Fallout 4's arrival on the Nintendo Switch 2 proves to be one of the platform's more accomplished third-party ports, even if the official trailer does not reflect the game's in-play appearance. Early impressions indicate that the delivered experience is polished, flexible and well suited to the hybrid console's strengths.

Contrary to the splashy marketing, the visuals seen in gameplay differ noticeably from footage used in promotional material. That disparity does not translate into a poor release. The port offers a broader suite of graphics options than Bethesda's earlier Switch release of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, giving players access to multiple presets and finer toggles that allow a clearer trade-off between image quality and performance.

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Performance on the Switch 2 is consistently competent. Frame-rates remain stable across typical play scenarios and load times are reasonable for an open-world title of Fallout 4's scope. The game scales well between handheld and docked modes, retaining the series' core gameplay loop – exploration, combat and base-building – without noticeable compromise to content or mechanics.

Controls have been adapted to the Joy-Con and Pro Controller layouts in a way that feels familiar to contemporary console players. Visual downgrades compared with modern home platforms are present but handled thoughtfully, with options available to prioritise clarity or steadier performance depending on player preference.

In aggregate, the Switch 2 port represents a robust addition to the console's expanding library of major third-party releases. The combined gains in configurability and steady performance mark an improvement over Bethesda's previous Switch efforts and demonstrate the platform's growing suitability for large-scale RPGs.

These conclusions reflect coverage and hands-on impressions first reported by Eurogamer.