- CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 has been showcased on the Nintendo Switch 2
- Comparisons between it and other consoles like the Steam Deck and PS5 have been made
- DLSS appears to be at the forefront of the handheld's performance and visual capabilities
The launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 is almost here, and it'll come with a handful of titles ready for gamers to dive into from day one. Luckily, we now have an early look at one in particular, from game developer CD Projekt Red.
In a YouTube video by Nintendo Life, CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 is revealed running on the Nintendo Switch 2, with visual quality that rivals other PC handhelds like the Steam Deck. This is thanks to Nvidia's custom T239 chip, which allows the new handheld to take advantage of DLSS upscaling, for better-than-native performance while upscaling from a lower internal resolution.
Considering earlier expectations that were based on the hardware rumors (which turned out to be legitimate), Cyberpunk 2077 has impressed many gamers with its lighting and environment details. However, it's worth noting that Nvidia's DLSS upscaling is rumored to be used quite aggressively, which is clear to see in some of the blurry sequences in the gameplay showcase.
This is to be expected as the Switch 2 is already pushing above its weight in running a game like Cyberpunk 2077. But there are still very evident performance dips, particularly during vehicle traversal, which highlights the potential issue – if DLSS is indeed used aggressively and performance is not up to par, seeing dips into what looks like the upper end of 20fps, then is it really impressive after all?
It's worth noting that it isn't exactly clear which segments of the gameplay below are either docked or handheld (it's likely the former considering the 4K video quality), and there will be a choice between quality and performance modes.
This is also still a work in progress and will likely be drastically different from the launch version, but it will be interesting to see how this fares against the MSI Claw 8 AI+ – which delivers great visuals and performance playing Cyberpunk 2077 – along with other upcoming handhelds like the recently-announced MSI Claw A8 using AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme.
Analysis: It's better than I expected, but doesn't warrant the Switch 2's cost
Now, before you say I have a Nintendo Switch 2 agenda, I do think games like Cyberpunk 2077 have the potential to further exceed their performance and visual expectations on the device. Despite that, the handheld's $449.99 / £395.99 / AU$699.95 price has me asking a basic question – wouldn't it be better to buy a PS5, Xbox Series X at around the same price, for a better experience?
I could go into the handheld PC comparisons, and the Claw 8 AI+'s processing power, but I'd hate to sound like a broken record. Spoiler alert; it's purported to be the better and more powerful device.
However, the simple fact here is that the Switch 2's Cyberpunk 2077 isn't in the same ballpark visually and performance-wise as either of Sony's or Microsoft's consoles. In that sense, the Switch 2's value as a gaming console rival is lost if it costs nearly the same and yet provides a worse experience.
Before you point out that the MSI Claw 8 AI+ costs more than the PS5 and Xbox Series X, it's not in the category of game console (it also doesn't come with a dock for extra performance), and its price compared to the Switch 2 is still warranted considering the power packed in such a compact device. If the Switch 2's price were much lower, I'd be far more impressed with Cyberpunk 2077's performance, but tariffs or not, that's not the case.
DLSS seems to be the one factor that will do the heavy lifting with the Switch 2, and I'd argue it's the one reason why its version of Cyberpunk 2077 can be compared to other handhelds using either XeSS or FSR (neither of which are on the level of Nvidia's DLSS). Even then, without tools like Frame Generation, it still leaves me unimpressed with the Switch 2, but I'll happily eat my words if I'm proven wrong with its capabilities.
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