Experiencing Metroid Prime 4 with Mouselook and 120 FPS Feels Amazing—Almost Illicit

During the recent reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2, there were plenty of exciting new experiences on display. Yet, for me, the real star of the show was one of the familiar faces: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.

The demo they rolled out for Metroid Prime 4 felt instantly recognizable, especially for a longtime fan like myself. Though it showcased a part of the game that seemed a little stripped of new features, I suspect it’s from the early stages of the game, right before Samus gets her hands on those snazzy new telekinetic abilities.

In this brief segment, which played out like a classic base-under-siege scenario, Samus only had her trusty arm cannon, missiles, scanner, morph ball, and bombs at her disposal. These elements are quite staple in the Metroid series. Thus, this preview of Prime 4 plays like a simple continuation of its predecessors. However, we know from other snippets that the full game has more in store, with shiny new abilities and mechanics waiting to be explored—just not in this hands-on session.

Nintendo and Retro Studios clearly handpicked this segment for a reason. It’s quick, engaging, and perfectly showcases how the core of the Metroid Prime experience feels on the new Switch 2 hardware without any distractions.

As I sat down for my demo session, the Nintendo representative immediately pointed out, “This is running at 120 frames per second.” It’s not something you typically hear from Nintendo, who don’t usually focus on performance specs. But with the stunning smoothness of gameplay, you totally get the emphasis.

Metroid Prime 4 for the Switch 2 is essentially an upgraded version tailored for a console that’s supposedly ten times stronger than its predecessor, if Nvidia’s figures are anything to go by. Running natively in full HD, with an option for smooth 60fps at 4K, the game looks fantastic—much sleeker than what I’ve previously seen on streams of the original. The real showstopper, however, is the 120fps gameplay. It’s not what I’d expect from Nintendo, and it certainly makes a statement.

Now, let’s talk about the control dynamics. Rather than putting the game down, I found myself intrigued by the Joy-Con mechanics. As seen in the console’s welcome tour, the Switch 2’s new gimmick lets you turn the Joy-Con on its side and use it as a mouse. Perfect for strategy games like Civilization 7, which were also on display at the event. But Metroid Prime 4 utilizes this feature brilliantly for its first-person shooter mechanics.

The magic lies in how seamlessly the mouse controls are integrated. You can hold both Joy-Con 2 like a normal controller and play Metroid Prime 4 as you would any other game in the series. But the real charm is when you set the right Joy-Con down into mouse mode—it understands what you want without any hassle. It just works the moment you physically shift the controller, adapting quickly to your mode change.

While the section I tried was more about combat and less about Metroid’s famous puzzles, it was enough time to get into a rhythm. Holding the Joy-Con naturally for exploration and using the morph ball, then switching to a makeshift mouse when the action got intense, allowed me to tap into my PC-playing instincts. It’s an ingenious blend of both worlds.

When a boss battle kicked in, the controller took the backseat. The fight had those telltale boss weak points that would only show themselves now and then, and using the mouse controls for pinpoint aim was a game-changer. I was able to dispatch this boss much more deftly than others trying to do it the old-fashioned way.

With its fluid 120fps visuals, the entire experience felt a bit surreal. Almost as though I was experiencing something exclusive. Historically, this kind of performance with aiming precision was off-limits in Nintendo games unless you invested in third-party solutions. This new development addresses a key complaint of mine about the original Switch, which generally performed well but lagged in graphics, especially in intense scenarios. If Metroid Prime 4 is any indicator of what’s to come, I’m eagerly anticipating more games with enhanced performance.

When it’s released later this year, there’s a chance Metroid Prime 4: Beyond might also land on the original Switch. But given the impressive performance boost, if your budget allows, the Switch 2 is definitely the way to experience it. And isn’t that what you truly want from the next generation?