Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition Really Shows Off What The Nintendo Switch 2 Can Do

Cyberpunk 2077 runs surprisingly well on the Nintendo Switch 2 – and might be the best proof yet of what this console can handle.

The Nintendo Switch 2 has finally arrived, and – as is often the case with new console releases – the launch line-up is an eclectic mix of ports, updates, curios, and a small handful of original games. The standout is unquestionably Mario Kart World, but that game – while fantastic – is not necessarily the one that most successfully showcases everything the expensive new system is capable of.

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition – which includes both the base game and its 2023 expansion, Phantom Liberty – has been the biggest question mark hanging over the Switch 2 launch line-up. 

Would this game, famous both for pushing much more serious tech to its limits and for
launching in a state so broken that the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions were pulled from sale, actually work on Nintendo’s new handheld? Would this port be so compromised that it wasn’t worth playing?

After spending many hours in the Switch 2 rendition of Night City, the game’s run-down futuristic setting, I’m pleased to say that Cyberpunk 2077 does a tremendous job of setting the bar for what the Nintendo Switch 2 is capable of. And it’s not just that developer CD Projekt Red managed to cram their massive game into the system intact: the little tweaks and additions made to this version of the game are clever and interesting. This is a great port, but it’s also an unusually playful and creative one.

From a technical standpoint, Cyberpunk 2077 shows just how much more powerful the Nintendo Switch 2 is than its predecessor. This is a hyper-detailed open world experience, one that has been celebrated for its visual splendor as much as for its exciting combat and deep customisation
options. 

You can switch between “quality” and “performance” modes separately for both docked
and handheld play, and after going back-and-forth a lot, I settled into Performance mode – the resolution decrease is negligible compared to the smoothness of 40 frames per second. 

The frame rate is rock-solid, and character models and environments still look incredible. Compared to the original Switch port of CD Projekt Red‘s own The Witcher 3 – which was extremely compromised but still impressive – Cyberpunk 2077 is an enormous step forward.

I also love that CD Projekt Red put so much work into making use of the Nintendo Switch 2’s unique features. Play the game in portable mode and you can use touch controls to navigate through menus and zoom in on the in-game map, which is a helpful and intuitive option. If you’re playing with Joy-Cons in hand, you can pop the right one down on a surface and use it as a mouse for precision controls (which works surprisingly well despite the Joy-Con not being shaped like a mouse) or aim it at the screen and use the gyro sensor to finesse your headshots.

There’s even a more full-bodied gesture control option where you can throw punches, reload, and use healing items by moving your hands in specific ways. Is this a good, intuitive way to play the game? Not at all! Do I love having the option? Absolutely! 

It harkens back to the days of the Nintendo Wii, and all the weird motion control systems that were forced onto players back then. But when these controls are optional extras, tucked away in the pause menu and locked behind a tutorial that needs to be completed before you can use them, I’m fully in favour of giving players the option. My preference is to play with a Pro Controller, but with gyro control turned on when I’m aiming down the sights of a gun – you aim with the right stick and then finesse the shot with small motions, which is perfect for lining up headshots.

Perhaps the most exciting thing about playing Cyberpunk 2077 on the Nintendo Switch 2 is the fact that it’s available at launch. The Switch 2 port was developed in-house by CD Projekt Red, whereas many of the most complicated ports on the original Switch were handled by studios that specialise in getting the most out of a system’s limitations. When a console releases, it usually takes a few years for developers to make and release games that really tap into what these systems are capable of – so having such a good version of an incredibly technically demanding game available from day one, from a team without much direct experience developing for Nintendo’s systems, bodes very well for the system’s future.

Sure, Cyberpunk 2077 looks shinier on a powerful PC, or a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox Series X. You’ll notice the occasionally visual incongruity, and Night City can feel quiet, far less bustling than the game tells you it is. But I can’t honestly say that I enjoyed the game any less playing it on Switch 2, and when I pulled the system out of the dock and played it in handheld mode I was blown away by how great it looked on the portable screen. You can play Cyberpunk 2077 on the Nintendo Switch 2 and be confident that you are getting the full, intended experience, and none of the tweaks or cutbacks made to get the game running feel egregious.

Cyberpunk 2077 has, across several years of patches, reworks, and the addition of the Phantom Liberty expansion, become a properly great game, and it’s no less great on Nintendo Switch 2. Whether you don’t have another console, or simply want the option of playing it on the go, Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition is a great Switch 2 launch game, and a tremendous indicator of the system’s promise.