Resident Evil Requiem Runs and Looks Surprisingly Good on the Nintendo Switch 2
Good news for Nintendo Switch 2 owners, looking forward to Resident Evil Requiem, as we managed to get some hands-on time with it during TGS 2025, and although we weren’t able to determine the framerate the game was running at, based on what we played, fans can look forward to an experience that truly feels “next-gen” for the platform.
Cutbacks, of course, are expected, but early signs are already looking very promising, and Capcom’s level of optimization on the Switch 2 seems to be paying off in a big way.
Resident Evil Requiem Switch 2 Version Impresses, Graphically and Performance Wise
Screenshot taken from PC (Steam) version
Look, as much as I love my Nintendo Switch 2, I won’t deny that it feels like a small step up from the original Nintendo Switch. Perhaps that’s due to how similar they look, as well as the fact that most games receive a resolution bump, rather than any major visual differences. Although I’d argue that Cyberpunk 2077 makes a strong case for pushing the Switch 2 to its limits, as I never once dreamed of that game running on the hardware, even if it does target 30fps in handheld mode.
But that all seems to be changing, at least in the types of games that we are going to start seeing on the Switch 2, as Capcom has made great strides in their porting department, bringing not only older and recently released titles to the platform, but soon, their newest mainline Resident Evil, Resident Evil Requiem.
Screenshot taken from PC (Steam) version
We recently sent one of our staff to attend TGS to try out the game, and while they left the demo feeling very impressed by what Capcom has created for a game, it was the Switch 2 version that ended up surprising them the most. The reason? Well, despite being downgraded in resolution and presumably frame rate, along with textures and other graphical areas, the game retained much of the visual look found on the other consoles. That, in part, is due to the heavy lifting of the game’s art direction and the art team’s brilliant use of lighting, coloring, and other atmospheric techniques, which allow it to still look stunning, even with some of the technical cutbacks.
Of course, there were some noticeable differences, such as the lower polygon count in some character models and environments, but they were never distracting enough to detract from the overall experience. The real star of the show was the performance, as the game ran incredibly smoothly. We weren’t able to get an exact frame rate, and I want to be very careful highlighting that this statement is “opinion-based” and not factual, but it felt like a consistent 60 frames per second, a major achievement for a game of this caliber on a handheld device.
Although, for all I know, it could have been playing at 30fps. Given the game’s slower-paced nature, with a mixture of various graphical techniques, it’s not out of the realm that a 30fps could feel like a 60fps. The only game I can think of that had a case like that is the 2014 PlayStation exclusive, developed by the now-defunct Evolution Studios, Driveclub. A racing game that ran at 30fps, but due to its extensive graphical features, motion blur, and other techniques, the game didn’t appear to be a 30fpsexperience.
News outlet Shacknews also shared a video of the same demo we played, showing how the gamer runs on the Switch 2.
Yeah, it’s hard to believe the game is running this smoothly, and again, it’s hard to say if it’s 60fps, 30fps, or uncapped FPS with DLSS and VRR helping smooth out the framerate. From our hands-on experience, we didn’t notice any actual dips while playing.
Of course, if you plan on playing this on PC, PS5, or the Xbox Series X|S, you’re going to be getting a more graphically feature-complete game with higher resolution. Hair textures, for example, on the Switch 2 appear to have the hair strands option disabled, along with missing some of the ray tracing features (it has its own, I believe) that are found on other platforms.
There’s definitely a difference between the Switch 2 version and the other platforms. However, as far as delivering an experience that still feels “next-gen” for the platform, Capcom has certainly delivered. It’s a game that will undoubtedly impress Switch 2 owners, showcasing the console’s capabilities and setting a high bar for future releases. The trade-offs are minor when considering the overall quality of the experience, and the fact that such a visually rich and performant game can run on a handheld device is truly remarkable. Resident Evil Requiem on Switch 2 is shaping up to be a must-have title, proving that the console can indeed deliver experiences that stand toe-to-toe with its more powerful counterparts, even with some concessions.
Resident Evil Requiem launches on February 27, 2025, on the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2. It’s also rumored to be coming to the PS4, either at launch, or a later date.
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It might run without hiccups, but many it looks horrible on Switch 2. Looking at the same trailer play for Switch 2 alongside the PS5 trailer and it is night and day difference.