AO Tennis 2 Switch day-one patch delayed + initial impressions

Aussie team Big Ant Studios’ latest sporting foray, AO Tennis 2, is out now, but the day-one patch of the Nintendo Switch version has a slight delay. While the other platforms currently feature the latest build, Switch players will need to wait until this Saturday (11th January) for the day-one update to go live.

After playing the pre-release version of AO Tennis 2 for a couple of weeks, I can confirm it is absolutely playable, but not an entirely smooth experience. To demonstrate the up-to-date version, Big Ant Studios provided me with a digital copy of AO Tennis 2 on Xbox One, inclusive of the day-one patch.

The difference between the two is immediately noticeable; on the updated Xbox version the tennis gameplay feels tighter, animations smoother, and everything packs another level of polish. If Saturday’s Switch update brings the gameplay to parity with Xbox One, tennis fans are in for a treat.

The official notes on what the day-one update will bring are as follows:

• Improved score HUD.
• Added full language support.
• Licensing alterations.
• Numerous front end menu improvements.
• Numerous animation improvements.
• Numerous audio improvements.
• Numerous stability improvements.

One thing’s for certain: AO Tennis 2 is no arcade experience. It’s a tough, gruelling sports sim, even on lower difficulties. In that regards, it does a spectacular job of recreating the nature of tennis, where the slightest of errors result in quick losses of points. AO Tennis 2 is performing well so far on the critical front across other platforms, including from our friends over at Player 2, stating the PS4 version is “a deep and rewarding simulation that offers much for the hardcore tennis fans”. Additionally, IGN calls AO Tennis 2 the “best videogame simulation of the sport in years”.

I’m inclined to agree that AO Tennis is a great tennis game on the more powerful platforms. However, I’ll need to check out the Switch patch before committing to a review, as it’s not yet on the same level.

Expect to see a full review of AO Tennis 2 on Nintendo Switch this weekend following Saturday’s update.