Star Wars Outlaws on Switch 2: Early Hands-On Impressions Highlight Performance Concerns

As the launch of Star Wars Outlaws for Nintendo Switch 2 draws near, the gaming community is watching closely to see how one of the year’s most anticipated ports fares on Nintendo’s next-generation hardware.

Developed by Ubisoft, Star Wars Outlaws is set to debut on Switch 2 and other platforms on September 4, aiming to deliver an expansive, planet-hopping adventure centered around lead character Kay Vess.

With just days to go, fans have been eager for substantial gameplay footage, but Ubisoft’s limited reveals—consisting primarily of a brief appearance in the Switch 2’s announcement Nintendo Direct and another glimpse in July—have left expectations in flux. The conversation around Star Wars Outlaws on the Switch 2 intensified following its demo showcase at PAX West.

For the first time, attendees had an opportunity to experience the game firsthand on Nintendo’s latest hardware, and impressions quickly started circulating in the industry.

Among the first to report was Steve Bowling of Good Vibes Gaming (GVG), who shared his insights in a recent YouTube analysis.

Although Ubisoft permitted no direct-feed video capture or over-the-shoulder recording during the preview session, Bowling was able to piece together his observations for fans and analysts alike. According to Bowling’s detailed account, Star Wars Outlaws struggles to maintain performance stability on the Switch 2.

He described the demo as running "quite poorly," citing significant compromises in both resolution and framerate, apparently made necessary by the demands of the open-world design and the Switch 2’s technological limits.

More concerning, Bowling noted that these issues were present even though much of the demo was set within a relatively confined space—a sequence focused on escaping an Imperial ship early in the game. Bowling highlighted that the framerate was both "unstable and uncapped," with drops below 30 frames per second observed throughout the preview.

In gameplay segments featuring spacecraft dogfights, the visuals failed to impress despite the presence of advanced effects like ray-traced lighting and DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) providing visual enhancements in more contained moments.

With Star Wars Outlaws’ official release on Nintendo Switch 2 now imminent, these firsthand impressions have set a cautious tone among series fans.

Given the tight timeline to launch and the assumption that the PAX West demo represents a near-final build, many are tempering expectations regarding how the game will ultimately perform on Nintendo’s powerful new console. Star Wars Outlaws remains a marquee title for both Ubisoft and the Switch 2, and fans are keen to see how the final version measures up upon release on September 4.

For now, the feedback from PAX West serves as a sobering reminder of the challenges involved in bringing ambitious, open-world experiences to handheld hardware—even as technological advancements continue to shape the Nintendo Switch platform.

Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Switch Ubisoft Star Wars Star Wars Outlaws Nintendo Switch 2 Switch PAX PAX West GVG Steve Bowling Kay Vess Nintendo Direct Outlaws