Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is available for both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The Switch 2 Edition adds higher-resolution and higher-frame-rate display modes, HDR compatibility, and optional Joy-Con 2 mouse controls. The original Switch edition also works on Switch 2, but Nintendo says it behaves consistently with the Switch version rather than gaining the Switch 2 Edition’s extra features.
What systems can you play Metroid Prime 4: Beyond on?
Nintendo released the game for both Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch on December 4, 2025, according to its launch announcement dated September 19, 2025. The two versions are not interchangeable in their enhanced features: the Switch 2 Edition is for Switch 2, while the standard Switch edition is playable on both systems.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
How do the Switch and Switch 2 editions compare?
| Version | Compatible system | Nintendo-stated display modes and features |
|---|---|---|
| Metroid Prime 4: Beyond for Nintendo Switch | Nintendo Switch; supported on Switch 2 with behavior consistent with the Switch version | Nintendo lists handheld, TV, and tabletop modes. Its Switch product page does not state exact resolution or frame-rate targets. |
| Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition | Nintendo Switch 2 only for the Edition’s extra features | Quality Mode: docked 4K at 60 fps; handheld or tabletop 1080p at 60 fps. Performance Mode: docked 1080p at 120 fps; handheld or tabletop 720p at 120 fps. Both modes are HDR compatible. Supports standard button controls and optional Joy-Con 2 mouse controls. |
| Switch 2 Edition Upgrade Pack | Nintendo Switch 2; requires the base game | Lets owners of the Switch game access the Switch 2 Edition through an Upgrade Pack. Nintendo lists it through Nintendo eShop on Switch 2 and the Nintendo Store. |
The Switch 2 figures are the display-mode specifications Nintendo lists on its Switch 2 Edition product page; they are stated targets, not independent benchmark results. In TV mode, 4K, HDR, and 120 fps features depend on a compatible display and its supported inputs and modes.
Does Metroid Prime 4: Beyond run on the original Switch?
Yes. The standard Nintendo Switch edition runs on the original Switch. Nintendo also lists that edition as supported on Switch 2, with behavior consistent with the Switch version. The U.S. product listing confirms handheld, TV, and tabletop play, but does not specify the standard edition’s resolution or frame rate. Those figures should not be inferred from the Switch 2 Edition’s specifications.
#1 Best Overall
- 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.
Can the Switch 2 Edition be played on the original Switch?
Its Switch 2-exclusive features cannot be used on original Switch hardware. Nintendo says that inserting the Switch 2 Edition physical or virtual game card into an original Switch plays the Switch version without the Switch 2 Edition’s exclusive features. For Switch 2-specific display modes and mouse controls, you need a Switch 2.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does the Switch 2 Edition add?
Two display modes
Quality Mode prioritizes resolution, with Nintendo listing 4K at 60 fps when docked and 1080p at 60 fps in handheld or tabletop mode. Performance Mode prioritizes frame rate, with 1080p at 120 fps when docked and 720p at 120 fps in handheld or tabletop mode. Both are HDR compatible. The stated figures describe Nintendo’s modes; they are not a promise that every display can show every feature.
Rank #2
![Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Nintendo Switch 2 Edition - Nintendo Switch 2 [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/415BEE24o-L._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.
- 4. Aim with a Joy-Con 2 controller as a mouse
- 5. Experience enhanced resolution, framerate, and load times in the Nintendo Switch 2 edition of the game
Optional mouse-style controls
The Switch 2 Edition supports mouse controls using Joy-Con 2, as well as standard button controls. Nintendo describes mouse controls as an option, not a requirement. The product page says: “Play using mouse controls made possible by the Joy-Con™ 2 controllers or standard button controls.”
Recommended Free Tools
Quick Recap
Rank #4
Rank #3
- 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.
Should you buy the Switch version or upgrade?
- You have an original Nintendo Switch: choose the standard Switch edition. The Switch 2 Edition’s extra features require Switch 2 hardware.
- You have a Switch 2 and want the enhanced modes: choose the Switch 2 Edition to access its listed resolution and frame-rate modes, HDR compatibility, and Joy-Con 2 mouse controls.
- You already own the Switch edition and have a Switch 2: Nintendo offers a Switch 2 Edition Upgrade Pack for the base game. Nintendo Support’s DLC information for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond confirms that the Upgrade Pack requires the game and is available through Nintendo eShop on Switch 2 and Nintendo Store. Check the current terms for your region before purchasing.
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.
