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To say that the performance of Nintendo 64 games in Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack has been disappointing is an understatement. Between input lag, audio lag, frame rate issues, and more, NSO + EP members have been understandably annoyed by paying the new $49.99 cost and receiving subpar emulation in return.
However, the most recent Switch update (which introduced Banjo-Kazooie to the N64 lineup) seems to have included improvements to N64 emulation and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Prior to the update, many users reported a variety of issues with the NSO + EP version of Ocarina, including not just input lag and audio delay, but graphical issues that made this version look significantly worse than previous versions. In the Water Temple, for example, the floor on the water of the chamber where the fight with Dark Link happens looked really rough and bizarre and hardly anything like water. It lacked reflection (which is an important detail relevant to setting up Dark Link’s appearance), and the room didn’t contain the fog that gives the room the ethereal, mysterious quality that sets the tone for the fight. While the fog is still missing, the appearance and reflections have been improved along with the input lag.
It’s worth noting that the changes seem to have occurred not to the games themselves, but to the Switch’s N64 emulator. While the emulation still isn’t perfect, it’s good news for NSO + EP members that Nintendo is acting on its promise to “continue to improve and expand” NSO. Let’s just hope that they don’t settle for “good enough” and stop here.
Source: Modern Vintage Gaming
