Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteWindows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallMetroid Prime 4: Beyond updates the series’ presentation and adds psychic abilities, a motorcycle and a hub area, but keeps the first-person exploration, scanning and combat that define Prime. Engadget reviewer Nathan Ingraham found it a thrilling adventure that executes the familiar formula extremely well; his main reservation was that it does not reinvent that formula. GamesRadar+ also praised the atmosphere and level design, while taking a more critical view of the hub and psychic mechanics.
What kind of Metroid Prime game is Beyond?
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a new first-person adventure developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo. Nintendo’s premise sends Samus to the planet Viewros, where she explores, scans ruins for clues and searches for a way home. The story also features the Lamorn and rival bounty hunter Sylux.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Its central loop will feel recognizable to players of earlier Prime games: explore interconnected spaces, scan the environment for information, fight enemies and overcome obstacles as progression opens new routes. Ingraham’s Engadget review describes the game as an excellent execution of that established structure, rather than a major departure. He summarized the distinction bluntly: “No such reinvention has happened with Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.”
How well do the new ideas work?
Viewros and its explorable areas
The strongest praise in both reviews is for the atmosphere and the design of the game’s discrete areas. Engadget’s Ingraham highlights the detailed presentation, while GamesRadar+ emphasizes the exploration-focused levels and environmental design. These are the parts that most clearly deliver the appeal of a new Prime adventure.
#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!
The hub and Vi-O-La
Nintendo identifies Vi-O-La, a motorcycle, as one of the game’s notable additions. The broader hub structure is a point of disagreement in the reviews: it offers a different way to connect the areas, but GamesRadar+ criticizes the overworld as padding. Ingraham’s principal complaint is different—he found the overall experience too familiar. Whether the connective space feels like welcome variation or an interruption depends on how much you enjoy moving between the main exploration areas.
Psychic abilities and scanning
Samus’s psychic abilities add another kind of interaction to the familiar toolkit. Nintendo presents them as a key part of the adventure, while GamesRadar+ found them awkward to use. Scanning, by contrast, remains central to the experience: Ingraham describes it as an important interface for understanding the environment and making progress. If you enjoy examining rooms and clues as part of exploration, that established mechanic remains a major draw.
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.
How does the Switch 2 Edition compare?
Nintendo lists versions for both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, released on December 4, 2025. The Switch 2 Edition adds mouse control support and enhanced visuals and frame rates, with Quality and Performance modes. Nintendo’s listed output depends on the chosen mode and display, so those features should not be read as a guarantee that every resolution or frame rate applies to every setup.
Ingraham reviewed the Switch 2 version and said its presentation looked outstanding and felt fluid during his playthrough. He did not test the original Switch edition, so his observations do not establish how that version performs. GamesRadar+ also reviewed the game on Switch 2; its comments about the hub and psychic abilities are review impressions, not controlled performance tests.
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.
| Version | What Nintendo lists | What the reviews establish |
|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch | Available from December 4, 2025; physical format listed. | Ingraham did not test this edition, so his Switch 2 performance impressions do not apply to it. |
| Nintendo Switch 2 Edition | Available from December 4, 2025; mouse control support and enhanced visuals and frame rates, with Quality and Performance modes. Output varies by mode and display. | Ingraham reports outstanding presentation and fluid play in his experience. GamesRadar+ also played on Switch 2. |
Who should play Metroid Prime 4: Beyond?
- For fans of the Prime formula: The familiar combination of first-person exploration, scanning, combat and progression is the main attraction, delivered with a modernized presentation.
- For players seeking a reinvention: The two reviews do not describe a ground-up change to the series. Ingraham’s main criticism is the familiarity; GamesRadar+ focuses more on the execution of the hub and psychic abilities.
- For Switch 2 owners: The Switch 2 Edition is the version with Nintendo-listed mouse controls and enhanced visual and performance modes.
- For Switch owners: A standard Switch version is also listed, but the cited review performance observations come from Switch 2 play.
Nintendo lists amiibo support and a Metroid Prime 4: Beyond amiibo series. These are optional collectibles, not a stated requirement for playing the game.
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.
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.
