Review – Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition

The opening night is a well-known concept in entertainment. It’s a potentially defining moment that either sets the stage for success or depicts an impending failure. A film, a concert, an art piece — All things that an opening night benefits. Video game consoles have a different take on an opening night that strikes the exact same chords: The new console launch. 

When Nintendo Switch 2 was revealed, including a game as massive, gritty and technologically demanding as Cyberpunk 2077 in the reveal presentation and featuring it as one of the new system’s main launch titles was a statement. The Nintendo Switch, long may it reign, was well-known for downsized ports of select third party giants. CDProjekt Red (Abbreviated as CDPR), the developers behind Cyberpunk 2077, were behind one of the original Switch’s biggest success stories, that being the Switch port of The Witcher 3. While the game’s rendering and frame rate performance weren’t that of its PlayStation and Xbox counterparts, the fact that such a game could fit on essentially a tablet blew minds. So it made a lot of sense when Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition was revealed as one of Switch 2’s headliners. But we were still left wondering, in a similar fashion to figuring out how a magician pulled off a card trick, how will this game run, especially considering it includes the Phantom Liberty expansion?

As has been thoroughly documented on the very same internet you’re currently reading this review on, CDPR pulled off a Hail Mary. Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition is a great showpiece for the Nintendo Switch 2’s improved capabilities. As one of the first titles to utilize Nvidia DLSS AI upscaling on a Nintendo console, something I suspect will be a heavily-utilized tool this console generation, Cyberpunk is able to achieve a consistent 40 frames per second, even in handheld mode. Coincidentally, this is where the game shines most — all the girth, density and scope of a AAA futuristic action RPG/Akira simulator in the palm of your hands and without much compromise. The game looks great on the LCD screen with decent HDR and even throws in some ray tracing as well as dynamic shadows. This is to be expected on modern consoles, but for a handheld-centric system, this is still new territory. While Nintendo Switch 2 is best taken on its own, the Steam Deck and Rog Ally comparisons are inevitable and it certainly doesn’t hurt that the Switch 2 is able to play one of Steam Deck’s most troubled games without many hitches whatsoever. 

 

 

If you’re still wondering about the game’s visuals, there are 2 modes that prioritize different ideals: Performance Mode will get you the highest frame rate at 40 fps and includes dynamic shadows with lower overall resolution to maintain the higher frame rate whereas Quality Mode hones in on the visual fidelity and more bells and whistles at a stable 30 fps with higher resolution instead. This astoundingly goes for playing in both Handheld and Docked. The thing with this style of AI upscaling is that the actual resolution is much lower than what is being achieved through Nvidia’s DLSS, Handheld hovering around 540p and Docked sitting at 720p. It’s not a perfect solution quite yet either, as it causes some visual texturing glitches. However, this IS Cyberpunk 2077 we’re talking about, so you may expect some of that silliness already. 

The Switch 2 version of Cyberpunk certainly dazzles with its handheld views of Night City’s neon-filled living, breathing vaporwave skyline and claustrophobic corporate highways, but the most vital aspect of this game being on this system specifically is its flexibility. Want to play curled up in bed with the Joy-Con 2’s attached to the screen using either buttons or gyro aiming? Go for it. Want to detach the Joy-Con 2’s and utilize those wrist straps with motion inputs? You’re covered. How about using the Joy-Con 2’s as if they’re a mouse and keyboard while sitting on the couch with only your pants to use as a surface? Absolutely, and it works incredibly well. That’s not even mentioning how well-suited the game is to the new Pro Controller in both Handheld and Docked modes. I played Cyberpunk on Switch 2 in five different ways and all of them felt good. As a side note, a little positive reinforcement with some type of skill level increase frequently being rewarded for something as simple as landing a head shot went a long way. I’m definitely a proponent of watching numbers go up. 

 

 

Most of my complaints about Cyperpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition are complaints I already had with the original game. Driving still feels slippery and I’m just as prone to fish-tailing in Ultimate Edition as I am on the other consoles’ versions. Guns feel good, but kitana’s feel better, even without stat upgrades. I’m still not hugely sold on the story and the way it plays out. The three classes you choose from at the beginning of the game feel meaningless when they’re all means to the same end, and I could do with a lot less slow pacing in V’s tale brought on by dull dialogue. Keanu Reeves’ unique take on psychological warfare really does kick this game in the ass and makes it more than just another “Gang war backed by political intrigue” story. Phantom Liberty, even with its frame rate dips and intensive performance, dwarfs the original game’s plot for this reason and Idris Elba’s inclusion is my second justification of that. The cellphone in the game is just as demanding as it’s ever been and I wish there was a more intuitive way to start, follow, and track quests. Night City is one big crowded (though far less crowded on Switch 2 for performance’s sake) room and your cellphone activity reflects that. There’s always someone or five someone’s trying to reach you, and not just regarding your car’s extended warranty. Hopefully some of these minor gripes will be addressed in the recently announced sequel as quality of life improvements. 

 

 

What is left to say of Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition’s existence on a Nintendo handheld? The fact that such a gigantic world as Night City and its many alleyways is able to be explored in its entirety, including the demanding Phantom Liberty expansion that previous generation consoles can’t handle, is extremely impressive. And I don’t think that this is just a cool party trick either. This type of game succeeding on the Nintendo Switch 2 (currently sitting at #2 most downloaded in the eShop at the time of this review’s writing) will set the stage for AAA games just as big and graphically intensive to attempt finding a home on Nintendo’s latest system. Cyberpunk 2077, with its rocky first days back in 2020 and subsequent rebirth in 2022, has certainly found some good will here on Nintendo hardware in 2025. With that being said, it’s safe to say that Nintendo Switch 2 with its vast and impressive third-party lineup at launch and 3.5 million units sold in its first four days, has nailed its opening night, its red carpet being velvet rather than blood-stained, and will certainly be a blockbuster thanks to giving games like Cyberpunk 2077 a shot with a new audience. 

 

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