Experiencing Metroid Prime 4 with Mouse Control and 120fps Feels Astonishing—Almost Illicit

The unveiling of the Nintendo Switch 2 brought us plenty of thrilling new games, but what really caught my eye was something familiar: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.

As a long-time fan of the Metroid series, I found the demo to be reminiscent of past titles, even though it likely represents just the beginning of Samus Aran’s latest adventure. In this early section, Samus is equipped with her standard arm cannon, missiles, scanner, morph ball, and bombs—tools we know well. This segment probably takes place before Samus upgrades her power suit with new telekinetic abilities, making it feel like a straightforward continuation of the series. However, rumors and clips hint at more innovations to come in the full game, even if this Switch 2 demo didn’t show them.

Nintendo and Retro Studios clearly chose to start things off simple, allowing the focus to rest on how core elements of the Metroid Prime experience fare on the new Switch 2 hardware.

As I sat down for my demo, the Nintendo rep couldn’t wait to tell me that the game runs at a blistering 120 frames per second. It’s a surprising move from a company that’s usually tight-lipped about performance specs. Yet, once you see it in action, it’s obvious why they made the shift.

Metroid Prime 4 for the Nintendo Switch 2 stands as an upgrade to a game initially designed for much less powerful hardware. The game runs natively at full HD, though 4K is also an option at 60fps, and it’s impressively smooth at 120fps. This high-performance level feels out of character for Nintendo, which traditionally doesn’t prioritize these metrics. Still, it provides a much-needed boost over what you’d see on the original Switch, at least from what’s been shown online. Without the original for side-by-side comparison, this transformation is immediately noticeable.

But the experience doesn’t end with just high frame rates. The Switch 2 brings a fresh feature that is sure to excite many: mouse controls using Joy-Cons. By placing the Joy-Con on a surface like your lap or a mat, it functions like a PC mouse. This allows for seamless incorporation of mouse controls in games where it makes sense.

At the Switch 2 event, games like Civilization 7 showcased this new control scheme, and Metroid Prime 4 quickly followed suit. Yes, while Metroid is typically about exploration and puzzle-solving, it is also a first-person shooter at its core.

Integrating mouse controls in Metroid Prime 4 is nothing short of brilliant. The system is intuitive, needing no toggle or settings adjustment. You play with the Joy-Cons as a standard controller, but the moment you position the right Joy-Con on a surface, the game switches to mouselook mode. It’s swift and natural, enhancing the game’s shooter aspects without any hassle.

The section of Metroid Prime 4 available for play was combat-heavy, eschewing much of the series’ traditional puzzle elements. Still, after about thirty minutes, I found my rhythm. Switching fluidly between controller and mouse modes felt instinctive. For general play and traversal, the Joy-Cons were perfect, but when the action ramped up, I found myself instinctively switching to mouse-like precision.

When I later confronted a boss, being able to use the mouse controls to precisely target those weak, glowing bits made all the difference. I managed to dispatch the foe more efficiently than some who were sticking to conventional controls.

Add the super-smooth 120fps gameplay into the mix, and it almost feels too good to be true. Previously, this level of performance and precision seemed out of reach for a Nintendo game unless you resorted to unofficial methods. It also addresses a significant gripe I had with the original Switch: while many games looked fine, performance often suffered. With the enhanced performance of Metroid Prime 4, I’m eager to see how other games will take advantage of these upgrades.

As the release date approaches later this year, there may be an edition for the original Switch—but if you’re in a position to upgrade, the Switch 2 promises the ideal platform to experience Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. That’s exactly what you’d hope for from next-gen gaming.