Modern Warfare 4 on Switch 2: FPS, latency and image quality

Digital Foundry’s analysis of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 on Nintendo Switch 2, published October 30, 2026, reports different frame-rate targets across modes and higher multiplayer input latency than in its PlayStation 5 comparison. In the test, latency measured 80.7 ms docked and 100.0 ms handheld on Switch 2, compared with 49.1 ms on PS5 at 60 Hz. Both systems used wireless controllers.

Multiplayer latency: docked Switch 2, handheld and PS5

Digital Foundry measured multiplayer latency with a wireless Switch 2 Pro Controller and a wireless DualSense. Handheld readings on Switch 2 ranged from 83 to 125 ms; the reported 100.0 ms figure is the result for that setup, not a measurement for every player or session.

Frame-rate targets vary by mode

The campaign targets 30 fps, and gameplay is reported to hold that rate for most of its sequences. Pre-rendered cutscenes and fast driving sections can hitch. Competitive multiplayer targets 60 fps, but Digital Foundry reports dips into the 50s or high 40s during busy firefights, in dense smoke, or when looking through a riot shield’s transparent visor. On supported displays, VRR can smooth the visible dips.

DMZ targets 40 fps when a 120 Hz display is connected. That condition applies to the reported DMZ target; the three mode targets are not interchangeable.

DLSS and SMAA trade sharpness for cleaner motion

With DLSS in docked play, resolution is dynamic, targeting 900p and falling to 450p in demanding scenes. Handheld resolution has a 720p baseline and can drop to 360p under heavy rendering loads. SMAA has a 1080p target.

Digital Foundry’s comparison describes a visual trade-off: DLSS reduces flicker and noise on thin details and moving transparent surfaces, but can make static images look softer. SMAA retains finer detail in still scenes, with more image artefacts. The higher SMAA target therefore does not, by itself, describe how the image looks in motion.

The analysis also reports reduced shadow quality, less detailed reflections, more visible pop-in and no player-character self-shadowing in the campaign. It says campaign character shadows are present in multiplayer.

What the results mean for handheld play

For players who mainly use Switch 2 handheld, the reported multiplayer latency and resolution range are the central trade-offs: the test measured 100.0 ms, with readings from 83 to 125 ms, while resolution could fall to 360p under intense loads. Those figures describe Digital Foundry’s tested setup. Whether portability outweighs those compromises depends on what matters most in your play.