Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Is Out, and It's the First CoD on Nintendo Switch 2

Modern Warfare 4 launched October 23 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and, for the first time, Nintendo Switch 2. Here is how the Switch 2 version works, the code-in-a-box controversy, and early UK sales.

By Zeeshan Khalid · Updated 30 October 2026

For the first time in more than a decade, a brand-new Call of Duty has launched on a Nintendo console on the same day as everywhere else.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 came out on October 23, 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2. This is the first big result of the 10-year deal Microsoft promised Nintendo during the Activision Blizzard takeover.

How the Switch 2 version was made

The Switch 2 version is not a cloud stream. Infinity Ward worked with the studio Digital Legends to build a native version made for Nintendo's hardware.

It also supports crossplay, so Switch 2 players are matched with PlayStation, Xbox and PC players.

The "code in a box" controversy

The physical Switch 2 edition does not have the game on the cartridge. The box contains a download code. That means:

you need an internet connection and storage space to install it,
you can't simply lend or resell a cartridge that works without downloading,
at least one retailer said it would not stock code-in-box games at all.

Code-in-box releases are becoming common on Switch 2, but this is the biggest one so far, and fans who buy physical copies are not happy.

Early sales: number one in the UK

Modern Warfare 4 debuted at number one on the UK physical retail chart (GfK data, week ending October 24). The split of those boxed sales was:

Platform	Share of UK physical sales
PS5	78%
Xbox Series X/S	19%
Nintendo Switch 2	3%

Do not read too much into the 3%. Call of Duty players have years of friends lists and progress on PlayStation and Xbox, and the code-in-box format makes the Switch 2 "physical" edition less appealing. Digital sales are not included in these numbers.

No last-gen versions

Modern Warfare 4 skips PS4 and Xbox One completely. So the Switch 2 is in, while consoles from 2013 are finally out.

What it means

Nintendo players finally get the biggest shooter of the year on launch day, and Microsoft shows it is keeping its promise to Nintendo. Whether Switch 2 owners actually play Call of Duty on it is something we will learn over the next few months.

More from this autumn: Gears of War: E-Day reviews and the GTA 6 launch guide.