The Nintendo Switch was a massive success, but it was built primarily on the strength of first-party and less-demanding third-party games. We all knew you didn’t turn to the Switch for the visual splendor offered on its competitors. The Switch 2 has brought things slightly more towards parity, and we’ve seen a few third-party standouts like Cyberpunk 2077 and Star Wars Outlaws that push the hardware. Those will soon be joined by two high-profile Capcom games, Resident Evil Requiem and Pragmata, which were both visually impressive at a recent Nintendo hands-on event.
Both demos on display were familiar ones. For Resident Evil, it was the opening moments as Grace begins exploring the hospital that we’ve seen demonstrated in other presentations, and for Pragmata it was the same demo that’s available on Steam now. But that also allows a direct comparison, and to my surprise, it was pretty favorable in both cases.
Resident Evil Requiem looked great, maintaining the high-fidelity distressed look that lends itself to the creepy atmosphere. Things in the hospital look worn and used, sometimes decaying, which helps set a mood, and the Switch 2 pulled off that look very well. In handheld mode, the smaller screen may have looked even better than on a big screen, since the more compact pixel density could hide some of the less-detailed parts. Plus, with the ability to play on a handheld you could play it in bed, hiding under the covers.
