During a presentation at the CEDEC 2026 conference, the development team from Bandai Namco shared technical details regarding the optimization of Kirby Air Riders for the Nintendo Switch 2. The specialists explained in detail how they managed to overcome technical limitations and achieve a stable 60 frames per second in such a dynamic game.
From 15 fps at the start to the target 60 fps
The game was built on Bandai Namco's proprietary engine called SOL-AVES. In the early stages of development, the test version of the game ran at only about 15 frames per second at 720p resolution and consumed too much memory. The team set ambitious goals: to achieve 1080p/60fps in handheld mode and 1440p/60fps when connected to a TV (as well as at least 40 fps in four-player split-screen mode).
Key technical solutions and optimizations
- Abandoning DLSS in favor of the dev kit's native upscaler: The developers considered DLSS, but the technology proved to be too resource-intensive to maintain 60fps. Instead, they opted for the standard scaling tool from the Switch 2 dev kit, which works purely with the color image without requiring additional motion vectors.
- Dynamic resolution: During intense action, the internal resolution is instantly reduced, and the dev kit tool anti-aliases and stretches the image to the native format. During calmer moments, the resolution smoothly returns to the maximum.
- Variable Rate Shading (VRS): To optimize shading, the system focuses maximum detail in the center of the screen and simplifies calculations on the periphery or in areas of rapid movement.
- Texture and lighting optimization: Changing the texture compression algorithm allowed for a 15% reduction in memory usage without noticeable quality loss, and part of the indirect lighting for static objects was pre-baked in the editor.
Thanks to the combination of the updated SOL-AVES engine and the Switch 2 toolset, the studio managed to create an exceptionally smooth and colorful game.
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