Mortal Kombat 1’s messy Switch port finally got a patch & fans have mixed feelings

The latest patch for Mortal Kombat 1’s Switch port finally adds Season 1 of Invasions and makes gameplay and performance changes, but fans can’t decide whether it’s a good first step.

Though it’s received largely positive reviews overall, the release of Mortal Kombat 1 has been somewhat marred by its messy Nintendo Switch port. Mortal Kombat 1’s Switch port provides a noticeably inferior experience that some players have called “nearly unplayable” despite costing the same as on other platforms.

While it’s not a surprise that the less powerful hardware wouldn’t offer the same experience as powerful PCs and current-gen consoles, the dip in quality and lack of content was obvious.

Series creator Ed Boon has promised the port will be fixed, and the game’s October 11 patch seems to be a first step towards the game’s redemption. However, while there are some improvements, fan reactions are pretty mixed.

NetherRealm Studios

MK1 port adds Invasions & performance fixes, but the load times & graphics are still a problem

Mortal Kombat fans on Switch have understandably been frustrated by the situation, particularly in the wake of misleading promo material.

The latest update does make some clear improvements, such as adding Season 1 of Invasions. Other platforms have had this since launch, but Switch players could previously only play the introduction.

So far, based on replies to a Reddit thread discussing the patch, it seems this is a step in the right direction, though a small one.

Players are reporting that, despite the patch notes including “Loading time improvements” and “Visual improvements,” both are still issues here. “Loading times are still not good,” said one player.

However, they also said “framerate feels a lot more stable. 2 Kameo’s came out and it didn’t quite drop straight to 30. It still dropped a bit, but it’s not quite as jarring.” The same user also pointed out the graphics are unlikely to improve due to the necessary performance fixes, and backgrounds “took a pretty big hit” in this update.

Another player said “Gameplay itself is okayish…And it looks decent on 1080p TV in docked mode,” also noting that the game is far more stable than it was before.

“Its still early days but im sure MK1 is going to get much better on the Switch,” said another while noting there is much work still to be done.

Many do seem optimistic about Mortal Kombat 1’s future on Switch following the patch. However, it’s clear any changes and improvements are going to be incremental, and truly matching the quality of other versions of the game is not going to be possible.