The Switch 2 came out with plenty of games, but third-party titles mostly got overshadowed. Ports of older games all struggled to make a dent in the charts, except one.
But in the middle of this third-party slump, Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition pulled ahead as the clear winner — outshining not only its fellow launch ports but also surpassing The Witcher 3’s debut on the original Switch.
How Did Cyberpunk 2077 Outperform Every Other Port?
Unlike most third-party games that came as just download codes in boxes, Cyberpunk 2077 was a full physical release.
CD Projekt Red did something rare and cool by putting both the base game and Phantom Liberty expansion on one full 64GB cartridge.
It wasn’t only about being convenient — the decision was well thought out. Many early Switch 2 adopters are collectors, and that crowd has made it clear they value full physical releases.
It was a sharp contrast to competitors like SEGA and Capcom, which cut corners and offered only partial downloads at full price.
How Did Timing Help Cyberpunk Sell So Well?
Nintendo’s timing was brilliant since they included Mario Kart World with most Switch 2 consoles, so most players already owned a first-party title.
That left room for one or two more purchases — and CDPR's premium, complete-on-cart RPG was a tempting choice.
It felt like a proper showcase of what the new hardware could do. Cyberpunk ran smoothly on the handheld, with surprisingly consistent frame rates and visuals that did justice to Night City’s gritty atmosphere.
How Is The Witcher 3 Doing on Switch 2?
CD Projekt Red’s other major RPG, The Witcher 3, remains on Switch 2 and performs much smoother than on the original Switch.
The better hardware lets it run at higher resolution and more stable performance, especially handheld, where the old version dropped to 320p.
Fans say it runs smoother and feels more stable overall, even without an official patch for the new hardware. That said, its age is showing.
The game still looks muddy in some areas, and no new visual upgrade has been released specifically for Switch 2 players.
There's still a chance CDPR will release a full update, but for now, all eyes are on Cyberpunk 2077—and it makes sense.
Both titles come from CDPR, but Cyberpunk is the only one that launched as a dedicated Switch 2 game, featuring built-in upgrades like mouse controls, quicker loading, and improved lighting effects.
Did Cyberpunk’s Redemption Arc Help Its Sales?
For anyone who missed the console launch or got put off by its shaky start, this Switch 2 version felt like a second chance.
On-the-go performance was solid enough that even some diehard PC or PS5 players admitted they were considering double-dipping to have a portable version.
It became one of the rare cases where a re-release of a four-year-old game actually felt new, especially when compared to third-party titles charging steep prices for decade-old content with no upgrades.
What Can Other Publishers Learn from CDPR’s Strategy?
Beyond graphics and pricing, CDPR’s approach proved they understand the Switch crowd better than most.
They didn’t just throw something together and call it finished; they treated it as a proper launch title.
In doing so, they reminded the industry that if you want players to care about your game on Nintendo hardware, you have to meet them where they are: value-driven, collector-focused, and expecting quality.
That’s why Cyberpunk 2077 has now officially outsold The Witcher 3’s original run on Switch.
And unless another third-party game brings the same level of effort and foresight, it’s going to be tough to knock it off the podium.
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