Modern Warfare 4 Switch 2 First Impressions Call It a 'Pretty Impressive Port' Ahead of Open Beta

Early access for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is now live across most platforms, and although Nintendo Switch 2 players won't join the test until next weekend, Activision has already handed out Switch 2 review codes to a handful of creators and outlets. Their first impressions of the native Switch 2 build are now public, and the early read is that Infinity Ward and Digital Legends' port runs well, even if it comes with visible trade-offs.

YouTube channel BoTalksGames has posted roughly 14 minutes of Killzone gameplay captured in docked mode and called the build a "pretty impressive port." The channel's summary acknowledges that it is "not perfect" and that resolution and draw distance take a hit, but argues that the sacrifice is worth it for a stable frame rate. The clip also shows a settings menu around the 1:18 mark, confirming that the Switch 2 version exposes some in-game graphics toggles rather than locking everything down.

Switch Force, another creator briefed by Activision, was similarly upbeat on performance but more measured on the visuals. "It runs really great. I think that's a resounding achievement. I led with that, I believe that is probably the story here, but I think there are compromises that I think a lot of people are going to be very quick to pick up on," the channel wrote, pointing to lower-resolution textures and softer image quality in busy firefights.

The general picture matches what Nintendo's own Modern Warfare 4 Open Beta guide lays out for Switch 2 owners. Pre-orders open at 9:00 AM PT on August 26, the same moment the Open Beta client goes live to pre-load. The Switch 2 beta runs from August 28 through September 1 and includes the campaign mission "Entrenched," standard multiplayer and full crossplay with PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC players. Anyone who wants to skip the line can also buy the full game outright, which launches on October 23 alongside every other version.

If the hands-on impressions hold up once the wider Open Beta opens next week, the Switch 2 edition of Modern Warfare 4 will arrive with the most credible port Activision has ever shipped to a Nintendo console. The last mainline Call of Duty to run natively on a Nintendo system was Modern Warfare 3 on Wii in 2011, and every attempt in between either came through a downgraded port, a cloud streaming wrapper, or, in the case of Call of Duty: Ghosts on Wii U, the short-lived NVIDIA Tegra X1 hardware path. This time the build is on par with the home consoles, with the documented trade-offs limited to resolution and draw distance rather than feature scope or multiplayer parity.

For Switch 2 players, the practical takeaway is straightforward. Pre-order from August 26 if you want guaranteed access, jump in for the free Open Beta from August 28 if you want to test your rig first, and expect the same maps, modes and campaign content the rest of the community gets on day one.