Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Looks Disappointing on Switch 2, Testers Say

Early hands-on impressions of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 running on Nintendo Switch 2 show that the developers traded visual clarity for a stable frame rate.

The game will be the first entry in the franchise to arrive on the upcoming console under a 10-year agreement between Microsoft and Nintendo to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms. While the Modern Warfare 4 beta is already live on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, the Switch 2 version is not yet accessible to the public. However, selected content creators and gaming outlets received early preview access to test the port.

Developers Sledgehammer Games and Beenox appear to have prioritized frame rate above all else. In docked mode, the multiplayer version targets 60 frames per second and holds that target in most scenarios, though frame rate drops and noticeable stuttering occur during intense action.

The trade-off is an extremely low base resolution. Early previews report severe visual artifacts, especially around character models, weapons, and architectural geometry. These visual flaws become more pronounced during rapid camera turns and fast movement.

An Activision representative reportedly confirmed on the official Discord server that the Switch 2 version uses a native DLSS implementation. John Rairdin of Nintendo World Report offered a sharp critique of the image quality, stating he had never seen such a poor implementation of DLSS.

In handheld mode, the game reportedly fares better. The smaller Switch 2 screen conceals much of the low internal resolution, and some testers noted that performance felt smoother, which may be aided by variable refresh rate support on the console display.

Source: iXBT.games