Nintendo Switch 2 just got an unreal boost thanks to Epic Games

This bodes well for future Nintendo Switch 2 games

(Credit: Epic Games)

• 😮 Epic Games has successfully optimized its Lumen lighting system to run on the Nintendo Switch 2

• 💡 This new “Lumen Light” mode delivers high visual quality at significantly lower GPU costs, making it twice as fast as the high-quality alternative

• 💪 Developers can now aim for 60 FPS in games utilizing global illumination, ensuring Switch 2 ports stay competitive with PS5 and Xbox Series X|S

• 🙏 The update paves the way for more titles with advanced ray tracing support and continues the trend of high-profile third-party games on the console

Epic Games has shared some fantastic news for Nintendo Switch 2 developers today, which will subsequently benefit anyone who owns Nintendo’s new handheld.

At its State of Unreal event (thanks, Nintendo Everything), the publisher talked about the next release of Unreal Engine 5.8, and we learned that Lumen Light, part of Unreal Engine’s advanced lighting system, is now running on Nintendo Switch 2.

The company shared that the new mode “is designed to preserve much of the visual impact at a significantly lower GPU cost by using irradiance fields with probe occlusion” and is twice as fast as Lumen High Quality.

Essentially, it means Epic’s Lumen lighting will be more viable on Nintendo Switch 2 games than it was before, and Epic went as far to say “games that rely on global illumination for artistic purposes can run on Nintendo Switch 2 at 60 FPS.”

Any games using Lumen, which includes Fortnite, will benefit from the new advancements, and it means Switch 2 will continue to receive impressive ports that aren’t too far off their PS5 and Xbox Series X|S counterparts.

It also means we should see more Nintendo Switch 2 games with ray tracing support in the future. The first game that will benefit from Unreal Engine 6 will be Rocket League.

We’ve seen the Nintendo Switch 2 attract several high-profile third-party releases during its first year on sale, including Resident Evil Requiem, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Cyberpunk 2077.

Up next: GTA 5 players on PS4 and Xbox One just got a free upgrade – but not to GTA 6, of course

Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.