Platform: Nintendo Switch 2 | Publisher: Bethesda Softworks | Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
When Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition was first shown running on Nintendo Switch 2 during a February Nintendo Direct, the reaction across the gaming community was a bit mixed. The footage looked rough, the draw distance was disappointing, and some wondered if Bethesda had bitten off more than Nintendo’s new hardware could chew. What arrived on February 24 told a very different story. What we actually got is a thoughtful, committed port of a beloved open-world RPG, one that does considerably more right than wrong, and that earns its place as a genuinely great launch (ish) title for the Switch 2.
Let me get the most important question out of the way first: what exactly are you buying here? The Anniversary Edition is not a trimmed-down Nintendo port. It contains the full base game, all six major add-ons – Far Harbour, Nuka-World, Automatron, Contraptions Workshop, Vault-Tec Workshop, and Wasteland Workshop. If that wasn’t enough, they have also added over 150 pieces of Creation Club content, including fan-favourite cosmetic and gameplay items alongside previously unreleased pieces. At $89.95, it is premium Switch 2 pricing, but for a package this generous, it is hard to argue you are being shortchanged. The current-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions offer the base GOTY Edition content for less, but do not bundle in the same breadth of Creation Club extras. On sheer value, the Anniversary Edition makes a compelling case, and add in that you can play this on the go, it’s worth every cent.
Three Modes, One Sweet Spot
Performance is where this port’s most interesting conversations happen. Bethesda and the porting team have given Switch 2 players three frame-rate targets – 30fps, 40fps, and 60fps – available in both docked and handheld mode. On paper, three options sound generous. In practice, that middle option is really where you want to be living.
The 30fps Quality mode is the most visually pristine. Docked, it runs at a target 1440p – notably above the PS4 version’s 1080p ceiling and holds that target with impressive stability in most scenarios. This is the mode where the Switch 2 version genuinely punches above its weight class visually, and it is the one to use if you are watching cutscenes, taking screenshots, or just want the wasteland to look its absolute best. Handheld in this mode, you can run up to 1080p, and it delivers a clean, impressive image on the Switch 2 screen.
The 40fps Balanced mode is the sweet spot. Docked resolution sits around 1080p with some dynamic scaling, and the frame cadence on a 120Hz display is smooth and comfortable. Handheld, resolution hovers in a dynamic 810p to 990p window – a real step down from the 30fps mode, but the gain in responsiveness during combat and exploration more than compensates. The 40fps mode even holds its target through notoriously demanding stress tests like the Corvega factory, where the PS5 and Xbox Series S at 60fps are themselves dropping to the low-to-mid 50s which is a great testament to the power of this title on the Switch 2.
The 60fps Performance mode is where expectations need to be managed. In sparse, open environments, it holds beautifully, and the wasteland feels genuinely alive at that frame rate. The moment things get dense, a firefight in a heavily built interior, a populated city hub, it does drop noticeably and without VRR in docked mode, those lurches are visible. Docked resolution in this mode can drop as low as 720p in worst-case scenarios, with TAA upscaling doing its best but producing a noticeably soft image. The handheld display’s built-in VRR support makes the 60fps mode more viable in portable play, smoothing the worst of the variance, but it is still a stretch. It has been noted that DLSS is confirmed for a future patch, and if Bethesda follows through, it could dramatically change the quality story in Performance mode. For now, 60fps is a nice idea that the hardware cannot quite sustain consistently.
How It Stacks Up Against PS5 and Xbox
It would be easy to look at the Switch 2 version beside a PS5 running Fallout 4 at its native 60fps with a dynamic 4K resolution ceiling and call it no contest. And in raw numbers, it is not. The PS5 and Xbox Series S both maintain their 60fps targets with far greater consistency across the board, and both resolve the image at a significantly higher pixel count.
But here is the thing that makes this port genuinely impressive: in its 30fps Quality mode, the Switch 2 version’s texture quality and shadow rendering are a real match for what PS5 and Xbox Series S are pushing. Those core visual assets appear largely untouched from the original 2015 release, meaning the Switch 2 is delivering the same quality level as its current-gen cousins in those areas. The differences are in draw distance, where the Switch 2 sits closer to the PS4 than the Series S, and in volumetric effects, which introduce more noise and flicker. Pop-in is more visible, particularly when cresting hills or entering new districts. These are real concessions, but none of them is immersion-breakers.
Load times are where the Switch 2 lags most noticeably behind. Loading a save takes around 19-20 seconds on Switch 2 internal storage, compared to roughly 8 seconds on PS5 with its M.2 SSD. It is the one area where the hardware gap is purely functional rather than visual, you simply wait longer between deaths or fast travel points. Not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing before you dive into a survival run. Honestly, it’s not a game breaker.
The Handheld Factor
All of the above platform comparison assumes you are arguing about living room performance. But the real trump card for the Switch 2 version is something PS5 and Xbox Series S cannot offer at all: you can take the full Fallout 4 experience, including all six expansions, 150+ Creation Club items, the entire Commonwealth, and play it on a bus, a plane, or a couch in a different room from your TV. That is not a minor thing. Fallout 4 is the kind of game that swallows weekends whole, and having that world portable and on-demand opens it up to an entirely different pattern of play.
In 40fps handheld mode, especially, this is a genuinely lovely experience. The Switch 2 screen does justice to the game’s greens and greys, the iconic nuclear aesthetic translates beautifully to a smaller canvas, and the system’s ergonomics make long sessions comfortable.
Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition on Switch 2 is not the prettiest version of this game, the PS5 and Xbox Series X still hold that title easily. But as a port, it is a genuine achievement: a massive, content-rich open-world RPG translated faithfully to hybrid hardware, with a clever trio of performance modes that let you tune your experience to your preference. The 40fps sweet spot is a joy, the package value is exceptional, and the portability factor elevates it above a straightforward comparison on specs alone. Some visual concessions, soft load times, and a 60fps mode that overreaches slightly are the costs. The gain is one of gaming’s great RPGs on the go – all of it, no compromises on content.
Pros:
- Exceptional content package – all six DLCs and 150+ Creation Club items
- 40fps mode is a genuine sweet spot for the hardware
- Texture and shadow quality match current-gen in quality mode
- Full portable play with the complete experience
Cons:
- 60fps mode struggles in dense, demanding environments
- Draw distance and volumetrics trail behind PS5 and Xbox Series S
- Load times are noticeably slower than PS5
- No DLSS at launch (though confirmed for future patch)
