Digital Foundry has released its technical review of Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition on the Switch 2, examining how both the main story and the Phantom Liberty expansion perform on Nintendo’s latest console.
Notably, the inclusion of the Phantom Liberty expansion is impressive, as CD Projekt Red skipped older consoles like PS4 and Xbox One in favor of more powerful current-gen hardware. That the Switch 2 can run this expansion highlights its capabilities, although this is where it faces the most challenges.
The game offers four visual modes on Switch 2: 30fps quality and 40fps performance, each available in handheld and docked modes. Resolution ranges per mode are:
- Handheld Performance: 640×360 to 1280×720
- Handheld Quality: 800×450 to 1440×810
- Docked Performance: 960×540 to 1920×1080
- Docked Quality: 1280×720 to 1920×1080
DLSS technology is used to improve image clarity, though fast-paced action can introduce visual artifacts like blurriness and temporal noise. Apart from resolution differences, docked and handheld modes have similar visual quality.
Compared to other consoles, the Switch 2 matches the PS5 in texture quality, surpassing Xbox Series X and PS4. Many textures remain consistent across platforms, but where differences exist, Switch 2 performs well. DLSS notably enhances clarity over the PS4 version.
However, Switch 2’s pedestrian and vehicle density resemble the lower levels seen on PS4, resulting in less crowded streets to maintain stable frame rates. Shadow quality indoors exceeds that of the PS4, but outdoor shadows are slightly weaker.
Frame rates generally hold steady at 30fps in quality mode during the main story. In the Phantom Liberty expansion, more complex environments cause dips to 20-25fps. The 40fps performance mode provides smoother indoor gameplay but struggles outdoors or during heavy action, dropping to around 30fps or lower.
Handheld frame rates appear similar to docked, though less thoroughly tested. VRR support likely enhances handheld smoothness, but dips below 30fps are more noticeable in portable play.
Overall, Digital Foundry describes the Switch 2’s performance as “impressive,” especially given the hardware constraints.