Key Highlights:
- Capcom’s Monster Hunter Wilds might be making its way over to the Nintendo Switch 2 system.
- The game will have quite a few changes over the original version in order to run.
- This raises some serious questions as to whether it is a good idea in the first place.
The Nintendo Switch 2 has quickly grown to become one of the most popular gaming systems worldwide, amassing a staggering 3.5 million units sold globally. It should then come as to no surprise that many developers have begun flocking to the system, porting many of their popular titles along the way.
Capcom in particular has been heavily invested in the Switch 2 system, offering a multitude of ports (including the upcoming Resident Evil Requiem). Now, recent reports seem to mention that their recent Monster Hunter Wilds could make its way to the handheld system, but it might not actually be a great idea.
Monster Hunter Wilds Rumored To Be Making Its Way Over to The Nintendo Switch 2 System
More info on MH Wilds for Switch 2 including local multiplayer support
byu/BomberBlur070 inGamingLeaksAndRumours
As per multiple reports online, Capcom is looking to port its massively successful Monster Hunter Wilds over to the Switch 2. This information was collected from a series of datamines.
Of particular importance here would the mention of a ‘NSW2DLSSPreset’ within the files, along with a unique way to ‘cull’ NPCs. In other words, the Switch 2 version is most certainly guaranteed to use a form of DLSS upscaling to ensure smoother framerates.
The game is also likely to scale back on NPC counts (including both monsters and humans/friendly NPCs) in order to achieve the (still unknown) frame rate target.
Also Read: Resident Evil Requiem to Release on the Nintendo Switch 2
As such, expect the Switch 2 version of Monster Hunter Wilds to be scaled back significantly, and perhaps to the point of being detrimental.
Another point of interest is in the inclusion of local multiplayer, which uses LAN networking to get multiple Switch 2 consoles playing together (as opposed to split screen and/or internet based solutions).
Assuming these leaks hold true, it could be a massive win for Capcom. The Nintendo Switch 2 is a very popular system (especially in Japan) and having access to a polished, portable version of the game would make it quite enticing.
Performance Issues Are A Legitimate Reason For Concern Here
It’s no secret that Monster Hunter Wilds is a rather terribly performing game, at least on PCs. The game has been rightfully blasted for its mixed results across a wide range of PC hardware, something which Capcom only recently addressed in an update.
The game consumes a ton of system resources (particularly VRAM), and runs quite horribly regardless. In fact, many have mandated the use of frame generation and upscaling (DLSS or FSR) in an attempt to alleviate these issues.
Make no mistake though, these are simply band aid solutions that do not directly address the optimization concerns at all. Capcom’s silence on the matter is deafening and rather unfortunate, to say the least.
The game barely manages to keep a solid 30 frames per second on the Steam Deck (at its lowest settings!), which is comparable to the Switch 2 in terms of raw compute power.
If the Steam Deck cannot run the game well enough, what hope does the Switch 2 have at running the game decently?
Unless Nintendo and Capcom work together to pull off a miracle, expect the Switch 2 version of Monster Hunter Wilds to be significantly worse than the PS5 and PC versions, scaled down to an incredibly low degree to compensate for the lackluster hardware (which is a given, thanks to its portable nature).
