I first played High on Life on Switch 1, and while I enjoyed it, the game always felt like it was being pushed to its limits on that hardware. With Squanch Games dropping a free Switch 2 upgrade, I wanted to jump back in and see how much of a difference it really makes. Today, we’ll walk through the key scenes side by side, look at where the game has improved, and also highlight some of the quirks I found along the way.
Character Models
Starting with the character models, the difference is immediately noticeable. On Switch 2, we now have significantly better rendering, with your sister’s eyes finally displaying properly. The improved lighting system adds depth to her face and gives the character a more lifelike presence. Human models were one of the biggest weak spots on Switch 1, where they often looked flat and lifeless. The upgraded textures and shading now make these moments feel far more natural.
A small side note here, though, there are some new bugs in the Switch 2 version. For example, when barrels explode, the visual effect doesn’t always display correctly, while on Switch 1, you can see a proper explosion. I imagine this will be patched fairly quickly, but it’s worth pointing out.
Opening Cutscene
The opening cutscene runs for a couple of minutes, but even within the first shots, the visual upgrade is clear. Lighting makes a world of difference, pulling out more detail in the character models and setting a richer tone. On Switch 1, everything had that softer, scaled-down look as the system fought to hold 30 frames. On Switch 2, metallic textures stand out with proper reflections. The hood of the car gleams under the light, and the environment around it feels more solid thanks to sharper shadows and improved rendering. Looking past the characters, the base in the background also benefits. The textures have more detail, the resolution is cleaner, and objects that were simplified before are now properly modelled. The radar dish, for example, has visible wiring, and the dish itself is round rather than blocky. When we pick up Kenny, the difference is immediate. The handle area now has sharper texture mapping, the surfaces feel more defined, and the higher resolution reduces the pixellation that stood out so strongly on Switch 1. These upgrades all combine to make the early cutscenes feel closer to the original vision for the game rather than a scaled-down compromise.
First Combat Sequence
The first firefight is where performance really comes into focus. On Switch 1, this area struggled to hold 30 frames per second. My frame counters showed it sitting around 26 to 27 most of the time, with drops as low as 21 during busy encounters. The result was a choppy, uneven feel to aiming and shooting. Switch 2 does improve the experience, but it’s not flawless. While the game usually runs much smoother, I still recorded dips down to 27 in the most intense sequences. That said, the stability is noticeably better, and the higher baseline framerate makes aiming and movement feel far more natural. The upgraded lighting also helps sell the atmosphere, especially when explosions go off or blood splatters across the walls. These effects are more detailed, more vivid, and overall more satisfying. Once inside the base, the improvements continue. The glow of the powercell actually illuminates the environment now, and the monitors display clearer textures thanks to the bump in resolution. Small changes like this make the environment feel alive, whereas on Switch 1, it was often flat and muted.
Space City Staging Area
The city staging area builds on everything shown in the earlier sequences. Resolution stands out immediately, with sharper edges and cleaner distant detail. Lighting is richer, shadows fall more naturally across buildings, and the added texture quality makes the environment more believable. This scene also gives us a clear performance comparison. On Switch 1, framerate dipped regularly here, making traversal a bit sluggish. On Switch 2, it held steady without noticeable drops. Combined with the visual upgrades, it makes the hub feel smoother to explore and far easier on the eyes.
New Features and Availability
Outside of the visual upgrades, there are a few new features worth noting. Joy-Con 2 mouse controls are now supported, which gives aiming a different feel and makes firefights more responsive. Effects quality has been boosted, textures are sharper, and resolution can now reach up to 1080p at 30 frames per second when docked. At the time of recording this video, the Switch 2 upgrade is only available in North America for some reason. I expect that to change within the next 24 hours, but if you’re in another region, you may need to wait just a little longer for the patch to appear.
What’s Next
Since High on Life originally scored 68 out of 100 in my review, largely due to performance issues and washed-out graphics, I think it’s only fair to revisit the game now that this update is live. Expect a full updated review as soon as possible.
