Digital Foundry has released its technical analysis of Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition on the Switch 2, evaluating how the main story and the Phantom Liberty expansion perform on Nintendo’s new console.
The inclusion of the Phantom Liberty expansion on Switch 2 is notable, especially since developer CD Projekt Red skipped older consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One in favor of current-generation hardware. While impressive that the Switch 2 can run this content, it also highlights the system’s hardware limitations.
The game offers four visual modes: 30fps quality and 40fps performance, each available in handheld and docked configurations. Resolution ranges are as follows:
- Handheld Performance: 640×360 upscaled to 1280×720
- Handheld Quality: 800×450 upscaled to 1440×810
- Docked Performance: 960×540 upscaled to 1920×1080
- Docked Quality: 1280×720 upscaled to 1920×1080
DLSS technology enhances image clarity, though fast-paced action can cause visual artifacts like blurriness and temporal noise. Visual quality between docked and handheld modes is largely consistent aside from resolution differences.
Texture quality on Switch 2 matches that of the PS5, surpassing Xbox Series X and PS4 in this respect. Many textures remain consistent across platforms, but where differences exist, Switch 2 performs strongly. DLSS contributes to superior image clarity compared to the PS4.
However, pedestrian and vehicle density on Switch 2 is closer to PS4 levels, resulting in less populated environments to maintain frame rate stability. Shadow quality is mixed, with indoor shadows better than PS4 but outdoor shadows slightly weaker.
Frame rates hold steady at 30fps in quality mode during the main story, but drop to 20-25fps in the Phantom Liberty expansion due to increased environmental complexity. In 40fps performance mode, indoor areas mostly maintain 40fps, while outdoor and action-heavy scenes see dips to 30fps or below.
Handheld frame rates are estimated to match docked performance. Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support likely makes handheld gameplay smoother, though frame drops below 30fps are more noticeable in portable mode.