Capcom's Resident Evil remakes shine on Nintendo Switch 2

Capcom’s REmakes, almost classics themselves at this point, have found new life on Nintendo’s handheld.

Capcom is on a legendary run. The company has been crushing it for years, but 2026 might be its most exceptional year yet, especially on the Nintendo Switch 2. Monster Hunter Wilds, Resident Evil Requiem, Pragmata, Resident Evil: Biohazard, Resident Evil Village, and now the remakes of Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4—all on Switch 2, and all outstanding ports.

Resident Evils 2 through 4 are no exception. Released in 2019, 2020, and 2023, respectively, the remakes are almost classics in their own right (yes, even RE3, which I’ll get to later). With their addition to the Switch 2 ecosystem, every mainline Resident Evil is now available on Nintendo’s handheld.

You can add Resident Evil 2 through 4 to your Switch 2 library with confidence. Each game targets 60 frames per second, and hits that target most of the time. I didn’t encounter a single hitch running Resident Evil 2 or RE3, and I alternated between handheld and docked to gauge performance. I expected a flawless experience given how RE Requiem performed earlier this year, but was still pleasantly surprised.

The exception is RE4 in handheld mode, but only slightly. Some areas, such as the stormy chapter set in the village, which has lots of environmental effects going on, see the frame rate dip just a tad. Fortunately, this does nothing to affect the gameplay. I was still able to pull off headshots and parries without any trouble.

If you haven’t played RE2, 3, or 4 since their heyday, or if this is your first time coming to the remakes since their original releases, you’re in for a treat. Each game offers a unique experience that carries over fundamentals (the third-person camera, true 3D movement, how to aim and shoot) from game to game courtesy of the RE Engine, while adding wrinkles of their own. Resident Evil 2 and 3 have a quick-turn command; Resident Evil 3 has a dodge that, if pulled off correctly, lets you auto-target the head of the enemy you dodged before firing; and Resident Evil 4 lets you parry with Leon’s trusty knife (until you break it and have to shell out money for repairs, of course).

Resident Evil 2 and 4 are the most critically acclaimed of the trio, and with good reason. RE2 captures the spirit of the original Raccoon Police Department location, while RE4 deepens the 2005 original’s focus on horror for a finely tuned action-horror experience. As for RE3, I loved it, scoring it a 9 out of 10 here at Shacknews. Yes, it cut a lot of content from the original, but the result is a tight, action movie-like romp that stays laser-focused on the escalating battle between Jill and Nemesis, her relentless pursuer. The alternative would have been to make Nemesis almost exactly like Mr. X from RE2’s remake. I prefer the experience brought to the table by both pursuers, but your mileage may vary.

Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3, and Resident Evil 4 mark another win for Capcom in 2026. They’re excellent additions to the Switch 2’s blossoming library, and a must for any RE fan whether you’ve played them elsewhere or not.

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