Monster Hunter Wilds has a playable demo on Switch 2, and Digital Foundry's first look at it is more positive than many expected. Oliver Mackenzie and Richard Leadbetter compare the demo with the Xbox Series S and PS5 versions, and their headline is that Nintendo's console holds its own against the Series S, and beats it in places, even while rendering far fewer pixels.
Everything below is Digital Foundry's analysis of a demo. The full game may differ, and the numbers are their estimates rather than anything Capcom has published.
The modes
According to Digital Foundry, the Switch 2 version offers two modes when docked, quality and frame rate, plus a single handheld mode and a 30fps cap you can switch on. That is a sensible spread for a game this demanding, and each one makes a clear trade.
Docked quality mode: fewer pixels, better picture
This is the mode Digital Foundry is most impressed by. Mackenzie says the port avoids the characteristic problems of earlier RE Engine conversions, and calls its texture advantage over the Series S a significant and surprising positive. Leadbetter credits Capcom with using the Switch 2's extra memory for higher-quality textures.
The resolution story is the interesting part. By Digital Foundry's count, Switch 2 renders at around 648p internally and upscales with Nvidia's DLSS, while the Series S renders closer to 1080p with conventional TAA. On paper the Series S wins. On screen, the pair argue, DLSS gives the cleaner image, which Leadbetter calls evidence of a "post-resolution age", where upscaling quality matters more than the raw pixel count. Switch 2 also keeps screen-space reflections, which the Series S version drops.
There are cuts. Digital Foundry points out that distant foliage stops animating and that background characters animate at a reduced rate at range. In their tests the quality mode holds a consistent 30fps with correct frame pacing.
Frame-rate mode and handheld
The frame-rate mode drops the internal resolution to around 600p and turns off screen-space reflections. It is uncapped, and Digital Foundry measured it mostly between 40 and 55fps. Handheld play goes lower still: around 432p, with reduced shadow resolution and no screen-space reflections.
That uncapped range is why the pair want more options. Leadbetter thinks it is unfortunate that variable refresh rate isn't working properly in either docked or handheld play, which would smooth out those swings. Mackenzie suggests Capcom add a 40fps balanced mode for 120Hz displays.
How it compares with PS5
The PS5 comparison is less about power than presentation. Digital Foundry compares mesh and texture detail across the two, but Mackenzie's sharpest point is about image treatment. He finds the PS5's frame-rate mode, which uses AMD's older FSR 1 upscaler, over-sharpened and aliased next to the Switch 2 and Series S. That is a criticism of an upscaling choice, not of the console.
The verdict
Mackenzie's closing view is that Capcom has delivered a polished port that sets a standard for how Switch 2 conversions should be approached. If you have a Switch 2 and wondered whether Wilds could run on it, the demo is the place to judge for yourself, and Digital Foundry's numbers suggest docked quality mode is where to start.
What viewers said
Viewers were largely won over. The most-liked comment came from someone who tried the first ten minutes of the demo and was blown away, and others simply called it seriously impressive. Some were harder on the Series S than Digital Foundry was, a few noticed pop-in on small creatures and wildlife at a distance, and one popular comment said docked performance mode looks like a perfect case for variable refresh rate.
From the creators
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