Early access for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has officially gone live, and although Switch 2 users won’t be joining in on the fun until next weekend’s open beta, Activision has given select creators and outlets a chance to drop in on Nintendo’s new hardware this weekend.

First impressions about the Switch 2 build are now going live. It includes a look at direct in-game footage, including performance and resolution, and a rundown of the overall experience in this pre-release build. So, here are the thoughts so far:

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 – Switch 2 first impressions

YouTube channel BoTalksGames has shared 14 minutes of Killzone gameplay footage in docked mode. The channel sums up the experience as a “pretty impressive port” and while it’s “not perfect” and results in compromises in terms of resolution and draw distance, it’s apparently a worthy sacrifice to make for a solid frame rate. You can see some of the in-game graphics settings at the 1:18 mark in the video below:

YouTube channel Switch Force praised the performance on Switch 2, but wasn’t quite as sold on the graphics in this version:

“It runs really great. I think that’s a resounding achievement. I led with that, I believe that is probably the story here, but I think there’s another story…it’s CoD 4 runs great on Switch 2. CoD 4 looks pretty crappy on Switch 2 and it was impacting my experience.”

Spawn Wave, who has been playing the CoD series on Xbox for several years, also got an opportunity to go hands-on with the Switch 2 beta build:

“So it was a little jarring going to the Switch 2 mostly because when it first pops up, you see the visuals, and it’s pretty obvious in this case, again, they said it’s a beta build and it’s a little older not necessarily representative of the final product.

He adds it’s still “interesting to see Call of Duty make its return to Nintendo with the Switch 2 and actually put on a performance that is at least parity with the other platforms”:

“As I understand, not everyone’s going to be as sensitive to the frame rate or resolution as I or others may be. Who knows, maybe as they get closer to the final release, they clean up some of the visuals, stabilise the frame rate a bit more, and if that’s the case, I could see this like actually being a primary way or platform for people to play Call of Duty…especially in handheld mode.

Nintendo World Report shared some tablet footage, tried out the game’s Joy-Con 2 mouse mode, and even got some time with the campaign. According to these first impressions, this version runs at a “very low” docked resolution, but does seem to be targeting “and mostly hitting” 60fps.

“For the most part, I was hopping into games no problem, loading times were totally reasonable… frame rate and multiplayer held up, really the resolution is kind of my only complaint…so it’s not a bad first impression, a good net code first impression.”

And Universo Nintendo editor-in-chief ‘Necro’ Felipe Lima also shared some quick thoughts about the Switch 2 build on social media, and it seems to be a promising start. Here’s a rough translation:

The mouse mode actually works pretty well on the Switch 2, you know, CoD on it doesn’t stay at 60fps the whole time but most of the time it does

The game also lets you opt for better textures on demand or something more dynamic so it doesn’t take up either space or internet bandwidth

…CoD Modern Warfare on Switch 2 isn’t the technical bible of games… but in a beta it’s acceptable, it doesn’t compromise the experience and yeah it has its qualities

The overwhelming majority of casuals will play on Nintendo’s handheld because it’s convenient and inviting

Activision has also revealed Digital Legends worked on the native Switch 2 version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. The Switch 2 open beta will take place next week on 28th August 2026.