TL;DR: Monster Hunter Wilds hits Nintendo Switch 2 on December 4, 2026. The digital Standard Edition is $29.99 until the early-purchase sale ends (regular price $39.99), the Gold Edition is $79.99, and the install is about 39.1 GB. Expect 30 fps as the safe target: the demo tests show a docked mode that can reach 40â55 fps, but at roughly 600p internal resolution.
Monster Hunter Wilds is coming to Switch 2 as a Switch 2-only release, with up to four hunters online and four more in local wireless play. A free Prologue Demo is already on the eShop, and its save carries over to the full game, so the cheapest way to decide is to play it first.
Data as of November 2026, based on the Nintendo eShop listings and the demo coverage published in October. Some numbers still conflict between sources. Where they do, this guide shows both and says which one is which.
When does Monster Hunter Wilds come out on Switch 2?
The release date is Friday, December 4, 2026, per the Nintendo US store page and Nintendo's demo announcement. It is a Switch 2 release only; there is no version for the original Switch.
Unlock times per region are not confirmed. Nintendo's listings give a date without a clock time, so don't plan around a midnight launch until Nintendo or Capcom publishes one. Pre-loading is reported to be available for pre-orders, with the file size listed at 39.1 GB (Nintendo's estimate; the final number can change at launch).
The Switch 2 version is the 2025 game with the free Title Updates, according to Virtwave's eShop breakdown. A major expansion, Ascendance, is planned for 2027 across platforms, and no Switch 2 date is announced yet.
How much does Monster Hunter Wilds cost on Switch 2?
| Edition | Price (US) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (digital), early-purchase price | $29.99 | Base game plus the Guild Knight layered armor and Hope Charm talisman as pre-order bonus |
| Standard (digital), regular price | $39.99 | Base game |
| Gold Edition (digital) | $79.99 | Base game plus the Cosmetic DLC Collection and extra bonuses |
| Cosmetic DLC Collection (add-on) | $59.99 | Cosmetic packs only, no base game |
| Physical Deluxe Edition | $39.99 (reported) | Base game plus the Deluxe Pack cosmetics |
The $29.99 price and the Guild Knight / Hope Charm bonus come from the Nintendo US store page, which shows the sale ending on December 4 at 04:59 UTC, or the evening of December 3 in US time zones. The $39.99 regular price, the Gold Edition price and the physical edition figure are from Virtwave, an eShop reseller that captured the listings on October 26, so check the eShop before you pay. Some news sites report a different end date for the discount (December 19), which the Nintendo store page does not support. The Cosmetic DLC Collection price is on its own Nintendo page.
Pick: buy the Standard Edition before the sale ends, and skip Gold unless you want every cosmetic pack. Gold costs $50 more and, per the eShop listings, adds cosmetic content.
Is there a physical edition of Monster Hunter Wilds on Switch 2?
A physical release is not confirmed on Nintendo's own pages. The Nintendo US store listing shows only the digital edition. Third-party coverage points to a $39.99 Deluxe Edition, and Virtwave says that edition is a Game-Key Card, meaning the box holds a download key rather than the full game on the cartridge. Virtwave itself could not verify that from Capcom's page, so treat both the physical release and the Game-Key Card detail as unconfirmed until Capcom or Nintendo states it. If it is a Game-Key Card, you would still need the roughly 39.1 GB download and the storage space on your console for it.
How does Monster Hunter Wilds run on Switch 2? FPS and resolution
Short answer: a 30 fps game with some modes that can go higher, running at a low internal resolution and upscaled. Two sets of numbers are in circulation, and they do not match.
| Mode | Resolution | Frame rate | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Docked, "Resolution" | 1260p | 30 fps | My Nintendo News (September) |
| Docked, "Performance" | 1080p | 30 fps | My Nintendo News (September) |
| Handheld | 864p | 30 fps | My Nintendo News (September) |
| Docked, quality | about 648p internal, upscaled | 30 fps | Nintendo Everything on Digital Foundry's demo test (October) |
| Docked, frame rate | about 600p | 40â55 fps, no screen-space reflections | Nintendo Everything / Digital Foundry (October) |
| Handheld | about 432p internal, upscaled | close to 30 fps | Twisted Voxel on Digital Foundry (October) |
The September figures (1260p, 1080p, 864p) were reported by My Nintendo News, which links a Reddit thread rather than a Capcom statement, so they are not confirmed as official. The October figures come from Digital Foundry's analysis of the demo build, which is the better evidence at the moment. The final game can still change, since demo builds are not release builds.
Digital Foundry's comparison, as reported by Nintendo Everything and Twisted Voxel: Switch 2 has clearer textures and screen-space reflections that the Xbox Series S version lacks, but renders at a lower resolution (the Series S sits near 1080p against about 648p on Switch 2's quality mode) and trims some shadows, foliage and geometry. The PS5 version keeps more detailed geometry and higher-resolution textures. Ray tracing is reported to be off, and variable refresh rate did not work as expected in the 120Hz test.
Pick: play docked in the frame rate mode if your TV supports it and you care about responsiveness. The 40â55 fps range feels better for dodge timing than a flat 30 fps, but it costs resolution. In handheld there is only one mode, and 30 fps is the target.
Does Monster Hunter Wilds on Switch 2 have cross-play and cross-save?
Online play is listed for 1â4 players with full cross-play according to Virtwave's summary of the eShop data, and local wireless supports 1â4 players on the Nintendo US store page. Online multiplayer needs a Nintendo Switch Online membership, per the demo announcement.
Cross-save with the PS5, Xbox or Steam versions is not confirmed. The only confirmed carry-over is the Switch 2 demo save moving into the Switch 2 full game. If you already hunt on another platform, you are starting a new save here.
If you plan local sessions with friends, each player needs their own Switch 2. Test every pad first with the gamepad tester before a long session, and read how Switch 2 Joy-Con drift shows up if a stick starts misbehaving mid-hunt.
Is there a Monster Hunter Wilds demo on Switch 2?
Yes. The free Prologue Demo covers character creation, the prologue and Chapters 1â3 ("To the Forest"), with Chatacabra and Quematrice as the monsters, per Nintendo's announcement. It is offline only: no online play and no Photo Mode, but handheld local multiplayer for up to four players works if each player has the demo installed. Your save and option settings carry over to the full game.
Use it to judge the frame rate in both modes and to check how the game feels on your controller. For pad options, the Switch 2 controller guide covers what works on the console.
What is not confirmed yet
- Regional unlock times for December 4.
- A physical edition and whether it is a Game-Key Card.
- Cross-save with PS5, Xbox or Steam.
- Capcom's own figures for Switch 2 resolution and frame rate.
- Gyro aiming and Joy-Con 2 mouse support for the Bow and Light Bowgun. Nintendo's listing does not mention either. If you aim with motion controls, read gyro aiming explained for how it works on other games.
- A Switch 2 date for the Ascendance expansion.
This page will be updated when Nintendo or Capcom confirms these.