Nintendo Life: Cyberpunk 2077 is viewed, alongside Mario Kart World , as a headline launch title for Switch 2. How important was it for you to be there on day one?
Charles Tremblay: This is a big milestone for us, as we’re part of a platform launch for the first time ever. We’re all gamers ourselves so know how special this moment is, and would therefore be looking forward to the Nintendo Switch 2’s release no matter what. But the fact Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition is there as a day one title makes the occasion even more thrilling. We genuinely couldn’t be happier and more proud.
Cyberpunk’s launch issues in 2020 were particularly notable at the time. How confident are you that the Switch 2 version will live up to expectations on launch?
We’re very confident. We learned a lot from the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 and have spent a long time creating an experience that is now beloved by many. Since then, we’ve successfully released our acclaimed spy-thriller expansion Phantom Liberty — which is included alongside the base game in Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition on Nintendo Switch 2. Thanks to the power of the new console, we truly believe Nintendo Switch 2 players will enjoy the full Cyberpunk 2077 experience.
Image: CD Projekt Red Can you walk us through the development of the Switch 2 port? How long has this been in the works? What sort of changes had to be made to make this possible?
I can’t share the exact timeline of events but can say we have a dedicated team of developers working hard to bring Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition to Nintendo Switch 2. All development is being done in-house, with support from Yigsoft when it comes to incorporating the Nintendo Switch 2 specific features, and support from Nintendo when it comes to overcoming all the fun challenges that come with creating for new hardware.
Every platform presents a unique set of challenges but for the Nintendo Switch 2 version we were insistent on making sure Cyberpunk 2077 retained its unique visual appeal, in both TV and handheld mode. We used a lot of the tech offered by the Nintendo Switch 2’s custom NVIDIA processor including DLSS and VRR to achieve this, and are very happy with the result! We think Cyberpunk 2077 looks awesome on Nintendo Switch 2, and figuring out how to best incorporate the console’s unique features was also a fun creative challenge.
And you may have heard otherwise, but we want to make clear the Nintendo Switch 2 version wasn’t developed in seven weeks! The build we presented at the initial Nintendo Switch 2 Experience events was prepared seven weeks before they took place. It has been in development for much longer than seven weeks.
We think Cyberpunk 2077 looks awesome on Nintendo Switch 2, and figuring out how to best incorporate the console’s unique features was also a fun creative challenge.
What lessons from your time developing The Witcher 3 for the original Switch have you been able to carry into developing Cyberpunk for Switch 2?
Working on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for the original Nintendo Switch definitely gave us a head start when beginning work on Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition for Nintendo Switch 2. While the new hardware is significantly more powerful, its CPU is in the same family as the original console so we already knew how to tackle many of the low-level challenges. The development felt more like a natural evolution than a complete reset.
Beyond sheer power, what have you found that makes the Switch 2 different to develop for than the original Switch?
One of the biggest differences was in developing for a platform that was still evolving! Working on hardware that was actively being iterated on came with its own set of challenges, but thankfully Nintendo was very supportive and responsible throughout the process. Whenever we hit a snag, they were quick to engage and help us past it.
Image: CD Projekt Red Can you go into more depth about what players can expect from the mouse, gyro, and touch controls on Switch 2?
Absolutely. Mouse controls work very similarly to the PC version. You can use the optical sensor to aim a weapon or select your dialogue options or whatever else you would do when using a mouse traditionally. Gyro is incorporated for players looking for that increased precision but while still using the sticks on the Joy-Con 2 controllers or Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller. Players can aim as they would normally but use gyro (if they like, as this can be turned off) to hit the perfect headshot or whatever else. Finally, touch controls in handheld mode are to make menu navigation much easier. Pinching, tapping, or swiping your way through menus makes you feel like a real netrunner!
Aside from the graphics, will the Switch 2 release of Cyberpunk have parity with other console and PC versions as far as content and character customisation is concerned?
Yep, the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition has everything that’s included in other versions of the game. All character customisation options, additional in-game goodies, the Phantom Liberty expansion, and absolutely everything else are included in this version of the game. We really mean it when we say we’re bringing the full Cyberpunk 2077 experience to Nintendo Switch 2 players.
Is there an opportunity to introduce some Nintendo-themed cosmetics into the Switch 2 version? You know we want to see V in a Toad hat, or even a Samus Arm Cannon!
Wouldn’t that be a great crossover? Who knows — maybe it will come to life one day, but we don’t have such plans at the moment.
Image: CD Projekt Red Your decision to include the full game on a 64GB cartridge has been praised by fans, where many other third-party developers are choosing to release their physical Switch 2 games as Game Keys. What led to this decision, and how will it impact CDPR’s earnings from the release?
Before we made games ourselves, and were only localising and distributing them for other developers, we looked to give our physical versions (obviously the only option back then) lots of love and attention by including extra goodies for players like physical maps and so on.
All character customization options, additional in-game goodies, the Phantom Liberty expansion, and absolutely everything else are included in this version of the game. We really mean it when we say we’re bringing the full Cyberpunk 2077 experience to Nintendo Switch 2 players.
This legacy continued into our own games like the original The Witcher and eventually Cyberpunk 2077, as we gave the physical versions this same level of attention (and Nintendo Switch 2 players should expect some extra goodies in the box too). So it was a simple decision when it came to including the entirety of Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition on the game card. We wanted players purchasing physically to have the best possible experience and be able to play on the go straight away. As for earnings, we can’t share any details.
Based on what you’ve seen from the Switch 2’s hardware so far, is the team open to the possibility of a port of The Witcher 4 in the future? Should we not get our hopes up?
I appreciate the enthusiasm but for now we’re all in on bringing Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition to Nintendo Switch 2.
We can only imagine everyone’s focus right now on your team is to get Cyberpunk in tip-top shape for Switch 2, but we’d love to know if there are any hopes of sprucing up the Switch 1 release of Witcher 3 for Switch 2?
Your imagination is right! Similar to my last answer, we’re totally focused on bringing Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition to Nintendo Switch 2 so can’t comment otherwise.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
A huge thanks to Charles Tremblay for answering our questions and to Ola Sondej at CDPR for helping to facilitate this interview. Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition launches on the Nintendo Switch 2 on 5th June 2025.
