Metroid Prime 4: Beyond launched for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 on December 4, 2025. The Switch 2 Edition adds higher-resolution and higher-frame-rate display modes, faster loading, HDR compatibility and Joy-Con 2 mouse aiming. If you own the original Switch game, Nintendo offers a separate upgrade pack for Switch 2.
Release date and story
Nintendo announced the December 4, 2025 release date for both versions on September 19, 2025. In the game, Samus is transported to the mysterious planet Viewros after an unexpected accident. Nintendo says players explore and scan their surroundings, use weapons and psychic abilities, and travel on the technologically advanced bike Vi-O-La. Nintendo’s announcement
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Which version should you get?
Nintendo Switch version
The original version is the straightforward option if you play on the original Nintendo Switch or do not need the Switch 2 Edition’s additional features.
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Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
The Switch 2 Edition is the version for Nintendo Switch 2 and includes the original game with its upgrade pack. Nintendo says Switch 2 Edition features and content can only be played on Switch 2. Nintendo Switch 2 Edition information
#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!
Upgrading an existing Switch copy
If you own the original Switch game, physically or digitally, you can buy its upgrade pack rather than purchase the game again. Nintendo lists the pack through Nintendo eShop on Switch 2 and the Nintendo Store. Price and availability may vary by region and over time, so check the current listing where you live. Nintendo Support: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
What the Switch 2 Edition adds
Nintendo lists two display modes. These are official product specifications, not independent performance-test results. Docked HDR use requires an HDR-compatible display; consult Nintendo’s regional product information for the applicable display requirements. Nintendo Support: display modes and features
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.
| Mode | Docked | Handheld | HDR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality | 4K at 60 frames per second | 1080p | Compatible |
| Performance | 1080p at 120 frames per second | 720p | Compatible |
- Mouse aiming: Use a Joy-Con 2 controller as a mouse for aiming.
- Loading: Nintendo lists faster loading for the Switch 2 Edition.
- Resolution and frame rate: Choose between the listed Quality and Performance modes, with different docked and handheld specifications.
Update the game before playing
Nintendo lists software update Ver. 1.1.0 as released December 3, 2025, and says it must be applied to enjoy added features or content when playing the Switch 2 Edition on Switch 2. The update also enables amiibo use from the pause menu, adds rumble effects to cinematics, adjusts some Hard-mode enemy difficulty and Gallery unlock conditions, and includes other gameplay fixes. Nintendo Support: update information
Quick Recap
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.
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.
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