Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is brilliant on Steam Deck, but what about Switch and Switch 2?

Bandai Namco and Brownies’ new game, *Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree*, is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC (via Steam). Along with my review, I’m sharing a look at how the game plays on handheld devices, including the Switch, Switch 2 (through backward compatibility), the Steam Deck, and the ROG Ally. I’ve also included my recommended settings for the Steam Deck and ROG Ally, as well as load time tests across all platforms.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree Switch and Switch 2 full game impressions

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is a game for the Nintendo Switch, and it will also work on the new Nintendo Switch 2 because of backwards compatibility. According to Bandai Namco, the game runs at a maximum of 30 frames per second on the Switch, whether played on a TV or in handheld mode. It supports up to 1080p resolution when docked and 720p in handheld mode. These limitations carry over to the Switch 2, but the new console offers two benefits: a more consistent frame rate and quicker loading times.

Playing Towa on the Switch experiences noticeable slowdown during quick movements and suffers from long loading times. While the Switch 2 improves performance in these areas, it introduces a significant delay between player input and on-screen action, especially compared to playing on a Steam Deck or ROG Ally. Although I could adjust to this delay during gameplay, the quick-time events for crafting swords were much more difficult on both Switch consoles. I hope a future update will add support for a smoother 60 frames per second, even if it’s achieved through backward compatibility.

Currently, Towa runs smoothly on the Switch in handheld mode, but doesn’t quite feel as polished as it could, even aiming for 30 frames per second. On the Switch 2, performance is more consistent, however, the graphics aren’t as sharp because it’s playing the original Switch version and doesn’t fully utilize the Switch 2’s screen resolution. While the 3D graphics are a little blurry, the biggest problem is how the 2D elements and text appear. I suggest trying the demo to see if you’re happy with how Towa looks on the Switch 2 before purchasing it.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree PC port features and graphics options

I’ve tested Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree on PC, and it runs very smoothly. The game offers a good range of graphics settings. You can choose between fullscreen, borderless windowed, and windowed modes, and select a resolution from 720p up to 4K. Other options include turning v-sync on or off, setting a frame rate limit (30, 60, 120, 144, or unlimited), enabling or disabling post-processing effects, adjusting shadow quality (off, low, high), choosing an anti-aliasing method (off, SMAA, FXAA), and toggling water reflections.

Currently, you can’t change the controls within the game itself. Instead, you’ll need to adjust them through Steam Input or your controller settings. The game does seem to automatically recognize and map Steam Input for in-game actions, as shown in the image below. The game displays the correct prompts for keyboard/mouse or controller depending on how you’re playing. While the game doesn’t support Steam Remote Play Together, it *does* support playing with others over a network. I wasn’t able to test the network play feature before the game’s release.

I’ve noticed that even when playing in 4K, character portraits and other 2D images sometimes appear less sharp than the 3D graphics. Hopefully, the developers can address this in a future update, as the difference in quality can be quite noticeable and distracting.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree Steam Deck impressions

The game *Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree* has been officially verified for the Steam Deck, and this verification before release is well-deserved. It fully supports widescreen (16:10) and 800p resolutions, and seamlessly saves your progress to the cloud, letting you switch between playing on the Steam Deck and your PC without losing your place. The game runs smoothly, consistently hitting 90 frames per second on the Steam Deck OLED with minimal power draw. While the game is already excellent to play handheld, I wanted to test how well it performed when connected to a TV.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree Steam Deck recommended settings

I’ve created two sets of recommended settings for playing *Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree* on the Steam Deck, considering how well the game runs on PC. One set is optimized for handheld mode, working with both the Steam Deck LCD and OLED models. The other is for when the Steam Deck is docked and connected to a monitor or TV. When docked, you can target 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second, or 1440p at 30-60fps. I prefer stable frame rates, so I suggest 1440p only if you’re comfortable with a 30 or 40fps target – there might be some minor dips in performance. For a consistently smooth 60fps experience while docked, stick to 1080p.

When playing Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree on handheld mode, the default settings should work fine. However, for the best experience on the Steam Deck OLED, I suggest setting the resolution to 800p and the frame rate target to 120fps to achieve around 90fps with the full 16:10 display. If you prefer 60fps and want to conserve battery, set the Steam Deck OLED’s refresh rate to 60Hz *before* starting the game and targeting 60fps for smooth gameplay.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree ROG Ally impressions

I’ve been playing *Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree* on my ROG Ally, and it’s a really fun experience! On the Z1 Extreme model, it runs great, but getting a super smooth 1080p at 120fps with all the settings maxed out is tough unless I use the 30fps turbo mode. If I’m playing on the 25W or 15W power modes, I can usually hit a steady 120fps at 720p. Honestly, for the best balance of visuals and performance on 25W, I think aiming for 90 or 60fps at 1080p looks fantastic, especially if you want to keep anti-aliasing on. I wouldn’t even bother with the 10W mode – the frame rate just drops too low, even at 720p. You *can* play at 1080p with 120fps using the 25W turbo, but you’ll need to turn off shadows and anti-aliasing to make it work.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree load times: Switch 2 vs Steam vs Switch

I tested how long it took to load the game *Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree* on different devices. I used the Switch 2 (with the game installed on its internal storage), the Switch OLED (with the game on an SD card), the Steam Deck OLED (with the Steam version on its internal SSD), and the ROG Ally (with the Steam version on its internal SSD). I measured loading times in three stages: from the dashboard to the title screen (skipping logos by pressing A repeatedly), loading a saved game until you control your character, and starting a new run, including the time to select a character and begin gameplay.

Test	Dashboard to title	Loading save	New run
Switch	30-31	12	20 and 24
Switch on Switch 2	15-16	6-7	8 and 11
Steam Deck	19	4	5.5 and 6.5
ROG Ally	17	3.5	4.5 and 6

Note: All load times above are in seconds.

The Nintendo Switch loads games initially quicker than the Steam Deck and ROG Ally, but the Steam Deck and ROG Ally actually load saves and move between game sections faster overall. The Switch version is the slowest when it comes to these later tasks, and currently feels a bit rough to play due to occasional slowdowns and inconsistent frame rates.

Which is the best version of Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree to play on the go?

Currently, the best way to play Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree on the go is with the Steam Deck OLED, thanks to its vibrant OLED screen and ability to hit a smooth 90 frames per second. While the upcoming Switch 2 will be able to play the original Switch version, it will be limited to 30fps. Although the Switch version is being improved to address performance hiccups, it still doesn’t compare to playing the PC version on handheld devices like the Steam Deck. The ROG Ally is a close second, capable of running the game at 1080p and 120fps. Hopefully, a future update will optimize Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree for the Switch 2, as the experience isn’t ideal right now, but is better than playing on the original Switch.

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree will be available on September 19th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and PC through Steam.

2025-09-18 16:58