Switch 2 vs. the Console Graveyard: Cyberpunk 2077 Benchmarks Get Spicy!
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Digital Foundry benchmarked *Cyberpunk 2077* on the Switch 2 against older consoles, revealing the Switch 2 holds its own but still falls behind the Xbox Series S in raw power. It appears CPU-heavy games are going to need a lot more work for any stable port to the Nintendo Switch 2.
Right, buckle up, because Digital Foundry just chucked a wrench into the console wars with some *Cyberpunk 2077* benchmarks. They pitted the upcoming Switch 2 (yes, the future!) against the ghosts of gaming past: the PS4, PS4 Pro, and Xbox Series S. And the results? Well, they're more tangled than a wizard's beard after a polymorph potion gone wrong.
Big shoutout to Richard Leadbetter and the gang over at Digital Foundry (Eurogamer) for doing the heavy lifting on this one. They dug into the game's guts to compare CPU and GPU performance across these platforms. Why? Because Virtuos, the wizards behind the *Cyberpunk* porting sorcery, dropped some tantalizing hints about the Switch 2's capabilities.
Eoin O'Grady from Black Shamrock (a Virtuos studio) reckoned the Switch 2's GPU is "slightly below the Series S" but gets a boost from DLSS. CPU-wise, he placed it closer to the PS4. Sounds simple, right? Of course not! This is gaming; nothing is ever simple.
Digital Foundry, being the pixel-peeping legends they are, decided to put these claims to the test. They ran internal benchmarks in *Cyberpunk 2077* – which, apparently, are hiding in plain sight for anyone to use (who knew?).
Now, before we dive too deep, let's remember that we're talking about *Cyberpunk 2077*, a game that practically melted consoles at launch. It's hardly the most optimized beast out there, and each console handles it with its own unique bag of tricks (upscaling, anti-aliasing, the whole shebang).
So, what did they find?
* **GPU Showdown:** The Switch 2 punches above its weight, often outperforming the base PS4 in resolution, thanks to DLSS magic. Against the PS4 Pro, it's a mixed bag. Sometimes it's neck-and-neck, other times it's lagging behind. The Series S? Well, it generally kicks the Switch 2 to the curb in terms of raw pixel count. We're talking up to 70% higher resolution in some cases. Ouch.
* **CPU Rumble:** The Switch 2 holds its own, generally sitting between the PS4 and PS4 Pro. The Series S, with its Zen 2 cores, barely breaks a sweat. This backs up Virtuos's claim that porting 60fps Series S games to the Switch 2 *should* be relatively straightforward... emphasis on the *relatively*.
Virtuos themselves clarified that "easily portable" doesn't equal "identical performance." Fair enough.
**The Takeaway?**
The Switch 2 seems like a capable little machine, especially considering its likely power draw. It’s holding its own against last-gen consoles, even occasionally flexing some DLSS muscle. But the Series S is still the champ when it comes to raw graphical grunt. What this means for actual gameplay is anyone's guess at this point. The Digital Foundry test does make it clear, as also mentioned by Virtuos, that while graphics are scalable, CPU-heavy titles will require more work.
All eyes are now on *Star Wars Outlaws*, the next big port headed for the Switch 2. Will it be a smooth hyperspace jump, or a crash landing on Tatooine? Only time will tell, mate, but it will be interesting!
Tags: Switch 2, Cyberpunk 2077, Benchmarks, Digital Foundry, Console Comparison
Original article: Eurogamer