I did my first full playthrough of Resident Evil Requiem when it launched on the Switch 2, in classic RE mode – the mode that only allows you to save the game when you find a typewriter in the game AND have an ink ribbon to use it. So, you only have limited saves. And enemies are out to get you.
There were a few sections in the game where you could see that they had to compromise on the graphical fidelity to make it run on the 20 watts TDP console. You could also feel an occasional performance drop here and there.
But: None of it was game-breaking, the experience still felt great the whole time. This game was at home on the Switch 2 and CAPCOM did an outstanding job with that port.
Now I finally spent several hours with the Xbox Series X version of the game – enough time to reach the ARK where the final showdown takes place.
And I am astonished to say: The game does not look that much better on the Series X as one should expect from a console that has over (!) ten (!) times (!) the TDP of the Switch 2. This became especially visible at the church/chapel level where you play Leon and provide sniper cover for Grace. This was visually the worst part of the Switch 2 version of the game. And it’s also the worst part of the Xbox Series X version.
Another big difference is when you play on the Switch 2 in docked mode with the Pro Controller 2 and compare it to the Series X controller. The Switch 2 controller has the Xbox controller for breakfast. Seriously, once you have played with Nintendo’s Pro Controller 2, you don’t want to use any other controller anymore. The thing feels extremely great in your hand and is a serious improvement over the Pro Controller for the Switch 1.
All in all, the Xbox Series X/S version of RE Requiem of course is technically a great port. But like all other Resident Evil games, the game simply feels better and more at home on the Switch 2. And I’m saying this as a die-hard Xbox fan.
But nowadays, Nintendo and CAPCOM are the only big companies left in the gaming industry that still know what they’re doing, and they really make a great team together.
