Despite claims that the experience would be the ‘same,’ Nintendo reveals every difference between the Switch and Wii U versions ofThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
When Nintendo first started talking aboutThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildon two platforms, the Wii U and the Switch (codenamed NXat the time), the company promised that therewould not be any differences between the two versions. However, now that theNintendo Switch specsare out there and the company has begun talking about everything the new console can do when compared to the old one, the narrative has changed a bit.
Admittedly, nothing too drastic will change when comparing the Switch version ofThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildwith the Wii U version, but the Switch version will objectively run and look better. We already know that Zelda on Wii U will onlyrequire 3GB of space, whereas the Switch version will need 13GB, but apparently there are a few other key differences worth pointing out.
The difference between the two versions that most will call attention to is the resolution, with the Wii U delivering a 720p experience and the Switch version running at 900p. Resolutions rarely are a selling point for Nintendo consoles or games, but knowing that one is higher resolution is sure to influence a few gamers towards the Switch. That being said, both versions will run at 30fps, so while one version may look slightly better it won’t run any better.
For those avidZeldacollectors out there, we are sad to report that theMaster Edition ofBreath of the Wildis exclusive to the Switch, meaning there will be no Wii U version on launch day. The good news is that Nintendo isn’t delaying the Wii U version of the game like they did withTwilight Princessin an effort to help sell Switch consoles.
Check out the full list ofThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildkey facts below:
Another interesting item of note is that the Switch version will have “higher quality environmental sounds.” What exactly that encompasses isn’t entirely clear, but according to Nintendo these environmental sounds will help give the game a more “open air” feel.
All told, though, it appears thatThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildwill be a similar experience on both platforms, with the Switch version looking slightly better and having a few extra bells and whistles. Outside of that, it’s hard to imagine a Wii U player feeling like they got a lesser experience by missing out on the environmental sounds. After all,Zeldauses aunique art stylethat favors design over fidelity.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildreleases Aug 02, 2025 for Switch and Wii U.
