by Resident Evil 4 represents a high-water mark for the action-horror series, one that was successfully modernised in a 2023 remake for current and last-gen consoles. That demanding RE Engine release soared on PS5, but struggled on PS4, so how does the upcoming Switch 2 port fare in comparison? And how are the RE2 and RE3 remakes, which are also coming to Switch 2 on the same October 16th release date? We've tested all three games to find out, with our focus on RE4.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Resident Evil 4 is necessarily downgraded compared to the PS5 release to fit onto Nintendo's hybrid console. The most noticeable change is that some local light sources don't cast shadows. In natural areas there's less light occlusion, with a different GI treatment. Expect softer and lower-res volumetric lighting and reduced subsurface scattering on character models.
Screen-space reflections (SSR) are also completely absent, which at least avoids the visual artefacts found on PS5, while ground surfaces are flatter, foliage density is reduced and textures are selectively downgraded versus PS5. Distant enemy animations also run at noticeably reduced rates during combat encounters, particularly in chaotic areas like the opening village showdown.
The Switch 2 presentation hews closely to that of the PS4, reflecting similar CPU constraints despite the two systems having significantly different architectures. However, the Switch 2 does have advantages over the PS4 in terms of storage speed and memory capacity, allowing the newer console to consistently offer better texture detail. Conversely, the PS4 retains a lead in foliage density and volumetric lighting resolution.
In docked mode, Switch 2 renders Resident Evil 4 at an internal resolution of 540p, using Nvidia's DLSS, versus around 900p on PS4 and 1944 checkerboarded on PS5. Given DLSS's power though, image quality is similar to PS4 despite the raw resolution deficit. While image clarity and stability are solid, the relatively low starting resolution is evident in fine details like hair or dense foliage, which can look blurry or grainy in motion. By constraining resolution though, the system is able to hit its target 60fps in docked mode in quieter scenes, though more demanding areas or heavy combat see frame-rates in the 40s and 50s instead. This is still better than the 35-45fps output on PS4.
Handheld mode sees resolution drop further, to 360p, again relying on DLSS upscaling. Graphical settings are similar, but the lower internal resolution makes the graininess of fine details more pronounced. Performance here is normally in the 40-50fps range, accompanied by occasional traversal issues but helped by the apparent smoothing of frame-rates thanks to VRR.
It's a reasonable output overall then, but the Switch 2 release is certainly closer to the PS4 version of Resident Evil 4 than the higher-fidelity PS5 option - even though DLSS improves image quality and stability over that last-gen version. This is still a fine way to play through one of the series' most iconic games, though the addition of a 30fps or 40fps cap would be a great option to have to preserve frame-rate stability.
We had less time to test Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 on Switch 2, but these two games are also solid enough remakes, with modern graphics, redesigned levels and dual-stick locomotion. They don't suffer from any visual issues, save for slightly tweaked gamma levels versus other versions, and they sensibly drop the intensive RT features found on PS5. RE2 and RE3 also run at a higher frame-rate than RE4, both in docked and handheld mode, with a loose 60fps lock accompanied by only minor dips below.
Is that enough for Switch 2? I think so. They're not perfect conversions, but they're worth playing for series fans, and Switch 2 still delivers the best portable Resident Evil experience you're likely to have outside of a high-powered PC handheld.