Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is coming to Nintendo Switch 2, building anticipation with a platform-specific open beta from August 28 to September 1. Call of Duty is something of a contentious franchise, and everyone seems to have a unique opinion about it, but it’s hard to deny its overwhelming popularity. This is one of the reasons why the IP’s absence on Nintendo platforms, for the most part, has been so striking.
Call of Duty is expected to stay in bed with the Switch 2 for the foreseeable future, which isn’t exactly surprising. The Switch and Switch 2 are some of the best-selling consoles of all time, and Activision would be leaving considerable money on the table by not catering to such a massive audience. It’s also worth noting that the Nintendo Switch 2’s mouse integration makes it a surprisingly great home for shooters, which is something Modern Warfare 4 is wisely taking advantage of. Having said that, the Switch 2, while certainly more powerful than its predecessor, is noticeably weaker than its PlayStation and Xbox competitors. With Modern Warfare 4 not even releasing on the PS4 or Xbox One, it’s easy to imagine a scenario where this new CoD sees major compromise on Nintendo’s device.
Call of Duty On Switch 2 Won’t Be So Great If It Can’t Maintain at Least a Solid 60 FPS
The Nintendo Switch 2 Is More Powerful, but Still Trails the Pack
Without getting too deep into the nitty-gritty technical specs of each mainstream console, it’s safe to say that the Switch 2 isn’t giving either the PS5 nor the Xbox Series X|S a run for its money. Sure, there have been some impressive feats on Nintendo’s latest device, such as Resident Evil Requiem, but there’s no guarantee that this will translate to strong performance for Modern Warfare 4. Case in point: the poor performance of Elden Ring on Switch 2.
I’ll reiterate: the Modern Warfare 4 remake is breaking away from last-gen consoles and only launching on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2. This suggests that Modern Warfare 4 is, in some way, leveraging the current hardware baseline for more demanding visuals. The Switch 2 might have a beefier GPU and advanced upscaling courtesy of NVIDIA DLSS, but it’s most likely going to have to be considerably pared-down regardless. Hopefully, this paring-down will affect visual fidelity more than frame rate.
High, Steady FPS Is More Important for Competitive Shooters Like Call of Duty
Like most gamers, I’m generally of the mind that the more FPS a game has, the better. It’s the reason I spend so much time and money upgrading my PC with new components and peripherals like high refresh-rate monitors for higher frame caps. At the same time, certain games are less affected by frame rate than others: I don’t really care if a game like Pentiment or Absolum runs at 30 FPS versus 90 FPS. Even the aforementioned Resident Evil Requiem, which can struggle to maintain 60 FPS on the Switch 2, is more about atmosphere and exploration than the split-second advantages that higher FPS confers.
This brings us to the root of why Modern Warfare 4‘s Switch 2 performance is so crucial. Call of Duty, more than other FPS franchises like DOOM, is about speed and precision. The games usually require quick, twitch-like reaction and execution, particularly in multiplayer, and this is simply not as easy when you’re wrestling with low frame rates. Frame inconsistency can be even worse, as any sudden drop in frames can be the difference between victory and defeat.
For what it’s worth, Infinity Ward has publicly affirmed its confidence in the Switch 2 version of Modern Warfare 4, saying that there’s “nothing to report” as far as performance issues go. But of course, it’s hard to imagine the developer of the game itself saying anything else.
This is to say nothing of Modern Warfare 4‘s cross-platform functionality, which will continue with Modern Warfare 4; Nintendo Switch 2 players will be competing with and against those on PlayStation 5, PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X|S, and PC across the hardware spectrum. Meaningful performance differences between platforms would, in this case, represent a considerable disadvantage for Switch 2 users.
How Much Will Bad Performance Really Hurt Modern Warfare 4 On the Nintendo Switch 2?
Nintendo’s hardware has long been the worst option if you care about visuals and performance in third-party AAA games. This is especially true for AAA games that aim to push technical boundaries. The Call of Duty: the Modern Warfare 4 remake falls into this camp, as it’s expected to boast the latest in ray-traced reflection and ambient occlusion tech, for instance. Even with the leaps Nintendo has made in terms of power with the Switch 2, it’s probable that it will take a pass on these more advanced visual features.
Call of Duty, more than other FPS franchises like DOOM, is about speed and precision.
This is a shame, but most Switch 2 users can probably understand it. Again, if you’re the type of player who really cares about the best visuals and performance, you probably aren’t going to choose the Switch 2 for a game like Modern Warfare 4. But it all comes back to the difference between performance and visuals. Compromises on fidelity are disappointing, but compromises on frame rate and FPS consistency can be debilitating, especially in a shooter like CoD.
If Nintendo has any interest in making the Switch 2 a reliable home for third-party games, then Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 could be a proving ground of sorts. That is, a Switch 2 port of the game that’s comparable to versions on PS5 and Xbox Series consoles will send a strong message about Nintendo’s viability as a competitor console, and a port that’s considerably worse will do the same thing in the opposite direction. I’m certainly ready to use my Switch 2 for more than just non-demanding indie games and Nintendo exclusives, so here’s hoping that Modern Warfare 4 can further solidify the console’s legitimacy in the hardware department.
- Released
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October 23, 2026
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
