Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition Review: The Chaotic Thrill Ride Returns on Switch 2

Capcom has been incredibly supportive of Nintendo and the Switch 2 hardware since launch. They were also very much present on the original Switch, which was both surprising and not at the same time. During the GameCube and Wii eras, the two were best of friends, but third-party support for Nintendo hit a bit of an all-time low with the Wii U.

Iconic Capcom franchises like Resident Evil and Monster Hunter were fairly common, but Devil May Cry wouldn't find its way to Nintendo hardware until the original Switch. DMC4 remains absent, sadly, but there was a lot of smoke about Capcom bringing Devil May Cry 5 to the more powerful Switch 2. Those rumors became reality when it was announced at a Nintendo Direct in June 2026.

Devil May Cry 5 first launched in March 2019, and while it was incredibly enjoyable, it would benefit from a much improved, expanded version just one year later. This would introduce much better performance and visuals, as well as the return of Dante's twin brother Vergil as a playable character.

Now, some six years later, Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition, has launched on Nintendo Switch 2. There's not much new content here, but if you've never experienced it, now is the time to sharpen up your sword and start slaying some demons.

Let's Rock, Baby

Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition offers exactly what it says on the tin. It's a straightforward port of the special edition of Devil May Cry 5 from 2020, and that's it. There's absolutely no new content to speak of, except now you don't have to pay for Vergil. At last.

For some, that may sound disappointing. If you've already played it countless times on previous consoles, you're really not missing out on anything aside from it just being cool to play the game on Switch 2. If you're hoping for anything new at all, it's worth noting that there's absolutely no new features or content to speak of.

If you're something of a superfan of this game, which I would certainly consider myself one of those, this is going to be quite a fun experience. I haven't actually played DMC 5 in several years, and being able to revisit the game on Switch 2 has honestly been something of a treat.

Devil May Cry 5 was already one of the greatest character action games of all time, and the expanded special edition made it even better thanks to the new Vergil campaign. Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition, by default, is now one of the best action games on Nintendo Switch 2. If you haven't played it yet, you're going to lose your mind over how phenomenal it is.

Before this, the peak of 3D character action on Switch 2 was probably something like the Ninja Gaiden collection, but DMC5 is a pretty clear upgrade. This is one of those games that you can constantly replay, as Capcom and director Hideaki Itsuno crafted a game that really understands how important pace and flow is in this type of experience.

The Best of the Best

When DMC5 first came out in 2019, it was rightfully hailed as one of the greatest character action games ever made. That hasn't changed in six years, and I had an absolute blast revisiting it on Switch 2. It's been in the rumor mill for quite a while, and seeing it actually run on the hardware has been quite enjoyable.

We were told from the start that Switch 2 would be the home to some games you may not expect. Certain last-gen ports that just weren't possible on the original Switch are starting to come to fruition, and DMC5 is one of the best Switch 2 ports I've seen so far. It's insanely impressive.

The performance on Switch 2 is honestly spectacular. It targets a resolution of 1080p and 60 fps, which it hit rather handily on previous and current platforms. On Switch 2, Capcom has succeeded in matching that. It looks remarkably crisp and clean, running at a rock solid 60 fps. There's a certain smoothness to it that is beautiful to see in action, and the frenetic action never suffers.

That level of performance is incredibly important in a game like this. The function of the game is dependent on it, and when you're in the middle of the action that this game creates, there's truly nothing like it. There's an almost hypnotic flow state that you can find yourself in when things get going, and that's especially true the deeper you get into the experience.

Replaying this game on Switch 2 has really reminded me just how far back the Capcom resurgence has been going on. They've been absolutely crushing it lately, and DMC5 was right there at the start. Finding that joy again on the Switch 2 has been utterly delightful.

Diverse Styles, Maximum Chaos

Devil May Cry 5 offers four playable characters, including Dante, Nero, Vergil, and the newcomer V. Somehow, despite three of them carrying swords, Capcom managed to make each one feel distinct. That was true back in the day, and remains true with the Switch 2 version.

Dante, Nero, and Vergil are fast-paced, furiously fantastic characters to play as. Each sort of has their own weight and movement physics to understand, though I suspect you'll certainly come away preferring one to the other.

Perhaps the most fascinating of the group, however, is V. Instead of commanding the might of a sword, V uses summons and is the only one capable of actually finishing off the demons. His stages are a nice change of pace, which is something DMC5 understands quite well. I remember that, back in the day, V was a bit controversial because of how different he was, but I always had a lot of fun during his moments.

Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition has all the bells and whistles from the original, which means that it also has all its flaws. There's not a lot of them, but the notoriously weak photo mode is still here. It's not any better, and still feels just as listless as it did on the previous generation of hardware.

At the end of the day, however, a lackluster photo mode and no new content just isn't egregious enough to prevent me from giving Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition my highest recommendation. There's simply no action game on Switch 2 that can even compete, and it's going to be one of the most impressive Switch 2 ports to look at for quite a while.

Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition brings the demon-slaying action of the franchise's peak to the Nintendo Switch 2. It is a fabulous port of the game, though it lacks any new content and features a rather mundane photo mode. If you've never experienced the game, there's absolutely no excuse not to jump in immediately. The over-the-top action and stylish cutscenes are just delightful, and you'll be hard-pressed to find a better game in the genre on Switch 2 than DMC5.