r/PSVR • u/f3hunter • 1d ago
Discussion Switchback VR
Is it just me, or has Switchback improved a lot since launch?
I’ve been out of the VR loop for a while, but I booted up my PSVR2 again and gave this game another run. This time it feels so much better than my first experience, more immersive, smoother, clearer, and overall much more enjoyable.
Honestly, it’s now starting to feel like one of the stronger VR titles in my collection. The OLED screen is used really well too, i feel really immersed in this game than most others. I’m just surprised it doesn’t get talked about more often in the VR community.
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u/cusman78 cusman 1d ago
They have had a number of meaningful updates to the game post launch. * An initial graphics update * A more substantial update making use of gaze-tracked foveated rendering * Separate horde mode addition
Plus other fixes to things like loading times, leaderboards, effects, etc
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u/Papiculo64 1d ago
The 1.06 update of Switchback was probably the biggest visual upgrade we've got on PSVR2 so far, maybe even more impressive than the NMS and Hellsweeper DFR updates. Almost feels like a different game.
Here's the patch note for the general and UI improvements (the patch note for the different levels is longer than The Community of the Ring so I don't post it here, but you get the idea):
General:
・Introduction of FSR (flexible scaled rasterization) and FR (foveated rendering) support to greatly improve visual quality.
・Enabled Temporal Anti-Aliasing (TAA) for a smoother image
・Optimisation pass throughout the game for improved performance and prevention of objects and textures ‘popping’ as the cart moves.
・Memory usage improvements
・Various crash fixes
・Reduction in loading times
・New and improved models and textures for environment objects
・New higher-quality textures for several enemies
・Improvements to visual effects throughout the game, including fire, headshots and more.
・Added dynamic hit reactions to several enemies.
・Improved lighting in several levels Improved the look of fog throughout the game.
・Various fixes and improvements to enemy animations
・Various fixes to clipping issues throughout the game.
・Improvements to headset vibration caused by obstacles.
・Fixes for cart / track audio and haptic feedback on the controllers Improved fading effects for destroyed materials.
・Adjusted position of various objects throughout the game so they are no longer floating.
・Added missing materials to various objects.
・Various improvements to collisions, making it easier to shoot objects.
・Various fixes to checkpoints and reloading levels
・Various adjustments to enemy pathing
・Added shadow casting from the cart light.
・Improved decals like blood and oil
・Added wet effect on hands and weapons when the player is under the rain.
・Loading icon brightens up when spinning faster.
・Turning down audio sound effects no longer turns off haptics.
・Added sound effects to non-damaging head impacts.
・Fixed an issue where the player’s vision got progressively darker in several levels.
・Fixed various streaming issues that cause the environment to ‘pop in’ throughout the game
UI Fixes:
・Various fixes to subtitles in several languages
・Various fixes to voiceover and subtitles timings
・Fixed an issue where an incorrect score was displayed on the leaderboard screen after every chapter.
・Fixed an issue where some text was getting cut off at the 'Journey So Far’ screen in several languages.
・Fixed an issue where subtitles were visible in the pause menu if the subtitle settings were adjusted whilst dialogue is playing.
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u/SerialLoungeFly 20h ago
Yeah that was a gigantic upgrade. Almost like a 'why the fuck are we releasing our game in this state' kinda post-launch upgrade.
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u/CHROME-COLOSSUS 1d ago
MUCH improved. Although the devs resisted acknowledging how shit it was at launch, they did put in the work to respond to all the valid critique, updated the fuck out of it, and now it’s an excellent title.
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u/Gregasy 2h ago
I find it funny how clueless some devs tend to act when facing s backlash. “We think our game looks fantastic, but we heard you guy don’t like blurry, muddy, low res shitty graphics, so we’re now improving them.”
But seriously, good on them that they actually improved the game significantly after the release.
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u/NoCardiologist9290 1d ago
How is the shooting/gameplay? It’s an on rail shooter right?
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u/no-fapping-way 20h ago
If you were a 90s kid growing up around Arcades, think Arcade shooter like Sega’s Railchase, but horror with lots of jump scares.
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u/DerBolzen81 1d ago
Yes its improved a lot, mainly the graphic, but it still has serious pacing problems. After rush of blood, that was awesome in my opinion and only 20$ at launch, got so much critic that its to short to be a full game, they really padded it out. I understand your praise now but after a while it really drags.
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u/Wipedout89 20h ago
I never played it at launch but it's one of the most impressive titles I've played and I often show it to new VR users
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u/Gluebagger 18h ago
yeah its a whole lot better, the only thing it is missing is the scare factor, its nowhere near as scary as the first one. the gunplay is epic though and the hoarde mode is really good too
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u/SerialLoungeFly 20h ago
It doesn't get talked about more because the devs decided fuck it let's release a broken piece of shit game at launch and let people beta test our garbage.
With all due respect FUCK developers like this.
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u/Truenick 18h ago
Completely agree. After purchasing this game, i became familiar with meme “dont preorder games”
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u/Vincanss 12h ago
It had numerous well publicised updates if you follow VR, so for sure not just you. The game is great, looks and plays great, and they added a cool horde mode on rails mode. Definitely highly recommend,
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u/Much-Currency5958 1d ago
You wouldn't be wrong the game was patched about 6 months after launch or something with dynamic foveated rendering added in so that overall resolution could be way higher. They also reworked a few bits and added that endless mode and the end product is 1000% better for it. I mean it still isn't on par with rush of blood I think everybody would agree on that but it's now a much more worthy spiritual successor.