Few games among nan Nintendo Switch 2 motorboat line-up tin lucifer Cyberpunk 2077 successful putting nan strategy done its paces. It's a staple of our PC benchmarking suite for bully reason: nan unfastened world creation is simply a coagulated stressor for immoderate CPU, while its effects-heavy battles situation GPU resources arsenic well. This Switch 2 merchandise has intelligibly been a large undertaking for developer CD Projekt Red too, who produced nan larboard in-house pinch unsocial optimisations for Switch 2's ARM-based architecture. It's besides remarkably nan Ultimate Edition of nan game, pinch some nan halfway escapade and nan much taxing Phantom Liberty description bundled successful - an other information that proved excessively demanding to warrant a last-gen console release, and was alternatively restricted to PS5 and Series X/S, and yet present it is moving connected Switch 2.
To trim to nan chase, Switch 2 offers a genuinely viable measurement to bask Cyberpunk, either successful a portable format aliases docked nether a TV. However, CDPR has changeable for nan stars successful its ambition to see Phantom Liberty arsenic well, and it's present that Switch 2 hits immoderate method limits - pinch frame-rates struggling arsenic we research its newer Dog Town region. Still, that aside, there's a batch to respect successful nan game's engineering for Nintendo's caller console overall, and really competitory it is successful comparison pinch different consoles.
With that successful mind, wherever precisely does Switch 2 slot successful visually betwixt nan last-gen PS4 and nan much precocious Xbox Series S and PS5 versions? And what's nan authorities of its frame-rate arsenic it targets 30fps successful its value mode aliases 40fps successful its capacity mode? Let's find out.
First up, Switch 2 really offers 4 main configurations, pinch a 30fps value mode and 40fps capacity mode connected connection successful some docked TV aliases portable play. The biggest constituent of differentiation betwixt each mode is image quality. Switch 2 is nan only console to connection Nvidia's DLSS upscaling, albeit successful a civilization form, versus nan FSR connected PS5/Series consoles and CDPR's TAA connected last-gen machines. In docked play, each mode targets 1080p via DLSS, pinch value mode rendering astatine a solution betwixt 720p to 1080p and capacity mode operating astatine a much elastic 540p to 1080p to prolong 40fps. Inevitably, Switch 2 successful its portable authorities drops these figures further, down to a 450p to 810p scope successful value mode (targeting 810p via DLSS), and further still pinch a 360p to 720p scope successful capacity mode (reconstructing to 720p via DLSS).
It's nary astonishment to spot these resolutions standard truthful aggressively for portable play. After all, Switch 2's Tegra T239 GPU timepiece speeds driblet from 1GHz while docked to conscionable 0.56GHz successful its portable state, and thing has to give. For fixed shots, DLSS usually does a awesome occupation successful transforming nan earthy pixel input of each mode into a sharp, clear result, but dense action pinch tons of mobility pushes nan tech to its absolute limits. Racing done Night City's engaged streets, for example, nan image is notably blurrier, it's easier to drawback bocking artefacts, and temporal sound is successful clearer position on cablegram lines overhead.
The bully news is that, extracurricular of resolution, location are very fewer differences betwixt docked and portable play successful position of halfway ocular settings. Using video seizure from nan Switch 2 itself while played arsenic a portable, we get a bully capable look astatine each modes successful comparison contempt its 1080p30 encode. Shadows, textures, SSR and world tie are intimately matched nary matter really you play: docked, portable, value mode, capacity mode each coming identically. The only drawback is that reflections successful mirrors return a deed successful clarity while utilizing nan capacity mode successful either state, but different nan world item is accordant crossed nan board.
With that successful mind, really does Switch 2 comparison to different consoles? In immoderate respects nan Switch 2 merchandise is for illustration nary other: notably successful its usage of DLSS, but besides its unsocial method for rendering shadows. In different respects, it borrows settings from some past and current-gen consoles to create a hybrid setup that champion suits nan system's specs.
To commencement pinch nan advantages first, Switch 2 runs astatine nan aforesaid texture value mounting arsenic PS5. Impressively, nan readiness of 9GB of usable RAM gives it nan state to coming crushed textures, decals connected walls, and clothing astatine an balanced mounting to guidelines PS5 successful astir cases. In a broader comparison, Switch 2 often pushes beyond nan last-gen PS4 and moreover Xbox Series S successful this aspect, pinch some moving astatine little presets that chop texture representation value to fresh wrong nan 5.5GB aliases 8GB RAM disposable to devs connected their respective systems. In fairness, galore textures are cosmopolitan successful value betwixt each 4 consoles but, wherever location is simply a quality - for illustration nan freckles and stubble connected Jackie's look - Switch 2 uses higher mounting than Series S.
The 2nd triumph for Switch 2 is successful image quality. The move to DLSS present reaps immense rewards adjacent to PS4, which renders astatine a scope of 720p to 900p pinch CDPR's TAA. Fine specifications for illustration rainfall resoluteness pinch greater sharpness against nan acheronian nighttime sky, positive there's little evident banding artefacts connected fences arsenic characters walk by successful nan foreground. In short, nan DLSS method connected Switch 2 is much adept successful interpreting nan specifications it wants to support successful place, while de-noising nan image wherever there's evident artefacts. Notably, Cyberpunk's surface abstraction reflections suffer from a grainy, shimmering artefact connected guidelines PS4, which is nicely cleaned up via DLSS to create a much unchangeable consequence connected Switch 2. To sweeten nan deal, it besides resolves distant item - foliage, buildings - pinch greater clarity successful motion.
Even erstwhile compared to Series S connected its ain 30fps value mode - rendering astatine 1440p - Switch 2 remarkably holds its ain by kindness of its amended upscaling. Again, artefacting connected SSR is cleaned up, and nan image is sharper successful fixed moments adjacent to nan Series S release. However, location are instances wherever nan little guidelines solution gets nan amended of Switch 2, resulting successful much aliasing connected difficult edges. There are limits then, but it's awesome that Switch 2 is capably trading blows pinch Series S, and moreover astatine times surpassing it.


Next along, successful position of streaming successful nan analyzable item of Night City - its marketplace stalls, shop fronts and NPCs - Switch 2 is simply a acold amended optimised merchandise than PS4. It benefits from higher bandwidth entree to its soul retention (or expandable retention via Micro SD Express), whereas PS4's creaky mechanical HDD is often a bottleneck successful allowing cardinal specifications to look successful bully time. Admittedly, while stood still, nan basal level of item is comparable betwixt nan 2 machines. The existent stressor is successful sprinting aliases driving astatine pace, wherever nan PS4 is often painfully slow to load textures, geometry, aliases important collision logic successful bustling areas. It's imaginable to hold 20-30 seconds for immoderate of these elements to render in, and it genuinely affects playability to this day. Switch 2, connected nan different hand, plays retired a batch person to nan Series S merchandise successful avoiding specified visible pop-in, and consistently draws world assets successful connected time.
For each its advantages, Switch 2 does person immoderate limitations too. Let's commencement pinch a large one: NPC and conveyance density are astir connected par pinch nan guidelines PS4 version. It's still very respectable, but it fundamentally intends that postulation successful Night City is little apt to build up to outrageous gridlock levels, while marketplace crowds person a akin density to last-gen. By comparison, PS5 and Series S usage a higher mounting for some NPC and conveyance density, often filling its roads pinch much bustling activity. It's a concession for Switch 2 that almost surely caters to a CPU limit that mightiness different origin immoderate turbulence to its 30fps (or 40fps) cap. Still, what Switch 2 achieves present is impressive.
The 2nd limit relates to protector rendering. Switch 2 appears to usage a unsocial setting, pinch interior shadows notably improved connected Switch 2 vs PS4, pinch sharper characteristic silhouettes from spotlights. But, conversely, outdoor shadows projected from nan sun are a measurement backmost from nan PS4 type successful their wide effect. The consequence is that there's a little stable, much pixellated, look to shadows connected Switch 2, specified arsenic those stemming from trees overhead. Likewise, shadows from pixel-thin details, for illustration metallic bars aliases barbed wire, besides suffer from utilizing a debased solution shape of nan effect outdoors. Finally, a much evident filtering cascade is besides visible connected Switch 2, adding stippling to agelong protector lines stretching acold to nan distance. Ultimately Switch 2 falls short here, and surely lacks nan precision of Series S and PS5's protector mounting while outdoors.




Looking to performance, Switch 2 makes bully connected its committedness of hitting 30fps successful its value mode. For nan main Cyberpunk escapade astatine least, including astir driving aliases shoot-outs successful nan first Maelstromers mission, it conforms to an evenly frame-paced 30fps cap. Odd framework drops are possible, but it's seldom egregious capable to detract from nan experience. Next to PS4 successful nan aforesaid accent trial areas, it's hugging nan 30fps statement for a mostly of play, wherever excessively often PS4 falls person to 20fps. Without doubt, this is simply a clear Switch 2 triumph successful wide playability, and crucially it avoids galore of nan frame-time spikes seen connected PS4 owed to streaming bottlenecks.
There are ways to brute-force nan RED Engine into drops of course, not slightest our classical alleyway shoot-out test. Even successful this lawsuit though, Switch 2's worst reference concisely goes to 28fps, while PS4 drops return america good nether 20fps. For an moreover much utmost test, accelerated driving done nan Kabuki region is simply a sure-fire measurement to trigger awesome drops, and present Switch 2 shows a existent limit: a sustained mid-20s reference akin to PS4's, pinch a traversal hitch aliases 2 for bully measure. Still, this represents nan very worst lawsuit successful nan guidelines game, and Switch 2 is importantly up of PS4's reference successful each scenario.
Next along, nan Phantom Liberty description presents a overmuch greater method hurdle for Switch 2. Sadly, this is wherever we spot nan flip-side to nan Switch 2 type - and it does autumn short of Series S' often unchangeable 30fps reading. In short, from our first landing successful nan Dog Town area, sub-30fps drops are overmuch much abundant. Low points see an early shoot-out pinch aggregate enemies, a tally done its slums area, and besides a thrust down its besieged streets. Each infinitesimal sees a sustained driblet into nan mid-20s connected Switch 2 - and little - while Series S comfortably clears 30fps done it all. Worst of all, Switch 2 has framework clip hitches successful excess of 120ms while driving here, which makes driving a genuine challenge. This helps to show why this description was ne'er released connected last-gen consoles; intelligibly for Switch 2, Phantom Liberty's much analyzable creation makes 30fps a taller order. Of course, re-testing nan halfway Cyberpunk crippled against Series S makes for a little stark divide: Series S clears up nan Kabuki accent trial and nan alleyway shoot-out astatine 30fps, but otherwise, some tally astatine a matching 30fps successful astir areas.


The authorities of Switch 2's 40fps capacity mode is little convincing. This requires a 120Hz compatible TV to entree and offers a 25ms frame-time target that's precisely half-way betwixt 30fps (33.3ms) and 60fps (16.6ms). Unfortunately, Switch 2's 40fps transportation has alternatively mixed fortunes. In simpler interior areas wherever it does clasp astatine 40fps, it's unquestionably a smoother experience, but shoot-outs and driving thin to driblet to 30fps aliases below. Compounding nan issue, there's nary VRR support to TVs during docked play either, truthful these drops instrumentality retired evidently to nan naked eye. In comparison to nan much unchangeable 30fps value mode, it's difficult to really spot nan use of this mode, arsenic nan capacity mode reference wavers supra and moreover beneath 30fps rather erratically. Even though we're stuck pinch a 33.3ms render clip connected value mode, it turns retired that 30fps is simply a much realistic, dependable target for nan strategy to deed successful docked play.
Happily, Switch 2's capacity successful portable play offers frame-rates broadly balanced to nan docked experience. The lowered resolutions present thief to a capable adequate grade to support 30fps successful view, though nan Kabuki thrust trial and nan Phantom Liberty description stay clear unsmooth spots. We can't trial this pinch our accustomed tools, fixed that seizure is constricted to nan compressed 30fps video generated by Switch 2 itself, but it's still clear that that nan 40fps capacity mode useful good connected nan Switch 2's 120Hz VRR display. VRR helps considerably to minimise nan perceptibility of drops nether 40fps and it's nan smoothest measurement to bask nan crippled connected Switch 2 arsenic a result. However, there's nary debased frame-rate compensation (LFC) to widen nan VRR scope beneath 30fps, truthful frame-rates beneath this people consequence successful visible judder erstwhile again. Still, nan capacity mode makes overmuch much consciousness successful portable play.
Through each its pros and cons, Cyberpunk 2077 connected Switch 2 is simply a very playable rendition of CDPR's latest activity - and a showcase of nan system's method prowess to a grade that's eager for a motorboat title. As an added bonus, nan Switch 2 merchandise moreover has unsocial extras, astir notably Joy-Con rodent controls and moreover (undocumented) plug-and-play USB rodent and keyboard support. The capacity issues successful nan Phantom Liberty information are unfortunate, but they are astatine slightest overshadowed by nan value of nan halfway Cyberpunk campaign. We get a hybrid of past and current-gen console settings here, pinch Switch 2 someway moreover exceeding Xbox Series S successful texture quality. On equilibrium then, it's an encouraging commencement for taxing unfastened world efforts connected Nintendo's caller hardware, and we expect it's nan first of galore to come.