Digital Foundry has posted its tech review for Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition on the Switch 2, putting the game through its paces to see just how the main story and Phantom Liberty expansion hold up on Nintendo’s new console.
To start, DF notes that the inclusion of Phantom Liberty itself is pretty remarkable given that developer CD Projekt Red opted to skip PS4 and Xbox One, favouring the beefier hardware seen in current-gen systems. The fact that the Switch 2 is able to handle this at all is commendable, but it should be said that this is where the hardware struggles the most.
As standard, Cyberpunk 2077 offers up four visual modes: 30fps quality and 40fps performance, with both also available as separate handheld options. Here’s how each mode handles resolution:
- Handheld Performance – 640×360 – 1280×720
- Handheld Quality – 800×450 – 1440×810
- Docked Performance – 960×540 – 1920×1080
- Docked Quality – 1280×720 – 1920×1080
DLSS is in use, but it’s noted that high-paced action can cause a few visual hiccups, such as blurriness and temporal noise. However, outside of resolution, there’s actually very little difference in visual quality between docked and handheld modes.
When compared to other consoles, the Switch is running at the same texture quality setting as the PS5, putting it above Xbox Series X and PS4. Many in-game textures are purposefully the same across all platforms, but where there is a difference, the Switch 2 is actually one of the more accomplished consoles in this respect. Similarly, DLSS is put to great use, making image clarity a lot better on the Switch 2 when compared to the PS4.
On the flipside, the Switch 2 is a lot closer to the PS4 when it comes to pedestrian and vehicle density, so if the streets of Night City look a little quiet on the Switch 2, then you know why. It’s largely done to ensure stable frame rates, but DF does still state that what the console is able to achieve is “impressive”. With shadows, it’s noted that indoor settings produce higher quality shadows than those seen on PS4, but outdoor shadows produced by the sun are actually slightly worse.
With frame rate, the Switch 2 holds up well, sticking to the 30fps target in quality mode for the main story. In the Phantom Liberty expansion, however, the more complex design of the environment causes frame rates on Switch 2 to drop as low as 20-25.
In the 40fps performance mode, the overall experience is a little bit of a mixed bag. Indoor areas are smoother, holding at around 40fps for the most part, but outdoor sections and busy shootouts actually cause the frame rate to drop down to 30fps or even slightly lower.
Finally, when playing handheld, it’s estimated that frame rates are largely the same as docked, though DF isn’t able to test this area properly. Thanks to VRR, however, it’s said that portable play is probably the smoothest experience on Switch 2, though in instances where performance does drop below 30fps, it’s a lot more noticeable.
