Nintendo Switch Online Users Say Perfect Dark N64 Has Problems

Highlights

• Perfect Dark N64’s Switch version faces technical issues like low sound and graphical glitches.
• Fans are asking Nintendo to fix emulation problems with input lag and visual effects causing the screen to freeze.
• Despite backlash, hope remains for updates to improve gameplay on the Switch port.

Players trying out the newly-released Perfect Dark N64 are highlighting a number of technical problems with the game. The issues are centered around the Switch version of the original Perfect Dark first-person shooter that debuted on the Nintendo Switch Online service.

Recent weeks have seen a surfeit of exciting news for Perfect Dark fans. After years of silence, Microsoft revealed the first trailer for the Xbox reboot of Perfect Dark. Nintendo followed up by announcing the addition of more retro games to its Nintendo Switch Online catalog, including Perfect Dark N64, a Switch-compatible port of the original game that launched the beloved franchise.

Perfect Dark N64 debuted alongside Turok: Dinosaur Hunter as part of the Nintendo Switch Online Mature Collection, an umbrella category for NSO-hosted retro games with an ESRB rating of M for “Mature.” Like other retro titles available through the Nintendo Switch Online service, Perfect Dark N64 is played through an emulation program – software that essentially “pretends” to be old game console hardware for the purposes of running games and apps made for that hardware. Unfortunately, a number of users have uncovered problems with the game on Switch and took to social media to draw attention to them.

Players Lament the Quality of Perfect Dark N64 on Nintendo Switch

Though Perfect Dark N64 is now playable on Switch, there are a number of issues with the emulation quality. A long thread by Goldeneye fan Graslu00 (who helped test a Source engine port of the original Goldeneye N64 game) outlines many of the most significant problems, which range from minor glitches like low sound effects volume, to glitches that make the game unplayable, like the “dizzy” visual effect essentially freezing the game screen when affecting players. Fans called on Nintendo to do right by one of the most beloved games developed by Rare and fix the issues.

According to the complaints, the Switch’s emulation also has graphical and performance problems not present in the original N64 version, like slowdowns after sustained weapons fire, input lag, problematic aim sensitivity, and broken visual effects. The problems, particularly with input lag, are reportedly severe enough to affect Perfect Dark N64 gameplay on Switch, even when playing with the Nintendo 64 Switch Controller. Some players characterized the experience on Switch as being similar to playing using an outdated N64 emulator, as the problems found have long been solved on PC-based Nintendo 64 emulators.

Given the reputation of Perfect Dark among retro game enthusiasts, it’s unsurprising that the shortcomings of its Switch port would inspire some backlash. Thankfully, Nintendo does have a history of issuing updates for its emulated retro titles after problems are highlighted, so it could just be a matter of time until one is deployed. With luck, that wait won’t be too long.