Monster Hunter Wilds Hits Stable 30FPS on Switch 2, But Capcom Had to Grind for It

Monster Hunter Wilds is heading to Nintendo's new hardware, and Capcom says the road to a steady frame rate was a long one. The Switch 2 version is set to run at a stable 30FPS, a result the developer describes as the product of a "painstaking, seemingly endless process" of optimization.

The port launches on December 5 and will include the free title updates released so far, new monsters among them. That means newcomers on Switch 2 won't be starting with a cut-down version of the game. They will get the same hunts that PlayStation, Xbox and PC players have been tackling since the original release.

One of the more notable additions is local co-op support. It is a deliberate nod to the Gathering Hall days on the PSP and 3DS, when hunters would huddle together in the same room, each with their own handheld, to take down a big target. Wilds has leaned heavily on online play since launch, so a proper local option gives the Switch 2 version something a little different.

The 30FPS target may disappoint those who want smoother performance, but a locked frame rate is arguably the more important goal for a game this demanding. Wilds has large, open environments, dense monster ecosystems and heavy effects work, and keeping all of that steady on portable-friendly hardware is no small task. Capcom's own description of the effort suggests the team had to fight for every gain rather than relying on a single big fix.

For Switch 2 owners, the pitch is straightforward. You get the full game, the free post-launch content and the option to hunt with friends on the couch. Whether the performance holds up in the most chaotic fights will be clear once it is in players' hands in December.