Returning to the lively yet chaotic Night City, Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition is packed with action, amazing storytelling, breathtaking scenery, and lots of customization to live out your fantasy in a cyberpunk-themed world. As it arrives on the Nintendo Switch 2, the port proves it is a worthy addition that can stand alongside other console releases, with the perk of being playable in handheld mode and offering exclusive features.
What a crazy time we live in. If you were to tell me that Cyberpunk 2077 would be playable on the Nintendo Switch, I would call you crazy. But now is the time, and it’s still shocking to learn that Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition is available on the Nintendo Switch 2, and not only does it feature the base game, but Nintendo players will also get to experience the Phantom Liberty expansion. Despite being five years old, it is still a demanding game that leaves us questioning how it fares on Nintendo’s latest console, the Nintendo Switch 2.
To give a brief recap of Cyberpunk 2077, V is a mercenary in Night City who completes jobs to become rich and attain legendary status. But after a disastrous job to retrieve the Relic chip from Arasaka and being left for dead by their fixer, V awakens to a digital ghost, Johnny Silverhand, in their head due to the Relic chip. Johnny slowly kills V as he takes over their body. With little time left, V goes on a quest to find a cure, uncover Arasaka’s secrets, and carve a path to make a name for themselves.
But since the game has been out for a while, many will be asking themselves how this intense game fares on Nintendo’s latest console. Playing the game in handheld mode, Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition automatically sets to Quality Mode, which runs at 1080p and 30 fps. Right from the start, the visuals are stunning as the character models, backgrounds, and user interface look sharp. Considering how chaotic some scenes are in the base game, the frame rate remains nearly stable. Despite looking great most of the time, there is a rare chance that geometry and lighting glitch while driving or roaming the city, and hair can sometimes look fuzzy.
In addition to Quality Mode, the game offers Performance Mode, which lowers the resolution to 720p to achieve the target of 40 frames per second (fps). However, the frame rate fluctuates in demanding scenes and while driving. Although the frame rate boost could be great, the lower resolution can be distracting, especially when the text and UI look too soft and the hair becomes too fuzzy.
The dock experience was quite interesting, as the only difference was the frame rate for Quality and Performance Modes. Regarding the modes, Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition runs at 1080p, with the Quality Mode performing similarly to the handheld Quality Mode and the Performance Mode uncapping to 40fps. In Performance Mode, the driving experience felt smooth, and completing missions at 1080p was seamless, as it prioritizes hitting the 40fps target, which sometimes fluctuates during demanding scenarios, such as vehicle combat. Due to VRR being supported in handheld mode only, it’s important to note that the Performance Mode in dock mode is only available for 120Hz and above displays.
“Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition is packed with action, amazing storytelling, breathtaking scenery, and lots of customization to live out your fantasy in a cyberpunk-themed world.”
Interestingly, Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition features the spy-thriller expansion, Phantom Liberty. This was surprising, as the DLC was not on the Xbox One and PS4 versions, highlighting the Nintendo Switch 2 power capabilities. Although included, Phantom Liberty is very demanding, especially in the new area, Dogtown.
Stepping into Phantom Liberty, the frame rate noticeably drops across all modes while playing in handheld and dock modes. As I entered Dogtown, the area was highly detailed and cramped, which affected the framerates while driving and engaging in combat with the enemies. In addition to Dogtown being demanding, the story is action-heavy, with framerates dropping during my fight against numerous enemies, the Chimera boss, and segments that featured visual glitches. Although taxing, I found the expansion somewhat stable in Quality Mode while docked.
With the launch of Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, CD PROJEKT RED included exclusive features for the Nintendo Switch 2 version. The biggest feature is mouse control. I found mouse control excellent when aiming, but it suffers from awkward button placement, as I often struggled with entering cars and swapping weapons. Other features include a gyroscope to assist with aiming, touchscreen functionality for simple menu navigation and hacking mini-games, and Motion Pattern.
The last and most impressive feature is Motion Pattern. After completing a tutorial, players can perform certain actions using gestures with the Joy-Con 2, including dodging, healing, punching, slashing, and reloading. Paired with gyroscope controls, Motion Pattern was very fun to use and made me feel like I belonged in Night City while eliminating enemies and completing gigs as a mercenary. Although I sometimes accidentally healed or dodged while readjusting my left hand on the Joy-Con 2, which could be annoying.
The Nintendo Switch 2 version of Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition holds its own alongside Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC versions, especially for gamers who prefer handheld or hybrid gaming. Although it doesn’t look or perform as well as ninth-generation consoles and could be demanding in the Phantom Liberty expansion, it amazes me how a beautiful, graphics-intensive game runs on the Nintendo Switch 2.
