Since update 1.9.0 for the Nintendo Switch, the performance of Minecraft in handheld mode has dropped considerably, to the point where it’s almost unplayable due to how inconsistent the framerate is. Overall it feels like the performance has dropped by about half, with it occasionally dipping to 15-20fps or in rare cases, lower. There is also a lot of stuttering and what seems to be repeated frames (similar to rubber-banding when there’s lag online, but for a frame/two) when moving at speed (sprinting and turning quickly or spinning the camera).

The video options do not change this at all, they can be set as low as possible or as high as possible, but the framerate stays the same and the stuttering remains. The strange stuttering occurs in both above-ground and underground, when turning the camera quickly.

The performance issues are also random. At one point on the map the framerate would be fine, but upon returning to the same point, the game may slow down and start to stutter.

I didn’t notice these issues at all in the previous version, 1.8.1.