Hitman: World of Assassination on Switch 2 Appears to Have an Undocumented Performance Mode

Unveiled Performance Boost: Hitman’s Dynamic Frame Rate Adjustment on Switch 2 (720p Optimization)

Hitman: World of Assassination on Switch 2 exhibits an unadvertised performance characteristic: its graphics and frame rates dynamically adjust based on the console’s initial system-level display settings. This can lead to a significant performance increase, reaching up to 62.5% in some scenarios, despite no in-game menu or setting to control it. The discovery began with an observation from Harry Mingham, who reported that Hitman: World of Assassination typically runs between 30 and 45 frames per second (fps) on Switch 2. Mingham noted a substantial performance improvement when the TV resolution was manually switched from 4K to 720p in the system settings. For instance, the Hawkes Bay mission then ran with a steady frame rate. Depending on the content, the game can achieve up to 60 fps with Switch 2 set to 720p, though demanding scenes may see drops to around 45 fps.

To investigate this phenomenon, tests were conducted across various graphically intensive and CPU-heavy missions, including Paris, Mumbai, Berlin, and Whittleton Creek. These locations were chosen because past tests on other systems indicated that Berlin and Whittleton Creek are typically graphics-intensive, while the high number of NPCs in Paris and Mumbai could reveal CPU limitations on Switch 2. Clips were recorded at 720p, 1080p, and 4K resolutions as per the Switch interface. Analysis of Whittleton Creek, a mission where frame rate variation is most pronounced, revealed notable differences: At 4K, the game averaged 46.88 fps. At 1080p, performance slightly dipped to 40.45 fps. At 720p, the frame rate significantly climbed to 59.93 fps. This data shows a 9.7% performance increase when moving from 4K to 1080p, but a remarkable 62.5% jump from 1080p to 720p. The 720p setting also proved 48.2% swifter than 4K. These results suggest that setting the system to 720p allows the game to render directly at that resolution, substantially boosting frame rates.

Enhanced CPU Performance Scaling in Hitman’s World of Assassination on Switch 2

However, performance scaling differs in CPU-bound areas like Paris and Mumbai. In these scenes, frame rates are more closely aligned across resolutions: approximately 42 fps at 720p, 39 fps at 1080p, and 35 fps at 4K. The less dramatic improvement at 720p in these scenarios indicates that the performance bottleneck shifts from the GPU to the CPU. It appears the game renders at a higher resolution when the console is set to 1080p, with estimates suggesting resolutions between 1152p and 1188p, potentially leading to a performance hit due to scaling. For 4K output, Digital Foundry suggests that the pixel count might be similar to that of the 1080p mode, indicating further investigation. The potential use of DLSS for this scaling technology is also being examined. For players, prioritizing frame rate involves setting the console to 720p, though this comes at the cost of visual fidelity. If a 4K screen is used, opting for 1080p system settings can provide approximately a nine percent increase in frame rate compared to 4K, albeit with upscaling.

Unveiling Dynamic Performance Adaptations in Hitman’s World of Assassination on Switch 2

These resolution-dependent frame rate changes do not appear to be an advertised “Performance Mode” option within the game menus. While game modes linked to system settings have precedents (e.g., PS4 Pro’s 1080p and 4K modes), it is unusual for a home console to exhibit such dynamic shifts during gameplay rather than solely at startup. A Digital Foundry Supporter Program member noted that the original Switch and Switch 2 have long utilized similar performance adaptations when switching between docked and portable modes, which may offer some context for this behavior. Clarification from Io Interactive regarding these findings is anticipated.

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Carlos Mendoza

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