Cyberpunk 2077 on Switch 2: a cutting-edge game translates well to Nintendo's console hybrid

Few games among the Nintendo Switch 2 launch line-up can match Cyberpunk 2077 in putting the system through its paces. It’s a staple of our PC benchmarking suite for good reason: the open world design is a solid stressor for any CPU, while its effects-heavy battles challenge GPU resources as well. This Switch 2 release has clearly been a big undertaking for developer CD Projekt Red too, who produced the port in-house with unique optimisations for Switch 2’s ARM-based architecture. It’s also remarkably the Ultimate Edition of the game, with both the core adventure and the more taxing Phantom Liberty expansion bundled in – an extra portion that proved too demanding to justify a last-gen console release, and was instead restricted to PS5 and Series X/S, and yet here it is running on Switch 2.

To cut to the chase, Switch 2 offers a truly viable way to enjoy Cyberpunk, either in a portable format or docked under a TV. However, CDPR has shot for the stars in its ambition to include Phantom Liberty as well, and it’s here that Switch 2 hits some technical limits – with frame-rates struggling as we explore its newer Dog Town region. Still, that aside, there’s a lot to admire in the game’s engineering for Nintendo’s new console overall, and how competitive it is in comparison with other consoles.

With that in mind, where exactly does Switch 2 slot in visually between the last-gen PS4 and the more advanced Xbox Series S and PS5 versions? And what’s the state of its frame-rate as it targets 30fps in its quality mode or 40fps in its performance mode? Let’s find out.

First up, Switch 2 actually offers four main configurations, with a 30fps quality mode and 40fps performance mode on offer in both docked TV or portable play. The biggest point of differentiation between each mode is image quality. Switch 2 is the only console to offer Nvidia’s DLSS upscaling, albeit in a custom form, versus the FSR on PS5/Series consoles and CDPR’s TAA on last-gen machines. In docked play, each mode targets 1080p via DLSS, with quality mode rendering at a resolution between 720p to 1080p and performance mode operating at a more flexible 540p to 1080p to sustain 40fps. Inevitably, Switch 2 in its portable state drops these figures further, down to a 450p to 810p range in quality mode (targeting 810p via DLSS), and further still with a 360p to 720p range in performance mode (reconstructing to 720p via DLSS).