The Nintendo Switch was a massive success, but it was built primarily on the strength of first-party and less-demanding third-party games. We all knew you didn't turn to the Switch for the visual splendor offered on its competitors. The Switch 2 has brought things slightly more towards parity, and we've seen a few third-party standouts like Cyberpunk 2077 and Star Wars Outlaws that push the hardware. Those will soon be joined by two high-profile Capcom games, Resident Evil Requiem and Pragmata, which were both visually impressive at a recent Nintendo hands-on event.
Both demos on display were familiar ones. For Resident Evil, it was the opening moments as Grace begins exploring the hospital that we've seen demonstrated in other presentations, and for Pragmata it was the same demo that's available on Steam now. But that also allows a direct comparison, and to my surprise, it was pretty favorable in both cases.
Resident Evil Requiem looked great, maintaining the high-fidelity distressed look that lends itself to the creepy atmosphere. Things in the hospital look worn and used, sometimes decaying, which helps set a mood, and the Switch 2 pulled off that look very well. In handheld mode, the smaller screen may have looked even better than on a big screen, since the more compact pixel density could hide some of the less-detailed parts. Plus, with the ability to play on a handheld you could play it in bed, hiding under the covers.
Pragmata was equally impressive. The vibrant whites and textures of Hugh's spacesuit, the textures of his and Diana's clothing, and the glow of the shambling robots all looked very nice on both an external screen and in handheld mode. In Pragmata's case, especially, I was impressed by how smooth the framerate appeared throughout. I didn't have a frame counter equipped, obviously, but to my eyes it looked noticeably above 30fps.
Neither game was without its share of slight compromises, however. Resident Evil showed less-detailed textures when you got very close to surfaces, as compared to its showings elsewhere, and in particular a shaft of dusty light coming through the window got blown out once I went through it. In Pragmata, some of the stage geometry looked a little less detailed than I had seen in a PS5 demo at Gamescom, and Diana's hair texture was much less natural-looking than I've seen on other platforms. In a side-by-side comparison, you'll still be able to tell the difference between a Switch 2 and a high-end PC, PS5, or Xbox Series X.
But all of that is to be expected. The Switch 2 isn't the most powerful system on the market and no one thought it would be. Capcom is squeezing an impressive amount of juice out of this new system, and making respectable ports that look as if players will be making a decent trade-off for handheld functionality, instead of simply settling for less.
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Both demos on display were familiar ones. For Resident Evil, it was the opening moments as Grace begins exploring the hospital that we've seen demonstrated in other presentations, and for Pragmata it was the same demo that's available on Steam now. But that also allows a direct comparison, and to my surprise, it was pretty favorable in both cases.
Resident Evil Requiem looked great, maintaining the high-fidelity distressed look that lends itself to the creepy atmosphere. Things in the hospital look worn and used, sometimes decaying, which helps set a mood, and the Switch 2 pulled off that look very well. In handheld mode, the smaller screen may have looked even better than on a big screen, since the more compact pixel density could hide some of the less-detailed parts. Plus, with the ability to play on a handheld you could play it in bed, hiding under the covers.
Pragmata was equally impressive. The vibrant whites and textures of Hugh's spacesuit, the textures of his and Diana's clothing, and the glow of the shambling robots all looked very nice on both an external screen and in handheld mode. In Pragmata's case, especially, I was impressed by how smooth the framerate appeared throughout. I didn't have a frame counter equipped, obviously, but to my eyes it looked noticeably above 30fps.
Neither game was without its share of slight compromises, however. Resident Evil showed less-detailed textures when you got very close to surfaces, as compared to its showings elsewhere, and in particular a shaft of dusty light coming through the window got blown out once I went through it. In Pragmata, some of the stage geometry looked a little less detailed than I had seen in a PS5 demo at Gamescom, and Diana's hair texture was much less natural-looking than I've seen on other platforms. In a side-by-side comparison, you'll still be able to tell the difference between a Switch 2 and a high-end PC, PS5, or Xbox Series X.
But all of that is to be expected. The Switch 2 isn't the most powerful system on the market and no one thought it would be. Capcom is squeezing an impressive amount of juice out of this new system, and making respectable ports that look as if players will be making a decent trade-off for handheld functionality, instead of simply settling for less.
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