Fhat a rollercoaster ride it’s been for CD Projekt RED’s Cyberpunk 2077. From its infamously disastrous launch in 2020 to a near-complete redemption arc with the excellent Phantom Liberty expansion in 2023, the journey has been nothing short of dramatic. While it’s hard to forgive the state the game originally shipped in — and CDPR absolutely deserves criticism for that — the work done since then to bring the game up to standard is commendable. And now, in yet another unexpected twist, Cyberpunk 2077 finds itself reborn on Nintendo’s latest hardware: the Switch 2.
So, what exactly is Cyberpunk 2077 for those who’ve somehow missed the ride? At its core, it’s a deeply narrative-driven RPG where your decisions, both big and small, ripple through the world in surprising, sometimes devastating ways. Whether you’re navigating major story beats or casual street-level interactions, your choices shape not only your own path but also the lives of those tangled up in Night City’s chaos.
The choice-and-consequence system is one of the game’s strongest aspects, delivering meaningful results that feel organic. That said, the base game never quite reaches the storytelling heights of The Witcher 3. There’s a certain inconsistency in tone and polish that makes some moments fall short of the brilliance you’d expect from CD Projekt RED.
“Arguably the most impressive game available for Nintendo’s new hardware at launch, and boy—what an exceptional port this is.”
But then Phantom Liberty arrives and everything changes. This is where Cyberpunk 2077 truly finds its soul. A taut, espionage-fueled thriller soaked in tension, deception, and moral ambiguity, the expansion keeps you on edge from start to finish. Every major character has conflicting agendas, and their arcs are rich with depth and surprise. The writing, pacing, and atmosphere feel dialed in finally living up to the game’s potential. And for those left cold by the base game’s original endings, Phantom Liberty introduces a new one that not only lands harder, but might just be the definitive conclusion to V’s story.
For a deeper breakdown of the gameplay mechanics, I’d highly recommend checking out our original review linked here. But to summarize: Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City is absolutely packed with things to do—from explosive combat encounters to a rich skills and customization system that rewards creative playstyles. The world is a visual and mechanical playground, and with the addition of Phantom Liberty and the many substantial patches CD Projekt RED has rolled out over the years, the game has evolved from mediocrity into something truly impressive. You’re easily looking at over 100 hours of content, with plenty of replay value thanks to the game’s multiple endings and branching paths.
What’s even more impressive is how the game encourages experimentation. Whether you’re hacking enemies mid-fight or engaging in stealth, it all feels quite rewarding. It’s a far cry from the game’s original state, and it finally feels worthy of its immense promise. Simply put, the gameplay still slaps—and when paired with the revamped systems and cybernetic upgrades, it delivers one of the most complete cyberpunk experiences available today.
But the million-dollar question: How does it perform on the Switch 2? Arguably the most impressive game available for Nintendo’s new hardware at launch, and boy—what an exceptional port this is. Visual compromises are, of course, expected, but what CD Projekt RED and the porting team have pulled off is nothing short of remarkable and stunning.
“The Switch 2 version of Cyberpunk 2077 is a shockingly good version of the game.”
All of which is to say, to have this game with all its content, including content only running on PS5 and Xbox Series as far as consoles go, available on the Switch 2 at launch is an audacious move. It’s almost a challenge and a proclamation – this is what this machine is capable of already – running a game this technically demanding right out of the gate.
And the Switch 2 version of Cyberpunk 2077 is a shockingly good version of the game. It stands in stark contrast to the Witcher 3. CD Projekt RED’s previous game had been similarly ported to the original Switch, and while that port was impressive in getting that game to run on a device that was functionally equivalent to a mid range tablet from 2016, it was not a transition without losses. The Witcher 3 on the Switch looked noticeably worse – it flat out looked like a last gen version of the game compared to all the other ones.
Cyberpunk on the other hand, does not suffer this way on the Switch 2. While it is a worse looking version than high end PCs, the PS5, and Xbox Series, it is very much still a version of the game that is within the same ballpark of visual quality and performance. Rather than it feeling like a whole generation behind, when you play it in docked mode, it feels like it’s from the same generation, merely running at lower settings. Noticeably lower – no one will mistake Switch 2 footage for PS5 footage – but still very much part of the same conversation.
On the Switch 2’s handheld screen, it looks completely stunning, coming to life on the smaller screen where it targeting a 1080p resolution works much better than in docked mode (it also runs in 1080p in docked mode in both performance and quality modes; the resolution is fine, and DLSS is really pulling its weight here, but this is one of the primary giveaways that the game is running on a lower powered device).
“This game also makes good use of the HD Rumble haptics built into the Joycons, and the Pro controller.”
On the Switch 2’s 1080p screen, the game running in native resolution looks sharp and crisp, and the visual cutbacks are a lot harder to notice. The performance mode bumps up the frame rate to 40fps (though uncapped), and nocks resolution down to 720p. Personally speaking, I don’t know if the performance Mode is worth it in this case – the frame rate seems choppier than the locked 30fps cap in Quality Mode, and the graphics also look worse (the sub-native resolution means the image is softer). In my experience, playing it in quality mode is the way to go on Switch 2.
Performance and graphics are also noticeably better on Switch 2 than they are on other portable devices such as Steam Deck. CD Projekt RED promised this would be the best portable version of the game, and it seems like they have delivered on that front. They’ve also leveraged other parts of the Switch 2 hardware, like the mouse controls on the Joycons. Players who want finer control over aiming during combat in particular are likely to find this option intriguing. This game also makes good use of the HD Rumble haptics built into the Joycons, and the Pro controller.
On the whole, this is a great version of a game that has by now become a truly fantastic and legendary experience. It’s good to see that Cyberpunk 2077 survived the transition to Nintendo as lot better than The Witcher 3 did. This is a version that can be recommended on its own merits, rather than being one that you should only play if you have access to none of the other ones. It’s a little worse looking and performing than the other console versions, but it holds its own well, outperforms most of its portable peers, and also leverages a bunch of the Nintendo Switch 2’s features.
This game was reviewed on the Nintendo Switch 2.
