Kena: Bridge of Spirits developer explains the Switch 2 port and why 40 FPS was not worth the compromise

Ember Lab has explained more about bringing Kena: Bridge of Spirits to Nintendo Switch 2. In a new interview, COO Josh Grier said the studio had experimented with the original Switch but did not have the bandwidth to pursue a full port at the time. Switch 2 gave the team a better opportunity, but the port still required serious optimization work. Ember Lab refined LOD thresholds, texture memory usage, HLODs, distant environmental billboards and the Rot character assets to preserve the game’s charm while improving rendering performance. The game also uses DLSS for upscaling, with settings chosen to match the studio’s visual goals and performance target. Interestingly, Grier said a 40 FPS mode might be technically possible, but would require visual compromises the team did not feel were worth it. That is a useful detail for players who often ask why every Switch 2 game does not include a 40 FPS option. Porting is always a trade-off. Ember Lab says it is watching player feedback and may consider future patches if they are within scope.