For years, EA FC on the Nintendo Switch was a low-effort port that wasn’t worth the hefty annual purchase, feeling like a complete afterthought designed to scam Switch users out of their money. I’m happy to report that, while still far from perfect, EA FC 26 on Nintendo Switch 2 is a welcome step in the right direction.
There’s clear attention to detail in this version, with massively upgraded visuals and parity in terms of modes with other versions of the game (something the original Switch also introduced a few years ago). If you purchase the Switch 2 version of the game, you’ll also be able to download the original Switch one, which is worth it just to see how big the graphical overhaul feels.
It’s still not on par with the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, of course, but it’s a far cry from the dull, frankly insulting offering from the original Switch. The fans in stadiums are fully rendered NPCs, player faces resemble their actual real-life counterpart, physics look more natural, and even jerseys have added textures compared to the plainness of previous iterations.
If wonky or subpar framerate is a buzzkill, do beware: EAFC 26 runs at 30FPS on Nintendo Switch 2. To be fair, unless you’re completely used to the smoothness of 60FPS offered by other versions, it shouldn’t be that big of an issue. Even if you are, it’ll take a couple of matches to adjust, but I don’t blame you if you outright decide this is a dealbreaker. On that note, don’t expect to make your PS5 your main EAFC machine and then try to swap to the Switch 2 for some on-the-go grinding, as there’s no cross-progression enabled, which is a real bummer.
Another annoying detail with this version of the game is the fact that menus run extremely poorly and lag at all times. For some odd reason, EA decided to use animated backgrounds, which severely impact performance compared to the previous Switch version, which opts for still images. Furthermore, while the ability to record clips and screenshots was seemingly patched in (I couldn’t do it during my early hours of play), trying to rewatch an instant replay or match highlights results in, well, nothing happening most of the time, as the highlights fail to load.
That being said, the game runs smoothly at the targeted framerate. I had no hiccups or issues during gameplay. Handheld also holds up fantastically, so there's no worry of the system underperforming while you're travelling or looking to sneak it some gametime during your commute to work. Still, navigating the menus at half-time does feel like a chore, especially if you’re trying to switch up your tactics or make a lot of substitutions.
Technical aspects of the Switch 2 version aside, EA FC 26 on Nintendo’s platform offers the same innovations it has brought to other consoles, including two different modes of playing the beautiful game: Competitive and Authentic. The first is what you’d expect from the game in recent years, with faster matches, more responsive AI, and the overall vibe you’d want while playing Ultimate Team or other online modes. Authentic is something less arcadey and more trying to be a sports simulator, with a slower tempo, a more realistic approach to defending, and things such as free kicks or corners (you won’t be able to reliably score from set pieces).
Both serve their purpose fine. If you want to jump into a quick match online or offline or are an Ultimate Team addict, then the Competitive mode will serve you perfectly, as it makes matches feel more interesting in the moment-to-moment gameplay. However, as someone who prefers to stick with Career Mode, I really came to enjoy how Authentic feels.
Booting up my Player Career Mode and actually feeling the struggle of controlling a player with an OVR rating below 70 made the grind feel more refreshing. Previously, due to the nature of the core gameplay, the early hours of a Player Career Mode felt no different than controlling your character after they’ve turned a world-class elite striker, bagging five goals per match with Manchester City.
Now, I have to carefully allocate my Attribute Points based on how I want my player to evolve. Especially since there are brand-new Archetypes which grant unique boosts if you level up the right attributes. For instance, if you’re playing as a creative midfielder, you can choose an archetype similar to Andrés Iniesta, Zinedine Zidane, or David Beckham by growing required stats. Adding the Iniesta specialization will make your through passes boost the finishing, balance, and ball control of your teammate. It’s a neat way to incentivize some sort of buildcrafting in EA FC, which is something I never expected to write.
Elsewhere, you have your standard offerings: Kick-off, with both regular and rush mode available (a five-a-side mode that replaces VOLTA, yet lacks what made the latter interesting), Ultimate Team, Manager Career Mode, Seasons, and Clubs. If you’ve played EA FC at any point over the past 10 years, you basically know what to expect. The big downside of the Switch 2 version is that, as mentioned, it doesn’t come with crossplay enabled. Still, when I checked the Seasons player count, it had a solid 10k players, so it’s not completely barren.
Overall, EA FC 26 on Nintendo Switch 2 is a solid package and much more in line with what you’d expect from the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series versions. If Nintendo’s hybrid is your main console of choice, you won’t feel the difference between versions as much; however, if you have the means of playing elsewhere, you’ll still find the experience somewhat subpar.
It’s a hopeful first step in the right direction. Seeing how the likes of CDPR or Ubisoft have managed to optimize games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Star Wars Outlaws, there’s no reason to think a 60FPS FC27 on Switch 2 could be doable.
Code provided by the published for the purpose of this review.
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