Key Highlights:
- The Nintendo Switch 2 version of Cyberpunk 2077 is fantastic and a great way to play the game on the go.
- This stands in stark contrast to the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game which run horribly.
- It does make you wonder what an optimized version of the PS4 version could be like.
We are nearing the fifth anniversary of Cyberpunk 2077, and the game has since seen a massive number of changes and improvements since its initial launch on December 10, 2020.
Perhaps the most interesting of these ‘ports’ would be in the Nintendo Switch 2 version, a console that sacrifices compute power for portability (much like the Steam Deck). Cyberpunk 2077 runs with a very generous helping of DLSS upscaling to achieve this, but the results are quite impressive to say the least.
Given how the poorly received the last-gen versions of the game were (PS4 and Xbox One), I can’t help but feel like this was the last gen version we all dreamed of when the game initially went on sale.
Despite a Few Stumbles Along the Way, Cyberpunk 2077 Runs Well Enough on the Switch 2
The Nintendo Switch 2 port of Cyberpunk 2077 was a surprise announcement for sure, but a welcome one. CD Projekt Red somehow managed to get their game up and running on the Switch 2, which is a lot weaker than the PS5, the benchmark system for Cyberpunk 2077.
For the most part, the game hits its 30 FPS (or 40 FS, depending on your choice of mode) target, managing to be quite a pleasant, frame capped and frame paced experience. Issues do pop up from time to time though, especially in docked modes, so its not a perfect experience.
That being said, the game runs remarkably well on the handheld, offering a slightly more cohesive experience when compared to the Steam Deck (on account of DLSS being superior) which was already fantastic on its own.
If Only the Same Could Be Said for the PS4 Version
This stands in stark contrast to the last gen versions of the game. Cyberpunk 2077 was announced during E3 with a presentation that blew away everyone. Unfortunately, the final product (at the time) was far from finished and was essentially a buggy, broken mess of a game.
CD Projekt drew rightful criticism for this, and has managed to since come back on track, patching and fixing Cyberpunk 2077 to a state where it is a very pleasant game overall (even if some aspects remain unachieved, such as its grand scale and story).
This was painfully exacerbated in the PlayStation 4 version of the game, which at launch was basically unplayable. The game had a ton of technical issues, most of which were related to performance.
Also Read: Sony’s PS6 Handheld Has a Long Way to Catch Up with the Nintendo Switch 2
The PS4 was most certainly woefully underpowered for the game, and CD Projekt Red should have skipped directly to the next generation.
Which is what they somewhat ultimately ended up doing, as the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game were effectively abandoned, when Phantom Liberty (the expansion for Cyberpunk 2077) was announced to not be coming to these platforms.
This does beg the question though – if the Switch 2 can do it, why can’t the PS4? While the answer is pretty obvious (in that the Switch 2 has newer, faster memory and storage and the benefit of DLSS), I can’t help but wonder what an optimized version of the PS4 game could be like.
It certainly won’t be a miracle, and will require a heavy amount of upscaling to achieve it, with what is likely a target resolution of 720p with some aggressively lower graphical settings, running at around 30 FPS, but I don’t see it as being impossible.
