Mortal Kombat 1 Nintendo Switch gameplay leaked, seemingly an old and unfinished build

Boasting next-gen visuals, Mortal Kombat 1 is the next big fighting game on the horizon that players are excited about. There has been much hubbub over the Nintendo Switch version, with fans wondering how it will turn out. The latest leak answers these questions as a player seems to have gotten their hands on a copy of the game ahead of launch.

As such, the debut Nintendo Switch footage of Mortal Kombat 1 is out in the wild. Even though it is clearly an older build of the game, it is clear that the final release may divide fans from a technical standpoint.

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Mortal Kombat 1 on Nintendo Switch looks compromised yet reasonable at the same time

A bunch of footage has been leaked across the internet, and users have been quick to archive them. This ensures players can get a first look at the footage since the publisher has not unveiled the portable hybrid rendition yet. While we cannot post them directly here, readers should know that it is more or in line with what is expected from the system. Interested readers can find the first leaked clip here and the second leaked clip here.

With that said, it is clear it will not impress many players. Before they jump to conclusions, it is important to note that this is likely an older build of the game. Various glitches and visual artifacts seen in the footage make that evident. Furthermore, it seems to be an off-screen capture. So it is hard to make a judgment before the final release.

What is clear and also expected is the compromises made. While Mortal Kombat 1 seems to operate at a solid 60 FPS frame rate (with 30 FPS Fatality cutscenes being the norm across all platforms), the game does take a visual hit. Cutbacks to resolution, texture quality, shadows, lack of ambient occlusion, and more are very much visible. It remains to be seen how much improved the final game will be.

Given how respectable Nintendo Switch's previous outing, Mortal Kombat 11, was, there is some hope here. While this portable rendition will certainly pale in comparison to the vastly superior PlayStation 5/Xbox Series X|S versions, what is here seems adequate given the Nintendo Switch's current specs. It does highlight the need for a next-gen successor soon, however.

Thankfully, Nintendo is likely on top of their game this time around. With recent rumors suggesting a big jump over the current version in terms of hardware, it would not be unreasonable to assume a Nintendo Switch 2 version of Mortal Kombat will look more in line with current-gen consoles. With that said, the official reveal of the Nintendo Switch rendition of the game should be around the corner.

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Mortal Kombat 1 launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC on September 19, 2023.