For a long time, people would say that games on Nintendo consoles looked good, but they’d always add, “for a Nintendo system.” It was like a backhanded compliment, meaning it wasn’t as good as on other game systems.
Because of this, it makes sense why Nintendo would want Capcom’s new games, Resident Evil 9 and Pragmata, to be a big deal. That old saying still pops up, but when you see and play these games on the Nintendo Switch 2, they don’t feel like they’re missing a lot anymore. Sure, there are still some small differences, but they seem fair, and these games truly feel right at home on Nintendo’s newest machine. It makes me think that the days of really bad, different versions of games on Nintendo systems might finally be over.
I’ve played the early versions of Resident Evil: Requiem quite a bit, so I’m in a good spot to compare them. I was one of the first to play it in June on a PlayStation 5, then again in August on PlayStation, and in September on the Switch 2 in handheld mode. Last month, I played three hours of a nearly finished version on PlayStation 5 again. Just over a week ago, I finally got to play the last piece of the puzzle – not the Xbox Series X version, which will likely be very similar to the PS5, but the Switch 2 version hooked up to a TV.
Playing on a TV is a very important step. Many Switch 2 games look better when you play them handheld because the smaller screen hides some of the technical problems. For example, I really suggest the Switch 2 version of Cyberpunk 2077, but mainly if you plan to play it mostly in your hands. When it’s hooked up to a TV, there’s no hiding any flaws.
This is especially tricky for a game like Resident Evil. I believe horror games are best enjoyed in a dark room on a fairly large TV, ideally with good sound so the scary noises can really make you jump. Horror games can work on handheld devices – Resident Evil had a great run on the 3DS, for instance – but I truly think it’s an experience that feels most natural in a setting that’s more like a movie theater.
Which brings us to the upcoming Resident Evil 9 on Switch 2. The main point is, I’ve seen it all. The best thing I can tell you is this: I would happily play this game entirely on Switch 2, if that’s what worked for me. Whether it’s hooked up to a TV or played handheld.
This is a big change for me. I’m a bit picky; I have a super powerful computer, so that’s usually where I play my games. A Switch version of any fancy-looking game was always just a fun extra or something I’d play if I had no other choice. But as I sat there playing a good-looking version of RE9 that was running smoothly at 60 frames per second, I simply thought: I would happily play this as my main way to experience the game.
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Crucially, Resident Evil 9 on Switch 2 looks good on the handheld and on a TV (docked mode).
Of course, the game has been adjusted and changed graphically to make it all work on this system. So, it doesn’t look as good as the PS5 version I played, not by a long shot. But it also shows how the improvements in game graphics are getting smaller and smaller, so the difference isn’t huge anymore. If I had to guess, I’d say the Switch 2 version of Resident Evil 9 probably looks a bit better than what a PS4 version of the game would look like. And honestly, I don’t think this game series (or gaming in general) has changed that much visually from how the Resident Evil games looked on the PS4. Things look better, but each graphic upgrade is smaller than the last. It’s clear that the Switch 2 has enough power for these new RE Engine games to run well. At a time when big budgets mean games need to reach as many people as possible, these versions don’t just feel right – they feel necessary.
In real life, the small visual cutbacks mean that a sudden scare from a big, ugly monster might be a little less shocking because the mix of blood and drool on its teeth isn’t quite as real when the game zooms in close after the scare – but the moment still works. The main character Grace’s fancy hair looks like it’s from an older generation of games compared to how it looks on PlayStation – but that’s not really the most important part of the game. Meanwhile, some newer features do make it over – so ray tracing is included, even if it’s not the full version on Nintendo’s system.
Pragmata felt a little less steady than Resident Evil, but that might make sense since its action can get more wild with sci-fi special effects flying around as you fight robots. It still felt good, though – it felt at home on Switch 2, which wasn’t the case for older games in similar series.
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Pragmata has more effects going off during combat, which can hurt performance, but overall it still looks great on Switch 2.
A lot of the work here is done by something called DLSS, which stands for Deep Learning Super Sampling. This is a smart computer trick that first makes games look like they’re running at a lower quality to make them faster and allow for cool features like ray tracing. Then, it makes that picture look sharp again at the quality you want. There are some small downsides, like a tiny delay in your controls or some visual glitches, but I think most people won’t even notice the difference.
DLSS is a bit of a trick, but it’s a trick used in almost all gaming these days. Everyone is doing it; even PlayStation’s biggest games are now using their own version called PSSR, and even my super powerful computer uses DLSS. On the Switch 2, it’s a very important tool to get games like RE9 and Pragmata to work well. But honestly, I’m not really interested in arguments about whether the picture quality or how smooth the game runs is “fake” or not. I care about the end result, not how they got there. And this result is pretty amazing, all things considered.
Just like with many other games from outside companies, Capcom seems to be leading the way. Their own game engine, called RE Engine, is really ready for the Switch 2. This isn’t a weaker version of RE9 or a stripped-down Pragmata; it’s the real deal. It’s a way to play these games that I can tell anyone to try; it’s no longer just for certain situations. And those small differences now feel more like tiny notes than big problems that stand out. If other game companies follow Capcom’s lead, the Switch 2 is even more appealing than I first thought.
