Metroid Prime Remastered revisits the original 2002 GameCube adventure, while Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a new series entry set on the planet Viewros. The key differences are the games’ worlds, abilities, traversal and platform options: Remastered returns Samus to Tallon IV, while Beyond introduces psychic powers and the Vi-O-La bike. Beyond is available for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2; Remastered is listed for Nintendo Switch.
Are these the same game or different releases?
They are different kinds of releases. Metroid Prime Remastered updates the first Metroid Prime, originally released for GameCube. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a new entry in the series, announced for release on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 on December 4, 2025. Nintendo’s announcement gives the date for both platforms; regional product listings are the place to check edition and purchase details. Nintendo’s launch announcement and US product listing identify Beyond as a new game, not a remaster.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
How do the worlds and gameplay differ?
| Feature | Metroid Prime Remastered | Metroid Prime 4: Beyond |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | Tallon IV, with distinct environments and labyrinths. | The mysterious planet Viewros. |
| Exploration | Scan surroundings and history, solve environmental puzzles, and revisit areas as new abilities open routes. | Scan ruins for clues and explore Viewros using Samus’s new psychic abilities. |
| Combat and traversal | Familiar beams, missiles, bombs and visors support combat and exploration. | Psychic abilities add new tools, and the Vi-O-La bike is used for traversal and combat. |
Remastered’s core appeal is a return to the original game’s exploration loop: investigate an interconnected world, gather information with the scanner, and use newly acquired abilities to access places you could not reach before. Nintendo’s UK game listing describes its Tallon IV setting and gameplay.
Beyond changes the setting and adds psychic abilities and bike-based movement. Nintendo’s announcement and US listing identify Viewros, the psychic abilities and Vi-O-La.
#1 Best Overall
- Explore a mysterious planet to find your way home
- Deadly sharpshooter Sylux has finally caught up with renowned bounty hunter Samus Aran! After an unexpected accident in the wake of their clash, Samus finds herself transported to Viewros—a mysterious planet once inhabited by an ancient race. Now she must explore this planet, all while battling the strange creatures that inhabit it, to find her way home.
- Scan your surroundings for clues, make the most of your equipment and weapons, and use Samus’s newfound psychic abilities—and her technologically advanced bike, the Vi-O-La—to traverse and explore the environment. Operate mechanisms, control your charge beam, and more—you’ll need every tool at your disposal to survive and escape Viewros!
What is different about the visuals and controls?
Metroid Prime Remastered
Nintendo describes Remastered as featuring HD visuals, enhanced sound and modern dual-stick controls. It is listed for Nintendo Switch. The UK listing specifies digital and physical versions; release timing for physical copies varied by region. Nintendo UK gives February 8, 2023 for the digital release and March 3, 2023 for the game-card release, while Nintendo of America said the physical version would be in stores February 22, 2023. See Nintendo’s North American announcement for its release details.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond on Switch 2
Nintendo Support lists two display modes for the Switch 2 Edition. These are Nintendo-published specifications, not independent performance measurements.
Rank #2
- Nintendo Switch 2 features Aim with a Joy-Con 2 controller as a mouse Experience enhanced resolution, framerate, and load times in the Nintendo Switch 2 edition of the game
- Explore a mysterious planet to find your way home Deadly sharpshooter Sylux has finally caught up with renowned bounty hunter Samus Aran! After an unexpected accident in the wake of their clash, Samus finds herself transported to Viewros—a mysterious planet once inhabited by an ancient race. Now she must explore this planet, all while battling the strange creatures that inhabit it, to find her way home.
- Scan your surroundings for clues, make the most of your equipment and weapons, and use Samus’s newfound psychic abilities—and her technologically advanced bike, the Vi-O-La—to traverse and explore the environment. Operate mechanisms, control your charge beam, and more—you’ll need every tool at your disposal to survive and escape Viewros!
- Play with mouse controls, enhanced visuals, and two different display modes—only on the Nintendo Switch 2 system Aim with a Joy-Con 2 controller as a mouse! The Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition game also features enhanced resolution, framerate, and load times.
- Two display modes let you choose how to experience the adventure. Enjoy more detail in Quality Mode, which runs at 60 frames per second in 4k while docked and in 1080p while in handheld, or prioritize super-smooth action with a higher frame rate in Performance Mode, which runs at 120 frames per second in 1080p while docked and 720p in while in handheld. Both choices are HDR compatible.
| Switch 2 mode | Docked | Handheld |
|---|---|---|
| Quality Mode | 4K at 60 frames per second | 1080p at 60 frames per second |
| Performance Mode | 1080p at 120 frames per second | 720p at 120 frames per second |
Both modes support HDR. Beyond’s Switch 2 Edition also supports Joy-Con 2 mouse-style aiming and offers faster loading, according to Nintendo Support’s Switch 2 Edition information. The mode figures describe the available output settings; they do not establish which game looks or feels better overall.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Which versions can you play?
- Metroid Prime Remastered: Nintendo Switch.
- Metroid Prime 4: Beyond: Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo lists a Switch 2 Edition upgrade path through its eShop and store; check the listing for your region and version before purchasing.
The official US product listing names the Switch and Switch 2 versions. Nintendo Support’s edition and upgrade information covers the Switch 2 Edition. Regional listings may differ in purchase options.
Rank #3
![Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41qNSkThD6L._SL160_.jpg)
- 1. Explore the mysterious planet Viewros as the renowned bounty hunter Samus Aran
- 2. Scan your surroundings for clues and make the most of your equipment and weapons to survive
- 3. Use Samus’s newfound psychic abilities—and her technologically advanced bike, the Vi-O-La—to traverse and explore the environment.
Which one should you choose, and which should you play first?
Choose Remastered if you want the original adventure
Pick Remastered if you want to experience the first Metroid Prime and explore Tallon IV. It is the option for returning to the original game’s setting, weapons and exploration structure in an updated presentation.
Choose Beyond if you want a new entry
Pick Beyond if you are more interested in a new planet, psychic abilities and Vi-O-La bike traversal. If you own a Switch 2, its two display modes and mouse-style aiming are additional platform features to consider, rather than evidence that it is the better game.
Rank #4
![Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Upgrade Pack - Nintendo Switch 2 [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/415BEE24o-L._SL160_.jpg)
- Two display modes let you choose how to experience the adventure.
- Enjoy more detail in Quality Mode, which runs at 60 frames per second in 4k while docked and in 1080p while in handheld, or prioritize super-smooth action with a higher frame rate in Performance Mode, which runs at 120 frames per second in 1080p while docked and 720p in while in handheld. Both choices are HDR compatible.
Playing Remastered first lets you experience the first game in the series, but Nintendo’s official materials do not say that it is required before Beyond. Choose based on whether you want the original adventure or would rather start with the new entry.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsWhat Nintendo’s information does—and does not—settle
Nintendo’s official materials establish the games’ release lineage, settings, feature differences and platform options. They do not provide a controlled comparison of playtime, difficulty, review consensus or overall quality. Without a cited review comparison or firsthand evidence, there is no reliable basis here to declare one longer, harder or more enjoyable than the other.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
