The Nintendo Switch 2 reveal had its share of thrilling new experiences, but for me, the standout was a classic contender: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. As someone who’s followed the series closely, this demo felt like coming home, even though it’s probably less representative of the final game. It seemed like an early sequence, right before Samus gets her power suit all tricked out with telekinetic powers.
In this base-under-siege scenario, Samus was equipped with her trusty arm cannon, missiles, scanner, morph ball, and bombs. Nothing groundbreaking there. It almost gave the impression of a straightforward sequel, but other previews hint at exciting new mechanics and abilities. They just weren’t on display in this particular hands-on session with the Switch 2.
It seems Nintendo and Retro Studios made a strategic choice with this demo. Keeping it simple allowed players to focus on the Switch 2’s main showcase: how Metroid Prime essentials feel on the updated hardware. And what an experience it was. “This runs at 120 frames per second,” the Nintendo rep said as I sat down, breaking their usual silence on performance stats. Clearly, there was a reason for it.
Metroid Prime 4 for the Switch 2 bears a striking contrast to its earlier iteration on less powerful hardware. Running at native full HD resolution—and even 4K at 60fps—it looks and performs miles better. The silky-smooth 120fps feels almost surreal for a Nintendo game. Dropping the controller, though, leads to a new level entirely.
Not that I actually stopped playing; it’s more about how you use the controls. The Switch 2’s big innovation is using the Joy-Con like a PC mouse, which Metroid Prime 4 utilizes beautifully. It’s the kind of setup you’d expect in a game like Civilization 7, another title present at the event, but it’s equally at home in a Metroid first-person shooter.
The mouse control implementation in Metroid Prime 4 is brilliant in its simplicity. You call the shots by switching seamlessly between controller mode and mouselook. Grab a Joy-Con in each hand and the game plays like previous titles. Flip the right one onto a surface, and you’ve got an instant mouse experience—no menus, no fuss.
You’re likely familiar with good mouselook, so I’ll skip the detailed breakdown: when engaged, the game becomes delightfully responsive and precise. This back-and-forth between modes is what makes it shine.
The section I played leaned heavily on combat rather than puzzles, but even so, in just about thirty minutes, I got into a groove. I’d use the joystick like a traditional controller for exploration and puzzle-solving, reverting to mouse mode when the action demanded precision. It’s truly the best of both worlds.
During a boss fight, the flex came naturally. The enemy’s weak points flashed, and the accuracy of mouse controls provided an edge, allowing me to down the beast effortlessly compared to others sticking with a traditional approach.
With the game running at a smooth 120fps, it felt almost like an experience I shouldn’t be having—it’s the kind of performance that used to be reserved for those tweaking settings in undoubtedly unofficial ways. It’s a significant upgrade from the original Switch, where graphics were fine but performance sagged. If Metroid Prime 4 signals the future, I’m eager for more games that might forgo dramatic graphical improvements in favor of performance boosts.
When Metroid Prime 4: Beyond releases later this year, there might be a version for the original Switch. However, if you can swing it, the Switch 2 is where it’s at. That’s exactly what a next-gen upgrade should be aiming for.
