Stellar Blade for Nintendo Switch 2 review: more solid than stellar

The over-the-top, action-heavy, ultra-stylish Stellar Blade has landed on Nintendo Switch 2, giving this ex-PS5 exclusive a chance to shine in front of a brand-new audience.

<![CDATA[ <article> <p>The over-the-top, action-heavy, ultra-stylish <em>Stellar Blade</em> has landed on Nintendo Switch 2, giving this ex-PS5 exclusive a chance to shine in front of a brand-new audience. </p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Review info</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>Platform reviewed: </strong>Nintendo Switch 2<br /><strong>Available on: </strong>Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, PC<br /><strong>Release date: </strong>November 5, 2026 (Switch 2)</p></div></div><p>Porting this cinematic, explosive action-adventure title onto the Switch 2 has undoubtedly been a tough test for developer Shift Up, but just how well have they scored?</p><p>I’ve put around 15 hours into <em>Stellar Blade </em>on Nintendo’s hybrid console, during which time I’ve worked through most of the story, completed a number of side missions, and collected a whole lot of cans. So, here’s whether I think Stellar Blade on <a href="https://www.techradar.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-switch-2-review">Nintendo Switch 2</a> is worth your time and money.</p><h2 id="save-the-world-on-switch-2">Save the world on Switch 2</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check="" ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="Z7Hx3jqX39J3seeKACfmEo" name="stellar-blade-switch-2 (8)" alt="Eve finishes an enemy in Stellar Blade for Nintendo Switch 2" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Z7Hx3jqX39J3seeKACfmEo-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline" /></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Shift Up)</span></figcaption></figure><p>While I’m more interested in discussing the quality of <em>Stellar Blade </em>on Switch 2 as a port, it only seems right for me to share some of my thoughts on the core game to begin with.</p><p><em>Stellar Blade’s </em>premise is pretty simple. You play as the protagonist Eve as she battles through a post-apocalyptic future in order to save humanity from aliens known as the Naytibas. With assistance from survivors Adam and Lily (among others), you’ll aim to track down the dangerous Alpha Naytibas and Elder Naytiba and reclaim Earth once and for all. </p><div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Best bit</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><figure class="van-image-figure " ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' ><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="HmxpDcivZe9JWRVHPfqJLn" name="stellar-blade-switch-2 (1)" caption="" alt="Eve faces a Naytiba in Stellar Blade for Nintendo Switch 2" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HmxpDcivZe9JWRVHPfqJLn-1920-80.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="" height="" attribution="" endorsement="" class="pinterest-pin-exclude" /></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Shift Up)</span></figcaption></figure><p class="fancy-box__body-text"><strong>For me, the Stalker boss fight was a real highlight. The sheer intensity of this showdown is highly compelling — you’re forced to put your parrying skills to the test and hit hard with ranged attacks and Beta skills in order to get the victory. And that victory was oh so sweet.</strong></p></div></div><p>In my view, the premise itself is totally sound, and the high-octane opening certainly makes a strong first impression. </p><p>However, I felt that the narrative failed to hold my attention in the long run. A combination of dry dialogue and bland characters really let <em>Stellar Blade </em>down in the storytelling department. While the stakes are undoubtedly high, it doesn't always <em>feel </em>that way, with emotive moments lacking heart, character interactions seeming awkward, and voice acting often coming across as stiff.</p><p>But luckily for <em>Stellar Blade</em>, its lacklustre narrative doesn’t actually hold it back all too much. And that’s simply because the core gameplay experience is a whole lot of fun.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check="" ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="SQPuf5HEpQLVtQCJkV7bLn" name="stellar-blade-switch-2 (3)" alt="Skill tree in Stellar Blade for Nintendo Switch 2" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SQPuf5HEpQLVtQCJkV7bLn-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline" /></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Shift Up)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The combat system has solid depth, with no end to combos and eccentric abilities available to the player. You can also expand Eve’s move set with unlockable skills, enhance your weapon and drone assistant, and discover new ways to vanquish your foes as the story unfolds. </p><p>Though the timing can feel a little unusual, you’ll need to learn how to ‘perfect parry’ and counter hard against your opponents, which feels satisfying to execute. I also enjoyed bettering my exospines and gear to dodge away from enemies more effectively, and deal huge damage with Beta attacks.</p><p>Without a doubt, though, the true highlight of Stellar Blade is its mesmerizing boss fights. Each battle feels phenomenally tense, unique, and genuinely memorable, and I loved figuring out the ideal combos and evasion patterns for each and every showdown. It’s in these moments when the game truly comes alive.</p><p>General exploration is pretty enjoyable too. Just roaming around and hacking away at enemies, discovering new areas, and completing some side missions kept me pretty entertained. Yes, platforming segments can feel a little janky at times, but swift movement speed and fun puzzles keep the overall gameplay experience feeling fresh.</p><p>All in all, Stellar Blade is a good, albeit flawed title. Boss fights see the game at its brilliant best, with edge-of-the-seat action sure to keep you hooked. Sure, the unremarkable cast and dialogue hold it back to some degree, but this game is all about the action — and it largely nails that.</p><h2 id="a-solid-but-not-quite-stellar-port">A solid but not quite Stellar port</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check="" ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="hZaEziFtKX6BrKZRhxvP2o" name="stellar-blade-switch-2 (4)" alt="Eve picks up a can in Stellar Blade for Nintendo Switch 2" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hZaEziFtKX6BrKZRhxvP2o-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline" /></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Shift Up)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Right, now you must be wondering: how does <em>Stellar Blade</em> hold up on Switch 2? Well, the answer is somewhat nuanced. </p><p>First of all, I want to make it clear that this is a technical and demanding title, and cramming it onto the Switch 2 — which is considerably weaker than the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/ps5">PS5</a> — is no easy task. With that in mind, I’d say that the Switch 2 <em>Stellar Blade </em>is decent, but it’s certainly not without its flaws.</p><p>Let’s start on a positive note, though. I have to say that the sheer versatility of this Switch 2 edition is staggering. You can genuinely play in just about any way, using Joy-Cons or Pro Controller with a traditional configuration, with gyroscopic aiming, or even with mouse controls. I found that each method worked nicely when testing, yes, even mouse mode. And although I kept gyro aiming off for the most part and played with the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/gaming/nintendo-switch-2-pro-controller-review">Switch 2 Pro Controller</a>, I’m glad that this port plays to the system’s strengths. </p><p>I’ll also say that the game runs decently in docked mode overall. During skirmishes and general exploration, frame drops never felt particularly egregious, and inputs felt pretty responsive.</p><p>But there are some issues that I have to discuss. It sometimes feels like the Switch 2 can’t keep up with the speed and fluidity that <em>Stellar Blade </em>demands. It targets 60fps in both handheld and docked modes with frame generation, which combines NVIDIA DLSS upscaling with AMD FSR 3.1 frame interpolation, and sometimes, this simply doesn’t cut it.</p><p>With frame generation active, gameplay feels fairly smooth in docked mode, although there are some drops during the most cinematic segments — especially with large explosions. Handheld mode, while certainly playable, feels a bit too sluggish in my opinion. The inconsistent frame rates mean that performing precise blocks and dodges felt more challenging, with some action-packed sequences seeming to be a touch choppy. I also noticed that the movement of distant enemies was pretty unstable — whether playing handheld or docked — something I’ve seen in other Switch 2 ports like <a href="https://www.techradar.com/gaming/resident-evil-4-for-nintendo-switch-2-review"><em>Resident Evil 4</em></a>.</p><p>You can turn frame generation off and play at 30fps instead, but it all comes back to that word ‘fluidity’ — it’s at the heart of this game’s agile, reaction-based combat, which just didn’t quite click for me at a lower frame rate.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check="" ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="iAHxbvDm9ob8tDmm4ztqzn" name="stellar-blade-switch-2 (5)" alt="Eve, Lily, and Adam stand together in Stellar Blade for Nintendo Switch 2" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iAHxbvDm9ob8tDmm4ztqzn-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline" /></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Shift Up)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Visually, the port is a bit of a mixed bag too. In docked, it looks OK, with Eve’s character model appearing fairly detailed. But environments tend to look a bit flushed out, and intricacies of certain textures seem slightly subdued. Even when playing docked, though, I noticed quite a lot of texture loading issues and pop-in, and elements such as Eve’s hair lacked definition. It was a similar story in handheld, with character models looking a little rough around the edges and wide-open areas short on detail and definition.</p><p>Ultimately, the game runs just fine in docked, despite a few visual gremlins and frame drops. But in my view, the handheld experience doesn’t quite deliver the speed or responsiveness that this title requires — at least as things stand.</p><p>Back to the positives, though, I was really impressed with the quality of haptic feedback on the Switch 2, which has been specifically tuned for HD Rumble 2. This made every movement and attack feel so satisfying, and helped to truly immerse me in the action. I was also satisfied with the inclusion of DLC and unique costumes (this is the <em>Complete Edition</em>, after all), fantastic accessibility options, and the fact that this game is fully on cart if you purchase it physically — you’re not getting no code in a box ‘round these parts.</p><p>But let’s answer that all-important question: is Stellar Blade worth buying on Nintendo Switch 2? If you have a <a href="https://www.techradar.com/reviews/ps5">PS5</a> or <a href="https://www.techradar.com/gaming/ps5-pro-review">PS5 Pro</a>, then my answer is probably no. Sure, the Switch 2 lets you play on the go, but you’ll get more consistent frame rates, better graphical fidelity, and smoother all-round performance from Sony’s systems. Haven’t got a PS5? Well, if this sort of game is your jam, then I think <em>Stellar Blade</em>’s worth a shot. It has its imperfections in docked mode, but it still performs well overall, and you’ll find plenty to love about the core experience.</p><h2 id="should-you-play-stellar-blade-on-nintendo-switch-2">Should you play Stellar Blade on Nintendo Switch 2?</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check="" ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="wJVTgVQzSMGx4Y5zXGu53o" name="stellar-blade-switch-2 (10)" alt="Naytiba appears in Stellar Blade for Nintendo Switch 2" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wJVTgVQzSMGx4Y5zXGu53o-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline" /></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Shift Up)</span></figcaption></figure><h2 id="play-it-if">Play it if…</h2><div class="product"><p><strong>You want flexible control options</strong><br />Something I really liked about the Switch 2 edition of <em>Stellar Blade </em>was the sheer variety of control options. You can use traditional controls, gyro aiming, and even mouse mode.</p></div><div class="product"><p><strong>You want the all-inclusive Stellar Blade experience</strong><br />This is the <em>Complete Edition </em>of Stellar Blade, so you’ll get all the extras included, be that the <em>NieR: Automata</em> and <em>Goddess of Victory: Nikke</em> crossover packs or the new Bayonetta-themed costumes. </p></div><h2 id="don-t-play-it-if">Don’t play it if…</h2><div class="product"><p><strong>You own a PS5 or PS5 Pro</strong><br />If you’ve got a PS5 or PS5 Pro and aren’t all too concerned with playing on the go, then I’d strongly suggest playing <em>Stellar Blade</em> on one of those consoles. While the game performs well enough on Switch 2, Sony’s systems will make fewer cutbacks on frame rate, visual fidelity, and load times.</p></div><div class="product"><p><strong>You’re looking for a gripping narrative</strong><br />The biggest flaw of the core Stellar Blade experience is its dry dialogue and overarching narrative, which failed to grab me as much as I’d hoped. If you’re here for the combat, I’m sure you’ll have a blast, but if you want a story with substance, it might be worth skipping this one.</p></div><h2 id="accessibility-features">Accessibility features </h2><p>I’m happy to report that <em>Stellar Blade </em>has an extensive set of accessibility options on Nintendo Switch 2. You can adjust a number of settings to account for motion sickness, mobility, vision, and hearing needs, and there’s also a colorblind preset. In addition, you can toggle subtitles on and off, alter camera controls, and select one of multiple difficulty modes.</p><h2 id="how-i-reviewed-stellar-blade-on-nintendo-switch-2">How I reviewed Stellar Blade on Nintendo Switch 2</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check="" ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="UrN5C9JDjHaPh9gfxobd2o" name="stellar-blade-switch-2 (9)" alt="Eve talks to drone in Stellar Blade for Nintendo Switch 2" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UrN5C9JDjHaPh9gfxobd2o-1920-80.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="inline" /></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Shift Up)</span></figcaption></figure><p>I spent about 15 hours with <em>Stellar Blade Complete Edition</em>, during which time I worked my way through most of the story and a number of side missions. </p><p>For the most part, I played with my Nintendo Switch 2 console docked, hooked up to the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/televisions/sky-glass-gen-2-review">Sky Glass Gen 2</a> TV and <a href="https://www.techradar.com/televisions/soundbars/marshall-heston-120-review">Marshall Heston 120</a> soundbar. I mainly used my <a href="https://www.techradar.com/gaming/nintendo-switch-2-pro-controller-review">Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller</a> when playing, but I also made sure to try out mouse mode with a pair of <a href="https://www.techradar.com/gaming/nintendo/joy-con-2-review">Joy-Con 2</a>. However, I did indulge in some handheld gameplay from time to time, and used the <a href="https://www.techradar.com/audio/earbuds-airpods/jbl-live-beam-4-review">JBL Live Beam 4</a> to experience in-game audio.</p><p>More generally, I've spent years testing gadgets and games here at TechRadar, where I serve as a Senior Reviews Writer. I've reviewed a number of titles, be that major first-party exclusives like <a href="https://www.techradar.com/gaming/fire-emblem-fortunes-weave-review"><em>Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave</em></a><em> </em>or Switch 2 ports, such as <a href="https://www.techradar.com/gaming/yakuza-kiwami-2-nintendo-switch-2-review"><em>Yakuza Kiwami 2</em></a>.</p><p><em>First reviewed November 2026</em></p> </article> ]]>