Review Fallout 4 on Switch 2 is Dramatically Improved Over Its Nintendo Direct Debut

Arriving in the wake of the contentious Skyrim port, Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition turns out to be a welcome surprise. After a Nintendo Direct trailer that looked very rough around the edge, what we actually get in the end is a faithful translation of the PS4/Xbox One era game, with all six DLCs. The surprise? Switch 2 doesn't just settle for 30fps - it aims to deliver acceptable experiences at 30fps, 40fps (for 120Hz displays) and even 60fps. And all of them are available in both docked and handheld play.

The only significant difference between the various presentations comes down to resolution. All the usual candidates for scaling remain static across all modes. Textures, shadows, draw distance, foliage density and volumetric lighting seem to render at the same quality levels across all modes. Instead, pixel counts vary according to the target frame-rate you select.

In docked mode, you're getting a target 1440p - significantly beyond the 1080p of the PS4 version. General pixel counts drop to circa 1080p in the 40fps balanced mode, while we're looking at around 720p in the 60fps mode in more chaotic scenes. In terms of image quality, it's only the performance mode that disappoints owing to TAA upscaling. However, Bethesda has confirmed that DLSS should be added to a future patch, which may well prove transformative, albeit with a computational cost of its own.

Looking to play portably? The same principle applies. Fallout 4 maintains the exact same quality settings, but the 30fps mode drops down to a maximum of 1080p, 40fps typically operates in an 810p to 990p DRS window, while the 60fps mode seems to scale itself from 504p and 900p, depending on load. Again, DLSS could make a difference in terms of the actual quality of that presentation, but for now, we're stuck on TAA with the same murkiness you'd expected.

Quality setting comparisons are also pleasantly surprising bearing in mind the Nintendo Direct footage we saw not so long ago. Texture and shadow quality is a match for both Xbox Series S and PS5, largely because those assets are seemingly untouched from the 2015 original for last-gen hardware. However, there are some cutbacks.

Draw distance is more in line with PS4 than Series S or PS5, with more obvious pop-in. Volumetrics are also curtailed with more noise and flicker. Meanwhile, Switch 2's 60fps DRS is more aggressive than Series S overall, especially in using their respective 60fps options.

Those performance modes are appealing though, as we hit performance bottlenecks in the 60fps mode quite frequently. Sparse areas hit the top 60 target, but dense environments or more intensive battles trigger unattractive frame-rate lurches - and in docked mode at least, there's no VRR to smooth off the worst of it. Taking the classic Corvega factory test as an example, Switch 2 hovers at 40fps while PS5 and Series S hold 53fps, for example. It's an interesting comparison, but remember that Switch 2 is also pulling back on draw distances here.

Ultimately, if you're looking for consistency, 30fps delivers a mostly locked experience - the 33.3ms target frame-time able to absorb most traversal stutters you see in the 60fps mode. This is still better than PS4, which could drop to sustained stretches at 24fps in stress points - likely down to a CPU bump and far superior storage throughput and latency.

40fps is the ideal middle ground - you avoid the wild fluctuations in the 60fps mode, and it even holds its target 40fps in the classic Corvega factory test. It's not a perfectly consistent experience, but it works very well overall.

As for portable play on Switch 2, the situation is a little different because we do have VRR support available on its built-in display. Going by eye, the 60fps option is more viable: swinging the camera around over the Corvega rooftops for example reveals a perceptible shift in screen refresh - between 40-60fps - but VRR still does a reasonable job of smoothing those frame-time fluctuations out.

It's not a magic bullet though. Those frame-rate lurches during traversal remain - but overall this is still my preferred mode while playing handheld. Of course, as a next best alternative, the 40fps mode is a solid all-round pick in improving both image quality and the overall frame-time consistency while handheld.

Despite Fallout 4 being a more taxing follow-up effort to Skyrim - and one built for an entirely different console generation no less - Bethesda's porting effort to Switch 2 is a success. Yes, the 60fps frame-rate mode is a stretch too far for the system's capabilities, but the offering of a 40fps mode puts Switch 2 in a real sweet spot for performance. There was some trepidation going into this one, especially after Skyrim's launch day issues on Switch 2, and some unflattering early gameplay footage in a February 2026 Nintendo Direct. Some visual bugs and engine oddities remain from the original, of course. Accepting that though, this is a port that's easy to recommend.