Monster Hunter Wilds on Switch 2: Local Play is Back, But The Draw Distance Took a Hit

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Written By NLM Team

We finally have a look under the hood of the handheld version, and it looks like we are trading draw distance for the classic PSP-style gathering hall experience.

A dramatic encounter in Monster Hunter Wilds, showing a hooded Hunter facing off against a massive, dark green, winged monster emerging from a haze of dust and shadow.

While we have been enjoying the Switch 2 since june, we are just now seeing exactly how Capcom plans to cram the massive world of Monster Hunter Wilds onto it. Thanks to some digging by user Lener30 over on the r/monsterhunterleaks subreddit, we have a list of specific parameters for the "NSW2" version found in the game's files. It is a mixed bag of clever optimization and necessary sacrifices, but there is one feature here that is going to make old-school fans lose their minds.

The Return of Local Multiplayer

This is the big one. According to the datamine, the Switch 2 version has confirmed support for "Local Network Multiplayer". To be clear, this is not split-screen. This is the classic setup where you and three friends sit in the same room with your own consoles and hunt together without needing an internet connection.

For a lot of us, Monster Hunter peaked when we were huddled around a table at a Denny's playing on PSPs. Seeing this feature return specifically for the NSW2 version is a massive win for the portable crowd.

The Visual Sacrifice

You can't shrink a next-gen game without cutting corners, and it looks like "NPC Culling" is where the axe fell hardest. The data shows that the distance at which NPCs (which includes monsters) appear has been cut in half compared to the standard version. The value drops from 100 on regular platforms to 50 on NSW2.

The leak also mentions an "_Always" parameter marked as true for most NPCs, which suggests aggressive culling to keep the framerate stable. Essentially, expect pop-in. It is the price we pay for taking a game this big on the bus. On the bright side, the leak confirms the Switch 2 version has its own dedicated DLSS presets to help smooth things out.

Where Did All The Bugs Go?

There is a potentially worrying note about Endemic Life. The data suggests the spawn rate for the little environmental critters might be "fifthed" in this version. Imagine walking through the jungle and seeing 80% fewer beetles and birds.

However, Lener30 notes that this particular file is labeled "OPT" (likely optimization) and might actually be related to low-spec PC settings coming in a January Steam update rather than being exclusive to the Switch 2. I am hoping that is the case, because an empty world feels wrong in a game called Wilds.

No "Wilds Upgrade" Edition

Finally, the datamine squashed a rumor about a potential "Upgrade Edition" for the game. While references to an upgrade path exist in the RE Engine files, it seems to be a general engine feature rather than something for Wilds. It is more likely that Capcom is preparing this tech for a Monster Hunter Rise upgrade or another RE Engine title that spans both Switch generations.

So, we are getting local play and DLSS, but we might have to squint to see the monsters in the distance. I will take that trade.

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NLM Team
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