The international YouTube channel ElAnalistaDeBits has released a video comparing the graphics of the Nintendo Switch 2 and PS5 versions of *Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen*.
While there are noticeable differences in the rendering of shadows and water surfaces, the game also achieves 60 fps thanks to frame generation.
The video compares the PS5 (Performance Mode) side-by-side with the Switch 2 in Handheld Mode and TV Mode. According to the video, the resolutions and other specifications for each platform are as follows:
PS5 (Performance Mode): Upscaled to 2160p, 60 fps
Nintendo Switch 2 (TV Mode): Upscaled to 1440p, approximately 45 fps
Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld Mode): Upscaled to 1080p, approximately 45 fps
The most noticeable difference in graphics is the rendering of shadows. In a scene showing the protagonist from directly above, the PS5 displays sharp, well-defined shadows on the ground, clearly showing the shapes of the head and arms. In contrast, the outlines are slightly blurred in TV Mode, and the shadows appear generally hazy in Handheld Mode.
Similarly, in scenes inside a cave lit by a campfire, the boundary between light and shadow appears blurred in Handheld Mode.
Differences are also visible in scenes by the water. On the PS5, the surrounding rocks are reflected on the water’s surface, and the water’s transparency is rendered well, but in Handheld Mode, the water’s surface appears whitish and flat. TV Mode gives the impression of being somewhere in between.
In addition, there were instances where small objects on the ground, such as pebbles and rocks, were omitted on the Switch 2. In nighttime scenes, the rocks in the foreground—which are rendered in TV mode and on the PS5—are not displayed in handheld mode.
The Switch 2 version is said to run at a base 30 fps and use frame generation technology to achieve a display equivalent to 60 fps; this is the first Capcom title for the Switch 2 to adopt frame generation (Famitsu). Frame generation can also be disabled in the settings.
In the video, the frame rate generally ranged from 37 to 47 fps without frame generation, while it remained stable at 60 fps with frame generation enabled.
A comparison video with the Steam Deck version has also been uploaded. In this video, the rock in the foreground—which was omitted in Switch 2’s handheld mode—is rendered on the Steam Deck, highlighting the different approaches to optimization.
When compared side-by-side, the Switch 2 version’s omissions of fine details are noticeable, but in scenes where the player looks out at the distant landscape, the overall atmosphere is well preserved. It appears that, as a handheld device, the graphics have been adjusted to maintain the visual impression of the screen without compromising it.
*Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen* is now available for PC (Steam), PS5, XBOX Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. The price is 5,990 yen for both the digital and physical editions; the physical edition is available only for PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2.
For those who already own the main game, the expansion DLC *Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen Expansion* (2,990 yen) is also available for PC (Steam), PS5, and XBOX Series X|S.
