. In essence, while theMGS Master Collectionis moving ahead, getting continually better on other current-gen consoles, the Nintendo Switch version is staying in one place, not enjoying the same improvements and tweaks. While one could argue that Konami is intentionally neglecting the Switch release, most of these shortcomings can be directly attributed to Nintendo’s hardware itself.
The Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Being Ignored On Switch Is Yet Another Reminder That It’s Time for the Switch 2
For years, theNintendo Switch has consistently fallen behind its competitionin terms of raw power and technical capability. In many ways, this is a testament to the platform’s strengths, as it remains competitive and relevant thanks to its exclusives and unique design traits. But at the same time, it makes it not viable as a full replacement for a PS5 or Xbox Series X|S; gamers looking to play a wide spread of AAA titles are often better suited to having the Switch as a supplementary device, not a primary home console.
The Switch’s underpowered hardware means that, in many cases, it’s the worst platform on which to play certain big-budget releases. This can be observed inports likeMortal Kombat 1on Switch, which suffered from egregious graphical shortcomings and performance issues, as well asHogwarts Legacy, which had to partition its open-world into large segments to run on Nintendo’s device. This is to say nothing of the countless major games, includingElden RingandCyberpunk 2077, that aren’t available on Switch at all, likely as a result of its lesser capabilities.
The lack of advanced features on the Switch release of theMGS Master Collectionis just a continuation of this unfortunate trend, as things like 4K resolution are simply not possible on the console. Hopefully, Nintendo will manage to shrink the power gap between it and other leading game platforms with the Switch successor, making these sorts of compromises a rarer occurence.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1
WHERE TO PLAY
Released in 1998, this was the first 3D title in the METAL GEAR series. The game pioneers 3D stealth action against the threat of war and global nuclear weapons, using live action footage, cinematic cut scenes, interwoven with innovative gameplay.The storyline, a whirlwind of intrigue and betrayal, has been hailed as the greatest story of the 20th century and was the third title in the METAL GEAR series to become a hit in subsequent years.Also included: Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, an exclusive digital Screenplay Book and Master Book that details the story and characters in Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear & Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake.
