Digital Foundry reports a loose 60-fps lock with minor dips for Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 on Nintendo Switch 2. Resident Evil 4 is more demanding: its resolution and frame rate shift between docked and handheld play, and heavy scenes bring bigger drops, according to Digital Foundry’s technical review.
Resident Evil 2 and 3 are the steadier performers
Digital Foundry describes Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 as running at a loose 60-fps lock in both docked and handheld modes, with minor dips below that mark. The outlet spent less time testing those two games than Resident Evil 4, so its performance findings for them are less extensive.
Resident Evil 4 changes with play mode
Digital Foundry reports that Resident Evil 4 uses Nvidia DLSS to reconstruct its image from a lower internal resolution. That internal resolution is 540p when docked and 360p in handheld mode. It is not the same measurement as the final displayed image resolution.
| Mode | Internal resolution | Reported frame-rate behavior |
| Docked | 540p, with DLSS reconstruction | Reaches a 60-fps target in quieter scenes; drops into the 40s and 50s in demanding areas and heavy combat. |
| Handheld | 360p, with DLSS reconstruction | Normally 40–50 fps, with occasional traversal issues; Digital Foundry notes apparent smoothing associated with VRR. |
The practical difference is that Resident Evil 4 does not hold the same performance across every scene or play mode. Docked play can reach 60 fps when the action is lighter, while handheld play typically falls below that level. Digital Foundry also reports that fine details can look blurry or grainy in motion, particularly at the lower handheld resolution.
How the PS4 comparison fits
Digital Foundry’s overall assessment is that the Switch 2 version of Resident Evil 4 is closer to PS4 than PS5. In its comparison, the PS4 version runs at around 900p and 35–45 fps; Switch 2’s docked internal resolution is 540p, with DLSS reconstruction. Digital Foundry says that reconstruction helps the Switch 2 image resemble PS4 despite the lower raw resolution. Switch 2 has better texture detail than PS4, while PS4 retains advantages in foliage density and volumetric-lighting resolution.
Compared with PS5, the Switch 2 version has fewer screen-space reflections, reduced foliage density, flatter ground surfaces, softer or lower-resolution volumetric lighting, changed global illumination, selected texture downgrades and lower animation rates for distant enemies. These are among the rendering trade-offs behind the gap between the Switch 2 presentation and PS5.
For the tested Resident Evil 4 version, Digital Foundry’s review indicates that selectable 30-fps and 40-fps caps were absent: the outlet said either would be a useful option.
