Just in case the news escaped you, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launched on Switch 2 this month – the first in the series to do so since the days of the Wii U. Naturally, much of the focus has been on the game’s performance and whether the Switch 2 can keep up with its competitors. To answer exactly that question, the tech experts at Digital Foundry have just shared their thoughts on the nitty-gritty details of the hybrid version.
We’ll start with the all-important frame rates. DF states that MW4 runs at 30fps in campaign mode, 60fps in competitive multiplayer, and 40fps (if you have a 120Hz display connected) in DMZ mining mode. While this is a bit lower than other platforms – especially when it comes to the campaign – it means that us Switch 2 players can still enjoy the full CoD experience.
This is all relatively stable as well. In the campaign, you’ll see some hiccups in the pre-rendered cutscenes (also found on other platforms), although the actual gameplay isn’t affected and things run at a smooth frame rate of 30. The same can be said for the DMZ mode at 40 frames per second – although there’s obviously a bit of input latency for both when opting for a locked and lower rate.
Things sometimes drop into the 50s, or even the 40s in online multiplayer, with input latency adding “an extra challenge to achieve the best kill-to-death ratio.”
There are two antialiasing options in the Switch 2 version, running at a dynamic resolution of 900p in DLSS mode (dropping to 450p in “worst case”) and at a higher target of 1080p when using SMAA T2X mode. On handheld, it runs at a dynamic 720p resolution, dropping to 360p during more intense missions.
There are of course some discounts. Asset resolution is noticeably lower than other platforms when crouching down, and some reflections lose a lot of detail. There are lower quality shadows (there aren’t any on the player character in campaign mode), and you’ll notice more contextual detail skipping on Switch 2.
That said, DF considers it a “job well done”, overall, in keeping all the important elements in place – which proves essential for maintaining balance in cross-platform online gaming.
We had a great time with Modern Warfare 4 on Switch 2, calling it “a great demonstration of why this juicy series still matters to so many people” in our 9/10 review.
Gn tech
