Metroid Prime 4: Beyond isn’t a Switch 2 exclusive, but how it would run on the OG Switch has remained a mystery through its entire announcement and preview cycle. The preview coverage has consistently been running on Switch 2, and review codes were for the Switch 2 Edition, so many reviews including ours evaluated that version. Now that the game is out, though, we can put any lingering concerns to rest: The game plays smoothly on the original Switch.
For the purposes of this look at the game I replayed through the first two major sections: the tutorial mission with the assault on the Galactic Federation, and then the Fury Green portion on Viewros where Samus first starts to unlock her psychic abilities. Predictably, the Switch 1 version looks noticeably lower-quality than its Switch 2 counterpart, with less-detailed textures and lighting effects. It still looks decent, though, and compares favorably to the Metroid Prime Remaster that was released on Switch in 2023. Just know that you shouldn’t go in expecting it to look quite as nice as the official trailers or other footage captured on a Switch 2.
Its performance, on the other hand, is very good. It doesn’t offer a Quality or Performance mode selection like it does on Switch 2, but the default settings run well, without noticeable framerate dips. Switch fans who have watched recent Nintendo games outpace the hardware’s limitations, especially in the cases of some recent Pokemon and Zelda titles, can be assured that isn’t the case here. In my limited testing, I didn’t run into any hitches, and felt the smooth performance was roughly on par with my review experience on Switch 2. It’s possible, of course, that later portions may overwhelm the system, but I haven’t had any cause for concern so far.
So on the whole, the original Switch seems like a perfectly acceptable way to play Samus’s latest adventure. If you’ve been eager to dive in, but haven’t made the upgrade to Switch 2 yet, you can feel free to enjoy it. And if you do upgrade sometime in the future, the visual polish will look even better on your new hardware.
The Switch version of Metroid Prime 4 is $10 cheaper than the Switch 2 edition, and if you do buy that version you can always pay for the upgrade later. For more on Prime 4, be sure to read our full Metroid Prime 4 review, as well as how some Amiibos function in the new game.
