Hitman: Absolution Switch 2 Edition hits the Nintendo eShop on October 22, and if you already own Feral Interactive’s Switch version, the upgrade is free as long as you claim it by November 4. After that, the Upgrade Pack costs $9.99.
Pricing and the upgrade window
There are two ways in. If you own Hitman: Absolution on the original Switch, you download the Switch 2 Edition Upgrade Pack from the eShop, free from launch day through November 4 and $9.99 (£4.99, 4,99€) after that. If you’re new to it and already have a Switch 2, the standalone Switch 2 Edition launches at $29.99 (£19.99, 24,99€), which Feral says is 25% off, and goes up to $39.99 (£24.99, 29,99€) on November 5.
The original Switch version is still on sale too, listed at $29.99 on Nintendo.com. Both Switch 2 deals, the free upgrade and the launch discount, end after November 4.
What changes on Switch 2
Feral’s list is a straightforward hardware bump. Output resolution goes up in both handheld and TV mode, and a new Performance preset targets 60fps in both. Animations and visual effects get a pass, especially in the busiest scenes, along with better level of detail, shadow quality and texture filtering. The Joy-Con 2 controllers also work as a mouse, which should make aiming and menu work feel a lot less fiddly.
Contracts mode is there on day one as well. You pick up to three targets anywhere in the game, decide how each one has to go down, then share the contract online for other players to try to beat your score. Feral calls it cross-platform, so the pool of player-made hits isn’t limited to Switch 2.
A quick refresher
Absolution is IO Interactive’s most story-driven Hitman, with Agent 47 working through a string of tight, linear levels where disguises, cover and quiet routes matter more than firepower. It’s rated M for Mature. Feral handles the Switch versions, the same team that brings big PC games to Mac, Linux and mobile.
Switch 2 is picking up a lot of these upgrades lately, from Resident Evil 2, 3 and 4 to this one. More in our Nintendo hub.
If the Switch version has been sitting in your library, put October 22 on the calendar. The free upgrade runs through November 4, which leaves plenty of time to try the new 60fps mode.