Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 on Nintendo Switch 2 gives players a choice of two upscaling options in its Graphics settings: Nvidia’s DLSS and Infinity Ward’s own Filmic SMAA T2X. The full game launches on Switch 2 on Friday, October 23, at $69.99 for the digital Standard Edition, and digital pre-order owners can already play the whole campaign through early access.
The setting was spotted by Nintendo Life, which asked Tom Morgan of Digital Foundry for an early comparison. His verdict on still images favors DLSS, but the real trade-off is still unknown until someone tests the final build in motion.
A Seoul street scene from the Switch 2 eShop gallery; much of MW4's story is set on the Korean Peninsula. Image: Activision
Table of Contents
What are the two Modern Warfare 4 Switch 2 upscaling options?
- Nvidia DLSS: the AI-powered upscaler built into Switch 2’s Nvidia hardware. Nintendo Life has a primer on how DLSS works.
- Filmic SMAA T2X: Infinity Ward’s in-house anti-aliasing solution, which the Nintendo Life tester used for most of the campaign.
A third post-processing setting sits in the Quality menu: AMD’s FidelityFX CAS (Contrast Adaptive Sharpening), which sharpens the final image. According to Nintendo Life, the developers said they added the options for personal preference but didn’t explain the differences.
DLSS vs Filmic SMAA on Switch 2: what Digital Foundry saw
Morgan’s analysis is based on Nintendo Life’s limited capture from a pre-release review event, so treat it as a first look. His main points:
- Same resolution. The DLSS option “appears to be interpreting the same pixel data — the same resolution — as the Filmic SMAA option,” Morgan said. Picking DLSS doesn’t change the base resolution; it changes how the image is reconstructed.
- Cleaner edges. DLSS smooths stair-stepping on straight lines better by rebuilding detail from accumulated frame data. “Expect cleaner lines, essentially, once the frame settles,” he said.
- Sharper textures. Busier detail such as door decals and foliage looks more defined with DLSS.
So why offer SMAA at all? Morgan said the existence of the toggle “strongly suggests the developer sees a trade-off.” His two guesses: DLSS could cost some frame rate, or Switch 2’s version of DLSS could produce artifacts in the IW Engine. Neither has been confirmed. Digital Foundry plans its own deep-dive analysis.
In practice, the gap may be small. Nintendo Life’s Gavin Lane wrote in his campaign impressions that he “struggled to perceive much of a difference” when switching between them, especially in hectic scenes. He reported what seems to be a locked 30fps target in the campaign, with no big frame-rate dips. The Switch 2 version was built by Barcelona studio Digital Legends.
Modern Warfare 4 Switch 2 release date, price and early access
| Detail | Switch 2 |
|---|---|
| Full launch | Friday, October 23 (multiplayer included) |
| Campaign Early Access | Live now since October 16, until launch |
| DMZ Early Access | From Tuesday, October 20 |
| Standard Edition (digital) | $69.99 on the US eShop |
| Vault Edition (digital) | $99.99 on the US eShop |
| Vault upgrade | $30 |
| Play modes | TV, tabletop and handheld |
Who gets early access: according to the Call of Duty blog, everyone who digitally pre-orders or pre-purchases the Standard or Vault Edition can play the full 16-mission campaign now, and Switch 2 is on the list. A physical Standard Edition is sold at retailers, but it doesn’t include early access. Our MW4 early access and editions guide covers what each edition includes. Prices above are from the Nintendo eShop listing, checked October 17, 12:30 UTC.
Another shot from the Switch 2 eShop gallery. Multiplayer arrives with the full launch on October 23, after DMZ Early Access on October 20. Image: Activision
Other Switch 2 features
Activision’s Switch 2 announcement lists Joy-Con 2 mouse controls, gyro aiming, Switch 2 Pro Controller support, HDR and handheld play, plus cross-play and cross-progression with other platforms. For the beta, multiplayer needed an Activision account and a Nintendo Switch Online membership. The eShop listing also shows Nintendo Switch Online online play and cloud saves.
If you’re deciding whether the campaign is worth starting now, our Modern Warfare 4 campaign length and missions guide breaks down the 16 missions, and the MW4 reviews roundup collects the early critic verdicts. Capcom’s Resident Evil 2, 3 and 4 Switch 2 ports are another recent example of big console games arriving on the system.
What’s next
DMZ Early Access opens on October 20, and the full game, including multiplayer, launches on October 23. Multiplayer is where a DLSS frame-rate cost would matter most, so Digital Foundry’s full analysis of the final build should settle which option to use. Until then, the early evidence says DLSS gives a cleaner image at the same resolution. If you notice stutter or artifacts, Filmic SMAA T2X is the one to fall back on. MW4 is also on our list of new games out next week.
Sources: Nintendo Life (upscaling options, with Digital Foundry), Nintendo Life (Switch 2 campaign impressions), Call of Duty blog (Campaign Early Access), Call of Duty blog (Switch 2), Nintendo eShop (Standard), Nintendo eShop (Vault).
Live: Follow today’s gaming news as it happens
Featured image: Activision
