Before the release of Resident Evil 4 Remake: Switch 2 Gold Edition, Polygon got hands-on with this port. Author Josh Broadwell noted that the game often experiences brief pauses and unstable frame rates in handheld mode; when docked, most stutters disappear and the visuals improve significantly.
The issues in handheld mode are particularly noticeable when there are many enemies, and can sometimes be detected even when moving or rotating the camera in the early village areas. Some scenes appear blurry, with visible signs of upscaling on vegetation and hair, and textures in certain areas load late. Broadwell believes these problems don't completely ruin combat, but there is a gap in performance compared to the Switch 2 version of Resident Evil: Requiem he referenced.
When docked, Polygon felt that HDR also improved lighting performance, though hair rendering and some asset loading still have flaws. Respec's evaluation was more positive, stating that the game mostly maintains its 60 FPS target, while also noting issues with hair quality, resolution, and some enemy animations.
Polygon still praised the game itself, with criticism focused mainly on the handheld experience of the port. Resident Evil 4 Remake: Switch 2 Gold Edition is scheduled for a digital release on October 16, 2026, including the main story, Resident Evil 4 Remake: Separate Ways, and other additional content.