Call of Duty is officially back on Nintendo hardware, and this time it is not a stripped-down cloud version.
Activision and Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launched on October 23, 2026. In a massive shift for the franchise, the blockbuster shooter completely skipped last-generation consoles, PS4 and Xbox One, to launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC and the brand-new Nintendo Switch 2.
Natively developed for Nintendo's new hardware in partnership with Digital Legends, the Switch 2 port is already turning heads. Following a comprehensive technical teardown by Digital Foundry, the performance metrics are finally in, and the outlet is hailing the release as an βimpressive technical conversion.β Here is exactly how Modern Warfare 4 performs on the Switch 2. For the wider Switch 2 picture, see our Nintendo Switch 2 hub.
Frame rates and resolution
To get a massive current-generation engine running on a portable hybrid console, Infinity Ward had to make calculated compromises across the game's various modes.
According to Digital Foundry's analysis, the cinematic, heavily scripted Campaign targets 30 frames per second (fps). However, the developers understood that 30fps is simply not viable for competitive shooters. As a result, the Multiplayer mode targets 60fps, though it occasionally dips into the high 40s and 50s during chaotic, explosion-heavy firefights.
Interestingly, the extraction-based DMZ mode features a 40fps target, with the Switch 2 docked and connected to a compatible display. To maintain these frame rates, the game leans heavily on Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) upscaling to output at a 1080p resolution while docked.
Input latency and install size
While the visual conversion is impressive, highly competitive players will need to adjust to the hardware's inherent input latency.
Digital Foundry reports that the Switch 2 version suffers from 81ms of input delay while docked, and roughly 100ms in portable mode. In a multiplayer lobby, this means Switch 2 players will be operating roughly two to three frames slower (31ms to 51ms) than their PlayStation 5 counterparts.
However, Nintendo players do get one major victory over the other consoles: storage space. While the PS5 version of Modern Warfare 4 demands a staggering 120GB of SSD space, the Switch 2 install is significantly lighter, coming in at just 88GB.
Overall, delivering a native, highly playable version of a current-gen Call of Duty on a portable console is a genuine technical achievement. If you can accept a few frame drops and a slight input delay, the Switch 2 version is a fully featured way to experience Modern Warfare 4 on the go.