Switch to: German
With the arrival of Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2 on Nintendo Switch 2, Dragon Engine has made its way onto Nintendo consoles.
Yakuza’s long journey onto Nintendo consoles
In Japan, Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2 launched back in 2016 and 2017 respectively for PS4 (the former even came to PS3) – roughly ten years after the release of the original PS2 games –, and fans of the iconic beat’em-up series in the West finally got their hands on them a year later, with Xbox One and PC players having to wait a little longer. Japan-exclusive Yakuza 1 & 2 HD for Wii U flopped hard, and series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi once described the Nintendo Switch as a console primarily aimed at children and teens. He also stated that both Nintendo and Xbox had initially rejected Yakuza. Three years after Nagoshi’s departure and under the new leadership of Masayoshi Yokoyama, Yakuza Kiwami made its way to Switch as a download-only release last October, notably the first installment to appear in the West on a Nintendo console, and sales exceeded the studio’s expectations. No surprise RGG Studio and SEGA now apparently try to release as many Yakuza games as possible for the new Nintendo Switch 2, in addition to PlayStation, Xbox and PC.
Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut, the Kiryu saga’s prequel, featured new cutscenes and a Red Light Raid multiplayer mode when it launched last June as part of Switch 2’s launch line-up. It sold 1,315 copies in its first week, and a little reminiscent of the Wii U flop with fewer than 1,800 units sold in the same time period, although Wii U already had been available for nine months by then. In September, SEGA announced Yakuza Kiwami 3, including the Dark Ties spin-off, for February 12th, 2026. It’ll launch on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PS4 and PC, as well as Switch 2, but without being released for Xbox One.
In preparation for Kiwami 3, Switch 2 players will be able to enjoy Kiwami 1 & 2 starting tomorrow. Both titles will be released as a downloadable bundle for around €50 / £45 / $50 as well as individually in the form of Game-Key Cards for around €30 / £25 / $30 each, both at eShop and retail stores. The cartridges must be inserted to be able to download the game files, which are 20.2 GB (Kiwami) or 28.1 GB (Kiwami 2). Owners of the Switch 1 version of Kiwami 1 will receive an unspecified discount.
That’s not all! These enhanced versions of Yakuza 0, Kiwami 1 & 2, which you can already play on current-gen consoles thanks to their backwards compatibility, will receive native versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on December 8th, both at retail and download stores. This release is part of the celebrations of the franchise’s 20th anniversary. While both Kiwami titles will be bundled for PS5 and Xbox Series X in US retail stores, Europe will receive the Yakuza Series 20th Anniversary Edition featuring Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut, Kiwami and Kiwami 2 on three PS5 discs or with Steam codes supplied for PC players, alongside an exclusive steelbook.
While we’d like to check out the PS5 / Xbox Series versions at a later date, we’ve already had the opportunity to play Yakuza Kiwami 1 & 2 on Switch 2 extensively. Therefore we can take a look at the technical differences to the PS4 versions, which we played on PS5 Pro. We decided to disable the image enhancements available on PS5 Pro for PS4 titles to get the most authentic impression of these games possible in their original form on this console.
Yakuza Kiwami
Yakuza Kiwami marks both the beginning and the end of two different eras. It’s a remake of the first installment in the series, in which former Tojo Clan chairman Kazuma Kiryu is tasked with uncovering the plot of 10 million yen gone missing in the Japanese underworld. A gripping drama unfolds, featuring relatable characters and excellent, if sometimes overly long, dialogue, all interspersed with absurdly hilarious moments in its side quests. The remake boasts numerous additions, including the three fighting styles players may be familiar from Yakuza 0, a first-person perspective, additional side quests, the Majima Everywhere system and even more minigames. However, Kiwami is also the last title to utilize a proprietary game engine – the one that already powered the PS3 installments.
Download of the left-hand screenshot | Download of the right-hand screenshot
Image quality is virtually identical on both platforms we tested the game with – character models, animations, draw distance, reflections, shadow and texture quality all appear to be eerily similar. Yakuza Kiwami looks great on Nintendo Switch 2 in both handheld and docked play. One of the most compelling reasons to upgrade from the Switch to the Switch 2 version is the higher frame rate target. While Kiwami ran at 30 FPS (frames-per-second) on the original Switch, we’re able to explore the game’s bustling locations mostly at a buttery-smooth 60 FPS on Switch 2. Whether we’re fighting off a gang of thugs on the neon-lit streets of Kamurocho in Brawler combat style by wielding bicycles, wielding a bat in the Batting Center, or unleashing lightning-fast blows in one of the spectacular boss battles by utilizing Rush style, the frame rate remains largely stable. While performing particularly elaborate heat moves or while transitioning from one scene to the next, the frame rate occasionally can dip briefly for a few frames, but that’s still quite acceptable. Only the cutscenes that aren’t rendered in-game but are pre-rendered run at 30 FPS – just like on PS4. There are also no significant differences between the two consoles in terms of the pleasantly short loading times.
Download of the left-hand screenshot | Download of the right-hand screenshot
Those who make the jump from Switch 1 will be pleased to know they can transfer their save data to Switch 2, just like with all previous installments in the series after Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Transferring save data the other way around, from Switch 2 to Switch 1, isn’t possible. Given that the Yakuza games are now available on so many different platforms, it’s about time we had a way to sync our save files across all systems, perhaps via a unified account system. Being able to import your old save game on Switch 2 lays an important foundation for such a potential system.
Last year, both intro videos from the Japanese version of Yakuza Kiwami have finally made their way to the West on the original Switch. While a separate title theme was composed for the Western PS4 version, we are able to choose on Switch 2 as well between “Bleed,” “Receive You [Reborn],” or let the game randomly decide upon launching it which of the two songs by Koshi Inaba it’ll play.
Download of the left-hand screenshot | Download of the right-hand screenshot
During our heated confrontations in the Japanese underworld, the HD2 Rumble of the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller and the Joy-Con 2 feels significantly more intense than the controller vibration in the PS4 version. We’re eager to see if the upcoming PS5 port will utilize the haptic feedback of the DualSense controller.
Download of the left-hand screenshot | Download of the right-hand screenshot
Besides doubling the frame rate compared to the original Switch version, a vital addition of the Switch 2 version of Yakuza Kiwami is the localization into nine additional text languages. Next to Japanese and English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, French, Italian, German, Spanish (Spain), Spanish (Latin America), Russian and Portuguese (Brazil) are now supported. Though, voice acting remains in Japanese, and no English dub has been added, unlike in the Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut. The German localization is excellent as it manages to capture the spirit of the series, just as it has in all the other entries since the first Judgment in 2019.
Yakuza Kiwami 2
Yakuza Kiwami 2 breaks free from the constraints of the PS3 era and utilizes Dragon Engine, developed in-house at RGG Studio and used by all modern Yakuza and Like a Dragon titles since Yakuza 6: The Song of Life – including the spin-offs Judgment, Lost Judgment, The Man Who Erased His Name and Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. As you may be aware of, exceptions prove the rule, and therefore the 2023 remake of Like a Dragon: Ishin! (footage of the Japan-exclusive PS3 original) is based on Unity.
In the second entry, Kazuma Kiryu is drawn back into the world of the Yakuza (not for the final time) to prevent an all-out war between the Tojo Clan and the rivalling Omi Alliance. With Ryuji Goda, the Dragon of Kansai, an iconic antagonist literally steps into the spotlight, and Kiryu is tasked with uncovering his adoptive father’s connection to the Korean mafia.
Download of the left-hand screenshot | Download of the right-hand screenshot
In the remake, for the first time ever, we can enter buildings without loading times, such as the Club SEGA arcade or Kiryu’s favorite bar, New Serena. Also we’re able to manage a Cabaret Club, and recruit new fighters for Majima Construction to deploy them in the tower defense-style minigame Clan Creator (similar to Yakuza 6). While the distinct fighting styles from Yakuza 0 and the first Kiwami are no longer present, a comprehensive upgrade system still enables you to unlock a variety of skills and it ensures a motivating progression. The brilliantly told Majima Saga was added to the remake in order to provide further variety. It allows us to take on the role of Kiryu’s longtime nemesis, Goro Majima, for several hours of play.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 suffered from performance issues on PlayStation 4. On PS4 Pro, RGG Studio managed not only to stabilize the frame rate (which was capped at 30 FPS), but they also increased the resolution from 900p to 1080p. Apparently, it’s this version you can play on PS5 Pro, as we did, but for simplicity’s sake, we’ll continue referring to it as the PS4 version.
Download of the left-hand screenshot | Download of the right-hand screenshot
On Switch 2, we’re greeted by a new title screen that stylistically matches the new cover art. The image quality of Yakuza Kiwami 2 on Switch 2 is largely identical to the PS4 release. However, a closer look at both versions reveals that the sharp edges of the PlayStation variant have been softened somewhat on Switch 2. This could be due to a lower resolution and/or the use of an upscaler like Nvidia’s Deep Learning Supersampling (DLSS). The pavement on Sotenbori Street can produce visual distortions that we were unable to reproduce in this form on PlayStation.
Download of the left-hand screenshot | Download of the right-hand screenshot
Nintendo Switch 2’s 7.9-inch screen is able to display the high production quality of Yakuza Kiwami 2, and the image appears to be slightly sharper in handheld compared to docked play. Loading save games can take a little longer on Switch 2, but unlike in the PS4 version, we can load at any time without having to go through the title screen.
Download of the left-hand screenshot | Download of the right-hand screenshot
Furthermore, we can remap the buttons and swap both analog sticks, choose the size and color of the subtitles and set a suitable background to improve readability. For the first time, we’re able to adjust the volume of voices, music and game sound separately. Kiwami 2 has been translated into the same nine new text languages like Kiwami 1.
Final thoughts
Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2 perform on Nintendo Switch 2 at a similar level to the PlayStation 4 version – quite impressive for a hybrid console. Finally, we’re able to play these fantastic remakes of the first two installments on the go without the need for a typically much more expensive PC handheld. Switch 2’s high-quality screen allows us to fully enjoy the both in terms of presentation and length epic cutscenes – which can also be paused at any time. Minigames like Cabaret Club and Clan Creator are especially well-suited for quick gaming sessions on the go.
Even on Switch 2, the long-held wish for a console version of Yakuza Kiwami 2 running at 60 FPS has yet to come to fruition. However, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S should certainly be able to handle that in their upcoming native releases, especially since even the Dragon Engine-based Yakuza 6 is able to meet this frame rate target on Xbox Series S thanks to FPS boost. An upgrade option to the current-gen version, similar to what’s offered for the original Switch, would be desirable for owners of the PS4 and Xbox One versions.
We wholeheartedly recommend Yakuza Kiwami 1 & 2 to anyone who is keen to play the Yakuza series in chronological order on Switch 2 following Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut, which is the perfect entry point to the franchise. The additional comfort features, accessibility and language options—including an excellent German localization—add great value to these games.
We’re eager to see how Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties will perform on Switch 2 this February and whether Dragon Engine will finally be able to deliver 60 FPS on a hybrid console, perhaps with the inclusion of fidelity/performance modes.
SEGA provided us with Yakuza Kiwami for Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 4. We captured the screenshots on Nintendo Switch 2 in docked mode, if not stated otherwise. While the screenshots we captured were uncompressed for comparison purposes, we had to compress them slightly due to their file size (90 percent image quality).
