Kena Switch 1 Port Scrapped Over Performance

Ember Labs attempted to build Kena: Bridge of Spirits for the original Nintendo Switch but stopped work on that version after testing showed the hardware could not deliver the game’s intended resolution and stable frame rates. The studio shifted development to the more powerful Nintendo Switch 2.

Josh Grier, Ember Labs’ chief operating officer, said the team tested a Switch 1 build but concluded the changes required would hurt the game’s artistic approach. “We did try to get it out on Switch 1. But trying to get on Switch 1, we would have had to really alter the artistic style of the game. We would have just really had to squeeze stuff,” he explained.

The studio faced a direct trade‑off between resolution and frame rate. Grier described the problem: “We couldn’t get the resolution there at the frame rate we wanted. And then when we did bump resolution, the frame rate was just… not great.” He pointed to scenes with many on‑screen elements and platforming sequences where frame‑rate drops made controls feel less precise.

A build for the original Switch remains on Ember Labs’ internal servers, Grier confirmed. The team chose to continue development on Nintendo Switch 2 to avoid reducing animation quality, visual detail and responsiveness in order to fit the title onto the older hardware.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is Ember Labs’ action‑adventure game that combines detailed visuals with precise platforming. The studio’s account details the technical limits encountered when adapting an art‑forward game to less powerful console hardware.