After a single day of playing, Call of Duty: Mobile has already proven to be a worthy mobile title, drawing in millions of players around the world. Except it could be a power-house title on the Nintendo Switch.

For the past day and a half, I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that I’ve been hooked on Call of Duty: Mobile on my Samsung Galaxy S10+. During that time, I’ve spent hours going back and forth between Ranked and Battle Royale, pushing through countless matches in order to continue my stint with the game.

However, during that time, I was asked a peculiar question while talking to one of my gaming pals during a session of Destiny 2: Shadowkeep: Could it work on Nintendo Switch? If so, how? Well… I got to thinking after playing more of it today and now, I have an answer on just how well this game – a free to play with a heavy emphasis on microtransactions and a battle pass – could actually work on Nintendo’s handheld-turned-console hybrid.

“Tencent Games and Timi Studios has done the best they can to provide a solid experience.”

When it comes to mobile games, however, it’s hard not to understand what kind of game it actually is. The several people I have talked to that inquired about it would constantly ask if it was anything similar to other games of the kind ranging from Modern Combat to Cyber Hunter or even PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile.

Well, if you are expecting something that feels like Call of Duty, don’t worry, Tencent has been cautious with this title. It feels like, it looks like, and it plays like what it is: A mobile Call of Duty title that doesn’t have controller support (sadly). That being said, it’s just as it sounds and what you would expect from a free-to-play title on a mobile device.

That being said, it’s hard not to acknowledge that this title doesn’t stand out from its peers. It’s a strong game, one that delivers everything you would expect it to, whether it’s from a cutting-edge experience for a mobile game or even a first-person shooter with paid options that favor those willing to throw a few dollars at the title itself.

But now, it begs the question: How would a game like this actually benefit from the Nintendo Switch? Let’s talk about that a bit more in-depth before we move on.

“Tencent Games and Timi Studios has done the best they can to provide a solid experience.”

When you look at the Nintendo Switch, it’s not shy about its ability to support competitive shooters. Games like DOOM, Splatoon 2, and even Modern Combat 5: Blackout has given us a glimpse into the competitive side of the gaming spectrum. It’s a strong argument to be had when Paladins and Overwatch will be duking it out as the top-two competitive shooters on Nintendo’s console.

Unlike any of the previously listed games, Call of Duty: Mobile is quite different from the others. It’s a game that has been optimized for the mobile platform, giving players the most of what a mobile game can. It features Battle Royale, it features modes such as Team Death Match, Search and Destroy, Domination, and ranked play depending on what players decide to play.

Couple that together with some top-notch mobile graphics and performance, it’s hard not to see that a lot of love and care has been put into the game. Tencent Games and Timi Studios has done the best they can to provide a solid experience. Call of Duty: Mobile is visually stunning to play as it is to look at. It’s a game with a simple learning curve that both newcomers and veterans alike can appreciate.

It still features a wide array of maps, familiar gameplay mechanics, and an easy-to-use weapon system that sees weapons unlock based upon player progression. There is the completely optional battle pass that adds in new skins, new weapon appearances, sprays, etc, which Call of Duty: Black Ops IV fans should be well acquainted with by now.

Thanks to how it handles, there’s no surprise that this would work out rather well for the Nintendo Switch. Tablet mode? Sure. Joy-Con mode? Check. The ability to play it docked as well? Double-check. The fact the game is already on Android and iOS, it could already set the path for a Switch version, which – to be quite frank – would work rather well.

“It’s hard to deny that Call of Duty: Mobile is a perfect fit for the Nintendo Switch.”

With the absence of another Call of Duty title on a handheld-style device since the PlayStation Vita, the Nintendo Switch would be the next-best option for another mobile title, one that allows those without the proper equipment to enjoy Call of Duty: Mobile to the best of their ability.

The Nintendo Switch also isn’t shy about being a home to free-to-play titles with microtransaction options. We already have Paladins, Arena of Valor, Smite, and now the upcoming premium title Overwatch will feature them. The question comes to this: Will Activision let it happen and if they do can it feature Joy-Con support due to the mobile version having that feature removed?

While this is merely speculation and an argument as to why it should happen, let’s err on the side of caution. Let’s say it happens, but without controller support: Would it work? Of course, the Nintendo Switch is a viable platform for the game thanks to it having a fully-usable touchscreen system.

Do people want to play one such game on the Switch when they can do it on their phone or tablet? Maybe, but that’s ultimately up to the user and the developers themselves. Activision would be feeling a rather large gap in the selection of FPS titles the Nintendo Switch has to offer, which needless to say, is very few and far between.

We’re lucky we’ve gotten what we have and we’re even more-so lucky that we’re still getting plenty more in the future. It’s hard to deny that Call of Duty: Mobile is a perfect fit for the Nintendo Switch.

“Graphics and Performance won’t be a problem on the Nintendo Switch.”

With the graphics capabilities of the Nintendo Switch, you can be rest assured that Call of Duty: Mobile won’t run into any issues. Even on a Samsung Galaxy S10+, the game runs smooth, and it does so as well on our Samsung Galaxy Tab S2. Thankfully, there’s graphical settings you can tweak, each one offering a different set of graphical changes to the game.

Want a low-quality game, but longer battery life and better performance? Just tone the game down, set the Graphics Quality to low, turn off Depth of Field, Bloom, Realtime Shadow, and Anti-Aliasing. Prioritize framerate to get the most out of the game. You can also find a balance in how the game looks and feels on mobile devices, which in this case, could also work on the Nintendo Switch.

It’s actually a well-rounded game that takes many of the franchise’s best qualities and makes them work rather well on a wide array of devices. Graphics and Performance won’t be a problem on the Nintendo Switch. This leaves one last point: It works. The game works rather well and it’ll fill that gap we need to be filled on the Switch.

Until then, however, we’ll have to wait and it could be quite a while before that happens. Whatever the reason is, we just hope it happens, and we can hope it happens rather soon.

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About the Writer(s):

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the borders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter or Facebook.