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- This is the Modern Warfare 4 open beta on Switch 2, captured on Aug 29, 2026: the beta's campaign mission and online play, in handheld and docked (4K output).
- Docked, the frame-rate overlay holds 30 FPS in the campaign mission after a few dips at the start.
- Docked online, it reads 60 FPS most of the time, with dips into the 50s and a low of about 43.
- Handheld: I can't measure resolution or FPS in handheld mode. Kotaku found handheld multiplayer in the beta rarely got over 45 FPS.
Modern Warfare 4's open beta weekend was the first time the game was playable on Switch 2, and I captured it on Aug 29, the day it opened there. The beta included a mission from the campaign along with online multiplayer, so I ran both handheld and then docked with a 4K output, using a lossless capture with a frame-rate and frame-time overlay. There's no commentary in this one, just gameplay. Keep in mind this was a beta, a couple of months ahead of the full launch.
What's in the video
- Handheld, campaign (0:08) and handheld, online (1:34): filmed off the Switch 2's screen, so there's no overlay.
- Docked 4K output, campaign (2:55) and docked 4K output, online (5:40): lossless 4K capture with an FPS and frame-time overlay.
- The open beta build, as of Aug 29, 2026.
Handheld
I don't have a way to measure resolution or frame rate in handheld mode, so the handheld sections are the game running on the screen: the snowy campaign mission first, then online matches.
For numbers, Kotaku tested the same open beta weekend. Multiplayer targets 60 FPS on Switch 2 in both handheld and docked, but Kotaku found handheld ran noticeably worse than docked, rarely getting over 45 FPS and dropping a lot with explosions or players up close. Kotaku also reports the developers admit the handheld version needs more optimization, and that the campaign is capped at 30 FPS.
Docked (4K output)
All the numbers here are what the on-screen frame-rate overlay read in my docked capture.
In the campaign mission, the overlay sits at 30 FPS, which matches the campaign's 30 FPS cap. The opening scripted stretch had a few dips into the mid-20s and one brief hitch. After that, it holds 30 for the rest of the section.
Online, the overlay reads 60 FPS most of the time. In busier moments it dips to about 52 to 58, and the lowest readings in the capture were about 43 to 44 during one fight.
This was the beta build. For how the full campaign is shaping up on Switch 2, including the DLSS or SMAA upscaling choice, see this news post.
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