Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition Review – Stylish, Smooth, and Built for the Road

Capcom has been on a roll lately when it comes to bringing their big games to the Nintendo Switch 2. After turning heads with ports of Resident Evil 9 and Pragmata, they’re back at it again, this time with one of gaming’s most beloved hack-and-slash franchises. Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition is finally here and the big question on everyone’s mind is whether the fast, flashy, combat-heavy experience holds up on portable hardware. We played through the game in both docked and handheld modes to find out, and see how the port performs technically rather than the game’s story or core mechanics.

For those jumping into Devil May Cry 5 for the first time, here’s a quick rundown. The story centers on the invasion of the Qliphoth, a massive demonic tree that tears through Red Grave City. Nero, one of three playable characters, kicks things off after a mysterious figure rips off his demonic arm, the Devil Bringer. With the help of his mechanic partner Nico, Nero fights back using the Devil Breaker, a set of mechanical prosthetic arms built by Nico to replace what he lost. The story also follows Dante and a character named V, each with their own fighting style and reasons for getting involved. Their separate paths eventually collide, giving the game a layered narrative told from multiple perspectives.

How It Plays on Switch 2

Testing was done in two ways: docked mode on a 1440p monitor, and handheld mode on the Switch 2’s built-in screen. One thing worth noting upfront is that there are no Performance or Quality mode options in this version. You won’t find any toggle to trade visuals for frame rate or the other way around. The only graphical setting available is a brightness slider.

That said, the experience straight out of the gate is genuinely impressive. The visuals are sharp and detailed, and it really does not feel like Capcom cut corners on texture quality just to get the game running on portable hardware. Both cutscenes and gameplay target 60 frames per second, and for the most part, the game holds that target consistently throughout. There were a few minor frame dips in particularly chaotic moments, but nothing that disrupted the overall flow or felt jarring. For a combat-heavy game like this, hitting that 60 FPS mark is crucial since it keeps every attack, dodge, and combo feeling tight and responsive. Loading times are also noticeably fast.

On the visual side, the game looks great overall, though there are some minor compromises. The most noticeable one is aliasing, which refers to jagged edges, on character hair during cutscenes. It is not a serious issue and is easy to look past given how good everything else looks, but it is worth mentioning.

The game comes with a solid set of options for customization. Button layouts are fully remappable, and there are separate sensitivity sliders for horizontal and vertical camera movement, along with an adjustable camera distance setting. There is also an Auto-Assist mode available for players who want to pull off stylish combos without memorizing complex inputs, which makes the game more accessible to a wider audience.

Where It Falls Short

The one area where the port genuinely disappoints is the rumble. The haptic feedback implementation feels underdeveloped. Strong vibrations only show up during specific moments in cutscenes rather than during the heat of combat, and even then, they often do not match the weight or intensity of what is happening on screen. Basic attacks do not get proper feedback, and only certain actions like firing a gun or using a Devil Breaker trigger any response at all. In cutscenes, the rumble sometimes activates for only a brief moment when the scene clearly calls for something heavier. For an action game built around the feel of impactful combat, this is a noticeable shortcoming that chips away at the overall immersion.

Verdict

Devil May Cry 5: Devil Hunter Edition on the Nintendo Switch 2 is a strong technical achievement. Capcom managed to bring a fast-paced, visually impressive action game to portable hardware without sacrificing much. The visuals hold up well, the frame rate stays steady, and the overall experience feels polished and complete. The minor hair aliasing during cutscenes is easy to overlook, but the weak rumble implementation is a real missed opportunity, especially for a game that relies so heavily on the feel of its combat.

Even with that criticism, this is one of the better ports available on the Switch 2 and a great way to experience the game if you want it on the go.

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On Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, PS4 & Steam

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