It’s the case with almost every console as soon as it launches, but theSwitch 2feels particularly light on games at the moment. Mario Kart World is great, but doesn’t feel like much when it is one of the only options you have. You’re going to want to move onto something new eventually while you’re waiting for more Switch 2 exclusives.
As it stands, plenty of games have already gotten ports to the Switch 2, or gotten enhanced versions of previous games. However, the vast majority of the original Switch’s library is still trapped away on that console. However, even without a proper update, plenty of these games can run better just through the pure brute force of the Switch 2.
Without updates, these games can only run to the upper limits of what they were already locked to. Don’t expect miracles, but some improvements are pretty significant.
The Xenoblade Chronicles games enjoyed a strong life on the original Switch. From the entire series being brought to the same console and then also expanding the story with the re-releases, it felt like a dream come true. They were already a technical marvel for how well they ran on the original Switch, though Xenoblade Chronicles 2 always stands as the least technically impressive of the bunch.
While every other Xenoblade games feels basically the same on the Switch 2, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 gets some more noticeable improvements. The resolution in handheld is always at the upper limits of what it could achieve, and the frame rate is locked to 30 consistently, even in the more intensive combat scenes.
One ironic downside is that, even though the game runs at a higher resolution, the Switch 2 having a 1080p screen makes the game comparatively still look lower resolution.
The Warriors games have always been defined by the massive hordes of enemies you battle. Whether this is in the main Dynasty Warriors series, or the spin-off series like Fire Emblem Warriors. The Switch got quite a few of these games, and basically all of them run and look significantly improved now, hitting the 60fps cap from the original Switch.
Hyrule Warriors in particular should be highlighted for how it is improved in just about every way. It looks sharper, it runs smoother, and it loads faster. Considering the game itself is also an expanded port from a previous console, it’s nice to finally see it running and looking the best it possibly can.
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After the worldwide success of Monster Hunter World, the series briefly returned to its portable entries with Monster Hunter Rise. While the later PC and console releases allowed the game to run at much higher framerates and resolutions, the Switch version ran at that original lower framerate and resolution.
Mind you, the game always ran quite well so it was no major loss, but there were moments when many characters would be on screen at once with multiple monsters all fighting and it could drag down a little bit. With the Switch 2, that’s gone entirely, and even comes with improved load times if you have the game installed on internal storage.
Whilemecha games have always been popular, they felt more niche on an international scale until FromSoftware returned to its mecha roots with Armored Core 6. The game of course did not find its way to the original Switch, though it had its own host of mecha games to choose from. One of the earliest examples on the console was Daemon X Machina.
Originally a Switch exclusive, it later came to PC with plenty of higher-performance options. While the game obviously still cannot hit that same level of scalability on Switch 2 by default, it does thankfully run completely steady now, and with some faster loading times to boot. The perfect time to get back into it in preparation for the sequel.
While Atlus was no stranger to copious spin-off of the Persona series, the fame of Persona 5 was unprecedented. So, so many games, all of them everywhere all at once. Persona 5 Strikers was one of the more unique spin-offs, blending the daily life sections of the original Persona 5 with more Warriors-style gameplay.
It was, humourously, also the first Persona game on the Switch, and was infamous for its poor performance and absurd loading times. It was one of the rare Warriors-style games to be locked to 30fps, but at least knows runs completely locked. The real difference here is the significantly improved load times, making the game actually playable now.
If you also have Joker in Smash, you unlock more music to play in Strikers, which is a nice extra bonus.
y Originally made for the Wii U, The Wonderful 101 is a game that defies explanation. An isometric superhero character-action game with a dash of Pikmin and old arcade-style gameplay. Just look at a screenshot from the game and attempt to work out what exactly you’re looking at. After PlatinumGames acquired the rights, they made a remaster and ported the game to modern consoles.
Sadly, it ran only a little better on the Switch compared to the Wii U, never really hitting that 60fps cap. With the Switch 2, the game can finally be played as it was intended. A constant 60fps cap without any stutters like the original.
When Batman: Arkham Knight was originally released back in 2015,it was a graphically gorgeous game, though not without tech issues, on PC especially. So when it was announced it was coming to the Switch, it was seen as a technical marvel. And sadly, it was not. It was a disastrously poor port, worse than many would have even anticipated.
So it’s nice that on the Switch 2, the port left enough headroom for it to take advantage of. Again, it won’t cause miracles. but even many of the game’s frame-pacing issues are tightened up and plays at a much more consistent 30fps. So while it still isn’t to the quality of the original console release, it’s much closer now than anyone could have expected.
After a long hiatus from the mainline series, the No More Heroes series returned to the Switch. Originally made for the Wii and it’s motion controls, No More Heroes 3 took advantage of this on the Switch, too. However, the Switch, though some technical marvels were achieved, it was not an obscenely powerful console, and No More Heroes 3 is a good showcase of that.
Finally though, the game can shine like it was meant to. Loading times are reduced, resolution is sharper, and it hits its respective overworld and combat framerate caps consistently, all without any extra updates. Sure, it’s still held back compared to other later releases, but at least the version you might already have runs as intended now.
The Witcher 3 was already an impressive game when it came to consoles, and even it was not without some performance issues, especially in bigger cities like Novigrad.This made the Switch port incredibly impressive. Shockingly, it really was well-made, bringing the world to a much weaker console than it was made on.
On Switch 2, it is almost on par with the original consoles. The framerate is locked, the resolution hits its maximum limit, and loading is significantly improved, especially when installed to the console. And knowing CD Projekt Red and the success fo Cyberpunk on the Switch 2, an update to The Witcher 3 may well be right around the corner.
Long-awaited and packed with a great multitude of changes compared to previous entries, Bayonetta 3 did the best it could. While Bayonetta 1 and 2 were a mostly locked 60fps when ported to the Switch, Bayonetta 3 struggled. It didn’t run badly by any stretch, but that dodgier framerate was killer in a game that relied on precise button inputs and reaction speed.
Thankfully, it finally runs just like its peers on the Switch 2. A locked 60fps and faster loading times make the game much more of a joy to play, even if some of its other pitfalls can’t quite be patched up so easily.
That said, the game had a somewhat low resolution originally that, like Xenoblade Chronicles 2, now looks comparatively the same if not poorer on the handheld’s 1080p screen.
