When the Nintendo Switch 2 was announced, a number of games were confirmed to be coming to the system, including Hitman: World of Assassination and Street Fighter 6. We covered the former here and decided that since the game had been played by so many on other systems, it would be best to focus on how the game played on Nintendo Switch 2. Now with Street Fighter 6, we have decided that is the best approach to reviewing the Switch 2 version.
Everything from the other versions of the game is here, such as all the modes like World Tour, character customization and more. All the control options are included as well, and you can fight in either a classic or modern style that is easier to get into with four button controls. The latter are notably easier to use on a controller and are very good for playing in handheld mode, although ideally using them on Switch 2 is best with a Switch 2 pro controller.
The content all plays great, the game looks amazing in the fights. Well, sort of. The game looks great in the core fighting modes, and training modes, where it runs at a consistent 60 fps with eye popping visuals. When you go to the single player World Tour mode though, the framerate is uncapped and can dip into the 30s. This is not a gamebreaker, but considering how great World Tour is on other systems, it is a bit disappointing, but does not dip below 30.
Still, it is a worthwhile tradeoff, and the World Tour mode can still be enjoyed for its Yakuza-style setting that ends up celebrating everything Street Fighter, and allows you to let loose, customize your character and just relish the utter zaniness of the world. The visuals still are decent in World Tour and are beautiful overall in the Switch 2 version, with DLSS used to upscale the visuals to a higher quality. In docked docked running at a native 960x540p, upscaled via DLSS to 1080p, while portable operates at 640x360p, upscaled to 720p, with both maintaining the aforementioned 60 fps consistency.
The Battle Hub mode runs fantastically on Switch 2, and walking around the virtual arcade and getting into fights is great. Plus the rotating selection of classic Capcom games is appreciated, with some rare titles occasionally finding their way in, such as Mighty Final Fight. Fight Ground, as mentioned, runs great, and aside from slightly less detail than the other versions, everything works the way it should.
We already mentioned the new control options, but the traditional controls work great as well on Switch 2. There is no real issue of delay on input when compared to the other platforms that I had expected, and Capcom has declared the Switch 2 version of Street Fighter 6 to be tournament legal. Of course, there is some additional content for the Switch 2 release that you will not find elsewhere. While there is the cross-platform play that is already present on other systems, Capcom went on to include features that are only on the Switch 2 version.
These new features include a local wireless mode between players with two Switch 2 systems, or in other words you can challenge a nearby friend holding their Switch 2 without needing an internet connection. There is also Local Avatar Matches, that lets you bring your custom avatars from the World Tour mode into local wireless matches. These are partially to replace options on other platforms, but there are some other things as well.
The Switch 2 version of Street Fighter 6 has its own control option called Gyro Battle, which is a mode that utilizes the Joy-Cons for motion control inputs. It may not be for everyone, but it is an interesting addition and worth checking out at least once. There is also Calorie Contest, which is a fitness mode that uses Joy-Cons to track movement. In this mode, the player who burns the most calories during the match wins and this blend of Wii Fit and Street Fighter is actually kind of interesting. It is fun as an alternative and Capcom genuinely tried something different, and even if it is not mind-blowing, it is surprisingly fun. Other new additions are the inclusion of amiibo support, but I will not be commenting on amiibo here. Not out of a dislike, I just did not get any of the amiibo and so cannot comment on how they work.
I will be honest, aside from small downgrades in the visuals, slightly longer loading ( very slightly) ,and the 30 fps in World Tour Mode, Street Fighter 6 is a fantastic port on the Nintendo Switch 2. Considering that this was a launch game and developers will continue to find new ways of getting more out of the system, this bodes very well for future ports of fighting games on the hybrid system. Online matches feel great and even playing against other versions is not bad at all.
If you do not mind a version of Street Fighter 6 that is slightly scaled back, but still has what made the game great, then the Switch 2 version is a fantastic choice. It has everything it should and even some unique features and overall holds its own. Capcom did a good job here and we look forward to seeing more from them on the Nintendo Switch 2.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided