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Cities: Skylines is available on Switch 2 as a separate digital release called Expanded Edition, and it differs most from PC and PS5 in portability, included content and access to user-made creations. Switch 2 advertises two graphics modes with 60 FPS and 30 FPS targets, but those are targets—not measured guarantees or evidence that it outperforms PS5 or a particular PC. This comparison covers the original Cities: Skylines, not its sequel. Facts and offers below are current to October 30, 2026.
At a glance
| Name | Best for | Key spec | Platforms | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switch 2: Expanded Edition | Portable play and a new Switch 2 purchase | 25 buildable tiles; 10 included DLC items; 60 FPS Performance Option target | Switch 2; TV, tabletop and handheld modes | Oct 2026 |
| PC: original game | Steam Workshop maps, structures and other user-created content | Steam Workshop; Windows, macOS and Linux requirements listed | Windows, macOS, Linux | Oct 2026 |
| PS5: Remastered | PlayStation players who want the 25-tile Remastered edition | 25 buildable tiles; After Dark included in the base-game listing | PS5 | Oct 2026 |
Is Cities: Skylines on Switch 2?
Yes. Paradox announced the Switch 2 version, Cities: Skylines – Expanded Edition, as available on October 28, 2026. It is a distinct Switch 2 release, rather than just the older Switch edition running through backward compatibility. Paradox’s release announcement describes its added tools, included content and graphics options.
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Nintendo’s US product page identifies Expanded Edition as a digital Switch 2 game, lists a 6 GB download size, and specifies TV, tabletop and handheld play. A physical cartridge release is not established by that listing. Check the Nintendo listing for current regional availability and storefront details. In other words, search for the Switch 2 digital product rather than assuming a Switch cartridge will contain the expanded version.
The name can be confusing because the older Cities: Skylines – Nintendo Switch Edition is also playable on Switch 2. Nintendo’s compatibility notice says its behavior is consistent with Nintendo Switch; that is not the same as receiving Expanded Edition’s new features. The older game’s listing names After Dark and Snowfall as included. Nintendo’s original Switch listing has the compatibility notice and edition details.
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What does Switch 2 Expanded Edition add?
Its headline building limit is 25 buildable tiles, compared with the original game’s nine-tile limit cited by Paradox. The same 25-tile ceiling appears in the PS5 Remastered edition, so it is an improvement over the original limit, not a Switch 2-exclusive advantage over PS5. More tiles give a large city more room to grow, but the number is a map-area limit, not a promise that every late-game simulation will maintain a particular frame rate.
Paradox also advertises a map editor, precision placement and snapping, environmental controls, and quick selection. These tools are aimed at shaping maps and making city-building actions more deliberate; they are distinct from the ability to download community-made assets from a platform library. The publisher also says Expanded Edition supports controller configurations and keyboard-and-mouse input: “Build with keyboard and mouse input alongside traditional controller configurations.” Compatibility of a particular keyboard or mouse is not specified in that announcement, so verify a model’s Switch 2 support before buying one.
The Switch 2 package includes 10 DLC items, but they are not ten full expansions. Paradox categorizes them as four expansions, one content-creator pack, two radio stations and three other DLC items. The listed items are:
- Expansions: After Dark, Snowfall, Green Cities and Sunset Harbor.
- Content-creator pack: Map Pack 3.
- Radio stations: Deep Focus Radio and Carols, Candles & Candy.
- Other DLC items: Country Road, Pearls from the East and Match Day.
The list describes the Switch 2 bundle, not every add-on available for the original game. It also should not be read as ten equivalent-size expansions: radio stations and small themed items naturally contain less gameplay than a major expansion. Paradox’s announcement is the source for the included items and feature list.
Does Switch 2 run Cities: Skylines at 60 fps?
Paradox says the Switch 2 Performance Option targets 60 FPS and uses upscaling and adjusted quality settings. Its Quality Option targets 30 FPS and prioritizes visual fidelity. The word “targets” matters: the announcement does not promise a locked frame rate in every city or situation.
There is no comparable measured test scene or set of figures here for Switch 2, PS5 and PC. Paradox’s Switch 2 announcement does not give a mode-specific resolution, minimum frame rate, large-city benchmark, or docked-versus-handheld performance result. Its PS5 Remastered announcement describes an overall graphics and performance increase but supplies no matching FPS target. Steam’s PC listing specifies system requirements, not a universal frame rate. Those gaps make it unsound to claim that Switch 2 is categorically faster or slower than PS5—or to assign one FPS number to PCs with different hardware.
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For Switch 2, the modes are therefore a choice between a higher advertised frame-rate target and a visual-fidelity priority, not a guarantee about how a particular late-game city will perform. A small new town and a heavily populated city with extensive traffic, services and simulation calculations are different workloads. The publisher’s Switch 2 announcement and PS5 Remastered announcement do not provide an apples-to-apples benchmark.
How do the Switch 2, PC and PS5 editions differ?
The practical differences are platform features, content access and where you want to play—not a proven performance ranking. Switch 2’s strongest distinction is portable play; PC’s is its documented Steam Workshop ecosystem; PS5 provides the Remastered console edition and its 25-tile limit.
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Portability and play modes
Switch 2 is the only one of these three choices with handheld play listed alongside TV and tabletop modes. That makes it the clearest option if you want to build away from a television or monitor, whether on a commute or from a tabletop setup. PS5 and the standard PC edition are tied to their respective console or computer setups; the cited listings do not describe a portable mode for either.
Building tools and tile limits
Switch 2 Expanded Edition and PS5 Remastered both advertise up to 25 buildable tiles, as well as editing and interface improvements. Paradox’s Switch 2 feature list names a map editor, precision placement and snapping, environmental controls and quick selection. The PS5 announcement describes similar Remastered upgrades, including the 25-tile limit. The PC storefront establishes Workshop access, but does not present a single, directly comparable feature set for every PC installation: user-created content can vary by what a player installs.
Community creations and mods
PC has the clearest documented advantage for players who want to add other creators’ maps and structures. Steam Workshop lets players share, download and import user-created content for the original game. The Switch 2 and PS5 announcements cited here do not describe an equivalent Workshop catalog or support for importing PC-created assets. That does not prove every possible custom-content feature is absent; it means the documented PC route is the one to choose if Workshop access is central to your plans.
Workshop content can also change the practical requirements of a PC installation. A heavily modded city may load differently from a clean installation, and creators’ assets can affect memory use and simulation behavior. Steam’s Cities: Skylines product listing lays out the downloadable-content catalog, but “PC edition” still does not describe one fixed content or performance configuration.
Controls and setup
Switch 2 advertises both traditional controller configurations and keyboard-and-mouse input, which gives players an option beyond a controller-based setup. The cited PS5 announcement does not make the same keyboard-and-mouse claim. A PC offers the computer platform and Steam Workshop, but its exact hardware, operating system, display and installed content depend on the system and player’s setup.
Bundled DLC is not edition parity
Switch 2 Expanded Edition explicitly bundles the 10 items listed above. The PlayStation Store base-game listing includes After Dark and presents other add-ons separately, including Green Cities and Industries. Steam maintains its own DLC catalog. An expansion owned on one storefront should not be assumed to transfer to another; compare the exact bundle and add-ons you intend to buy. The listings describe different packages, so counting the Switch 2 items against another edition’s base game alone can give a misleading impression of what each version costs to complete.
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What does each version cost, and what do existing owners pay?
Paradox announced a US suggested launch price of $49 for Expanded Edition, but a suggested price is not a guaranteed checkout price in every country or on every date. The publisher also announced a 10% launch discount through November 10, 2026. Regional taxes, currency conversion, storefront promotions and the end of that launch window can change the amount you see.
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Original Switch owners have a separate 70% loyalty discount if they qualify. That offer runs from October 28, 2026 through April 28, 2027. It is a discount on the separate Expanded Edition, not a free upgrade entitlement. The announcements do not establish that the 70% loyalty discount and 10% launch discount stack, so check the Nintendo account and checkout screen rather than assuming both reductions apply.
For a fair comparison, total the exact package you need. A player who wants only the base PS5 game, a player who wants Switch 2’s ten listed items, and a PC player who plans to buy several Workshop-independent expansions are comparing different baskets. Storefront ownership is also separate: PlayStation or Steam DLC should not be presumed to unlock on Nintendo hardware.
Does an old Switch copy get a free Switch 2 upgrade?
No free Expanded Edition upgrade is announced. An owner of the original Switch game has two distinct options: keep playing that older edition on Switch 2 under Nintendo’s stated compatibility behavior, or buy the separate Expanded Edition.
Paradox announced a 70% loyalty discount for qualifying owners of the original Switch game, running from October 28, 2026 through April 28, 2027. It also announced a 10% launch discount through November 10, 2026, and a US suggested launch price of $49. These are publisher-announced offers and a suggested price, not a guarantee of the transaction price for every region, account or date. Check the live store listing for eligibility, local pricing and whether offers can be combined before purchasing.
A historical PS4-to-PS5 Remastered entitlement is a separate policy and does not create a Switch 2 upgrade entitlement. Do not use an older PlayStation upgrade precedent to infer what happens to a Nintendo purchase. The details of the Switch 2 offers and separate edition are in Paradox’s October 2026 announcement.
Is there a physical Switch 2 version?
Nintendo’s cited US page labels Expanded Edition as Digital and lists a 6 GB file size. That is evidence of a downloadable release, not evidence of a retail cartridge. No cartridge release or verified physical-game listing is established here. If having a boxed copy is essential, confirm a specifically announced Switch 2 product with Nintendo or an authorized retailer rather than assuming the older Switch cartridge is the same edition.
You also need a Switch 2 console to use the distinct release. The older Switch game can run under Nintendo’s compatibility notice, but buying a Nintendo Switch 2 console does not automatically convert that copy into Expanded Edition. A keyboard and mouse are optional accessories for the advertised input mode, not requirements for playing with a controller.
Which edition should you choose?
Start with the feature you would miss most. A higher advertised frame-rate target alone does not make one edition the best choice: the available publisher figures are not directly comparable measurements, and platform, content and modding can matter more to an individual player.
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- Choose Switch 2 Expanded Edition if handheld, tabletop or TV play on Switch 2 is the priority, or if you want its map editor, placement tools, environmental controls, quick selection and listed DLC bundle. Consider the separate purchase carefully if you already own the older Switch game; the loyalty offer is conditional rather than a free upgrade.
- Choose PC if Steam Workshop maps and structures are important, or if you want to select from Steam’s PC DLC catalog. Check the requirements against your own computer and remember that hardware, mods and add-ons vary, so no single PC performance claim applies to everyone.
- Choose PS5 Remastered if you play on PlayStation and want the console Remastered edition with a 25-tile limit. Review the PlayStation Store package and add-ons you actually want instead of assuming its base-game content matches Switch 2’s 10-item bundle.
If you own more than one platform, compare the specific edition and DLC package on each storefront, not just the game title. The most useful comparison is the marginal cost of getting the features and add-ons you want on the platform you will actually use. Do not buy a new console solely on the assumption that one unmeasured version must be faster.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What PC hardware does the Steam listing require?
Steam lists Windows requirements including 8 GB RAM minimum and 16 GB RAM recommended. Those are storefront specifications, not a performance comparison with Switch 2 or PS5, and they do not establish that adding RAM by itself will resolve slowdown. Steam also lists CPU and graphics requirements, so check the complete Windows, macOS and Linux requirements on the product page for the operating system and hardware you use.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minutePC performance is especially difficult to summarize with one number because the hardware, game settings, city and any mods or add-ons can differ. The specification is useful for checking whether a computer meets the publisher-supplied baseline; it is not a benchmark of what that computer will achieve in every city. A compatible 16 GB RAM kit is relevant only as a conditional upgrade for a Windows machine below the recommended specification, not as a guaranteed fix.
Is this Cities: Skylines II?
No. Switch 2 Expanded Edition, PC’s Steam release and PS5 Remastered are versions of the original Cities: Skylines. Cities: Skylines II is a separate game, and the cited Paradox console page discusses work on console performance and stability while offering PS5 wishlisting; it does not announce a Switch 2 or PS5 launch for the sequel. See Paradox’s separate Cities: Skylines II console page for the sequel’s status.
Buying and setup checklist
- Confirm that the product title says Expanded Edition and identifies Switch 2, rather than the older backward-compatible Switch edition.
- If you already own the Switch version, sign in with the qualifying account and verify the 70% offer and its expiration date before checkout.
- Compare the included DLC names, not just the number of items. Four expansions, one creator pack, two radio stations and three other items are a mixed bundle.
- Choose Performance or Quality mode according to your preference, remembering that 60 and 30 FPS are publisher targets.
- If Workshop content is essential, use the PC version and check your complete CPU, GPU, RAM and operating-system requirements.
- For a physical purchase, verify a specifically announced cartridge; the cited Nintendo page documents a digital 6 GB release.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Steam Workshop maps on Cities: Skylines for Switch 2?
The Switch 2 announcement does not say that it supports importing Steam Workshop items. Workshop sharing and downloads are the documented PC route, so do not buy the Switch 2 edition expecting to bring a PC Workshop library across.
Does Switch 2 run it at 60 FPS?
The Performance Option targets 60 FPS with upscaling and adjusted quality settings. That is an advertised target, not a measured locked rate for every city, mode or play situation. Quality mode targets 30 FPS.
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Is Switch 2 the same as PS5 Remastered?
They share the advertised 25-tile ceiling and several editing or interface improvements, but they are separate platform releases. Switch 2 adds handheld play and its own ten-item bundle; the PlayStation listing has a different base-game and add-on arrangement.
Can I use a keyboard and mouse on Switch 2?
Paradox explicitly advertises keyboard-and-mouse input alongside traditional controller configurations for Expanded Edition. It does not name particular models, so confirm accessory compatibility before purchase.
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Will my old Switch city save transfer to Expanded Edition?
The compatibility notice covers the older Switch edition running on Switch 2, but the cited announcements do not establish save transfer from that edition into Expanded Edition. Check current Nintendo and publisher support information before relying on a save continuing across the separate releases.
Does my old Switch copy get a free upgrade?
No free Expanded Edition upgrade is announced. You can continue using the older edition under Nintendo’s compatibility notice or buy the separate release, with a qualifying-owner discount announced through April 28, 2027.
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Nintendo’s US listing identifies Expanded Edition as digital and lists a 6 GB file size. No cartridge release is established by that listing, so verify any claimed physical product with Nintendo or an authorized retailer.
Can I use my PlayStation or Steam DLC on Switch 2?
The cited edition and storefront listings do not establish cross-platform DLC entitlements. Treat each platform’s add-ons as separate purchases unless the relevant storefront or publisher explicitly confirms otherwise.
Is Cities: Skylines II coming to Switch 2?
The cited Paradox console page is about the sequel’s console performance and stability work and includes PS5 wishlisting; it does not announce a Switch 2 release. The Switch 2 game discussed here is the original Cities: Skylines Expanded Edition.
Should I buy a new PC or add RAM for this game?
Steam lists 8 GB RAM minimum and 16 GB recommended for Windows, along with CPU and graphics requirements. Those specifications do not prove that a RAM upgrade alone will fix slowdown or make a PC match a console mode.
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Bottom line: Buy Switch 2 Expanded Edition for portability, its 25-tile tools and bundled items; choose PC for Steam Workshop and flexible hardware; choose PS5 Remastered for the PlayStation 25-tile console edition. Switch 2’s 60/30 FPS figures are targets, not cross-platform benchmarks, and an old Switch copy receives no announced free Expanded Edition upgrade.
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