Update: Recent Nintendo Switch Online Update Improves Ocarina of Time Graphical Issues & Input Lag
Posted on January 26 2022 by Mike Midwood
Update: In addition to the graphical improvements discussed below, the most recent update to Nintendo Switch Online seems to have also improved the often criticized input lag present in the service’s version of Ocarina of Time. As reported by VGC and Kotaku, YouTube’s Modern Vintage Gamer, in a recent video, determined that the input latency in Ocarina has been reduced by “about 1-2 frames,” an improvement from the 5 to 6 frames of input lag experienced before the update.
While, it seems, there is still plenty of room for improvement in regard’s to NSO’s catalogue of Nintendo 64 titles, this most recent update does signal an attempt by Nintendo to address the concerns of fans. We will continue to monitor the situation for further developments.
Original: While many Zelda fans were happy to see Ocarina of Time come to Nintendo Switch Online back in October, reports of graphical and performance problems quickly emerged. Most of the Nintendo 64 games added to the service through the Expansion Pack were noted to have input lag, sound delay, and framerate drops, but Ocarina of Time in particular contained very noticeable visual problems compared with past releases of the game. Crucial visual elements like the in-game fog were simply absent, and many textures were either missing or bugged. Water textures seemed to be hit the hardest, lacking their depth and reflective properties. Thankfully, a recent update may have begun the repair process.
According to Nintendo dataminers LuigiBlood and OatmealDome, some effects have been restored to the game’s water after a recent update. Previously, the water lacked its reflections and translucency. This was especially damaging in places like the Dark Link room in the Water Temple. That is one of Ocarina of Time‘s most memorable moments and is largely dependent on the atmosphere created by those effects. While not a total fix, the restoration of these elements is a step in the direction of an accurate recreation.
[NSO – Nintendo 64]
It seems the water in the now-infamous Water Temple room has been fixed in the latest update? I think the fog is still missing, though.
Haven’t checked the rest of the game to see if any of the other issues have changed, but this is promising. pic.twitter.com/wcoG3hIxu2
— OatmealDome (@OatmealDome) January 21, 2022
Kotaku reached out to OatmealDome for comment on the improved water effects:
“In terms of the Water Temple room, the water now has some translucency and renders reflections correctly, so it doesn’t look as ugly as before…However, there is a scrolling water texture layer which is much less subtle on the Switch when you compare it to N64/GC/Wii/WiiU, so it isn’t quite right yet. Fog is still absent as well—in this room, there is supposed to be some atmospheric distance fog which just isn’t present in the Switch version. This also applies to the entire game so areas like Kokiri Forest are also still affected.”
Those who were disappointed by Ocarina of Time‘s flawed entrance to Nintendo’s premium service will be happy to hear that attention has been taken to their complaints. While there is still plenty of work to do on restoring this classic to its former glory, it is promising that Nintendo is willing to listen to feedback and correct mistakes.
What do you think of this improvement? How do you feel about Ocarina of Time‘s launch on Nintendo Switch Online? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: OatmealDome, LuigiBlood (via VGC, Kotaku), Modern Vintage Gamer (via VGC, Kotaku)
Hi, I’m Mike Midwood and I’m a Senior Editor at ZeldaDungeon! Video games and literature are my greatest joys in life. An avid Zelda fan, some of my other favorite games include the Resident Evil and Dark Souls series. I hope you enjoy my content here on ZeldaDungeon!
“The sword has no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage.”
