The recent unveiling of the Nintendo Switch 2 was an event full of exciting new developments, but one game in particular caught my attention, more so than anything else: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Sure, there were new games to be excited about, but for someone who has followed the Metroid series closely like I have, seeing Metroid Prime 4 in action was a real treat.
The demo offered a familiar experience, especially for a longtime fan like myself, as it appeared to be set at the beginning of the game. In this early section, Samus doesn’t yet have access to her upgraded suit with the new telekinetic powers—we’re just talking the basics here. You’ve got your arm cannon, missiles, scanner, morph ball, and bombs. That’s it. To some, it might seem like this makes Prime 4 just another sequel with the same old tools. However, having seen snippets from other gameplay footage, there’s a lot more happening in Metroid Prime 4 beyond this demo, with fresh new abilities awaiting us. Those weren’t shown off at this hands-on event, perhaps deliberately.
Nintendo and developers Retro Studios seemed pretty strategic about showing this specific part of the game. By keeping this demo simple, players could focus on the essentials: how Metroid Prime’s classic gameplay translates onto the new Switch 2 hardware.
Right as I settled in, the Nintendo rep at my station dropped a bombshell: “This is running at a smooth 120 frames per second.” That might seem like a trivial detail, but coming from Nintendo, which doesn’t typically harp on about technical specs, it was a revelation—and for good reason.
The Switch 2 edition of Metroid Prime 4 is essentially a souped-up version to play on the upgraded hardware, often cited as significantly weaker according to some Nvidia stats. But let me tell you, it’s a full HD experience (you can even switch to 4K with 60fps) and the difference is palpable—smooth as butter at 120fps. It’s a clear step up from what we saw with the original Switch. This sort of attention to performance isn’t what you’d typically expect, yet here it was.
Something that really stood out—apart from the visuals—was how Nintendo has embraced novel control mechanics, like turning the Joy-Con into a mouse. By placing it side-down on any flat surface, say your lap or a table, it acts like a mouse similar to one you’d use on a PC. This innovation shines in something like Civilization 7, also previewed at this event, but works surprisingly well for Metroid too—despite being a Metroidvania at heart, Metroid Prime is a first-person shooter when it gets down to it.
The mouse control integration in Metroid Prime 4 is particularly captivating. There’s no clunky toggle needed. Hold the Joy-Con like a typical controller and play as you always would. But when you pop the right one down on a surface, the game seamlessly shifts to mouse mode. No fuss, no menu diving—it just knows what you’re doing.
Now, anyone familiar with mouselook knows it should be fast and precise, and Metroid Prime 4 delivers on that front. It feels natural, crisp, responsive, everything you’d hope for. What’s truly intriguing, though, is how fluid it feels to switch back and forth between control setups.
The demo, mostly combat-focused, didn’t venture into the puzzles Metroid fans have come to expect. Yet, within about thirty minutes, I was smoothly alternating between controller modes. For scanning or using the morph ball, I held the Joy-Con normally. But as soon as I found myself in a melee, down went the right Joy-Con for that precise aiming. It’s the definition of having one’s cake and eating it too.
When I squared off with a boss—a big, menacing creature with glowing weak spots that were vulnerable only for short bursts—the advantage of mouse control was undeniable. It allowed for intense precision, letting me tackle foes more effectively than those relying solely on traditional controls around me.
Paired with that stunning 120fps fluidity, the experience almost felt surreal. It was as if I was performing some gaming wizardry not typically available on a Nintendo console, except in some less-than-legal manner. It also tackles one of my biggest gripes with the first Switch, which often struggled with performance—even if the visuals were fine for a hybrid setup. If Metroid Prime 4 is indicative of Switch 2’s potential, I’m eagerly anticipating not only enhanced versions of existing games but also originals that prioritize seamless performance.
As Metroid Prime 4: Beyond gears up for its release later this year, an original Switch version may exist, but with everything going on in the world right now, if you can manage it, the Switch 2 is without a doubt the place to experience this game. That’s precisely what you’re looking for in a next-generation upgrade.
