Resident Evil Requiem Runs Flawlessly on Nintendo Switch 2, I’m Impressed

The appetite for Resident Evil Requiem is palpable. The fans are ravenous, perhaps as ravenous as the monstrosity that relentlessly pursued me during a recent hands-on with the game - a hands-on that should be considered monumental. It’s been a very long time since a mainline Resident Evil entry landed day one on a Nintendo system but alas, that’ll soon change.

Resident Evil Requiem is doing precisely that, arriving on Nintendo Switch 2 on 27 February alongside PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. It may not be the system you’re most inclined to pick the highly anticipated title up on, perhaps assuming that the Nintendo Switch 2 may lack power as a handheld compared to other platforms. You’d be doing yourself a disservice, however, by making such an assumption.

I recently had the opportunity to go hands-on with Resident Evil Requiem at Nintendo of Europe’s headquarters, and when I tell you that I cannot fault this port, I mean it. I won’t do an in-depth debrief of the demo’s content as it’s the exact demo that first surfaced at last year’s Gamescom, playable to both public and media - although you can revisit our preview. To recap, the demo sees Grace attempt to escape a hospital located within Raccoon City, although that’s made all the more difficult by a bloodthirsty, giant lady who’s dead set on ripping your jugular out. I say ‘lady’, but I’m being polite. Add a touch of Gollum into the mix.

Resident Evil Requiem’s Demo Runs Flawlessly on Nintendo Switch 2

I experienced the demo in docked mode on the Nintendo Switch 2 and while it’s hardly much in the way of an in-depth analysis, I truly mean it when I say that I cannot fault the title’s performance. Throughout the experience, I didn’t witness a single stutter or frame drop, nor did I think that graphical fidelity had been reduced in order to stabilise the game on the Nintendo Switch 2. Grace’s ordeal, and mine as a certified scaredy cat, was perfectly supported by the hardware. The action was fluid and the controls were receptive, whilst the crisp decay of the setting oozed tension.

Capcom

In fact, I witnessed this precise demo at Gamescom running on PC. I’m sure if you ran the two side-by-side, you may be able to point out a slight discrepancy here and there. Based on my observations alone though, I couldn’t pinpoint anything to separate the two, and I do think there’s a real sell in experiencing Resident Evil Requiem on the go. There’s a level of intimacy with handheld gaming, and that could make Resident Evil Requiem all the more frightening.

As I said, I played the demo docked so I can’t fully attest to how Resident Evil Requiem feels as a truly handheld experience but I can say this: don’t overlook this port. Resident Evil Requiem looks exceptionally well optimised on the Nintendo Switch 2, signalling a shiny new era for Nintendo and Capcom as a partnership.

Resident Evil Requiem launches on 27 February on Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.