We’ve seen Annapurna’s Stray a few times now, with the cat game debuting back on PlayStation platforms and the PC in 2022. It’s ambled its way to other systems since. Even a Switch release happened in 2024, though that was notable for not running and looking as good as the other versions. But now Stray is on the Switch 2, and it’s a chance at redemption for the Nintendo game. While it still isn’t as gorgeous as it would be on PCs, it looks and works much better this time around.

Stray begins with the game showing us a colony of cats in a post-apocalyptic world. As we get acquainted with the felines, we see one get separated to the group and fall into an underground city. Their goal is to get back to the surface and their family. Fortunately, they meet a drone named B-12 that can assist with human technology and meet a number of robot Companions who explain what happened to humans, this underground world, and even why these strange, hostile creatures called Zurks are threatening everyone.

Stray remains an action-adventure game with its Switch 2 release, only with a different sort of approach since we get a perspective and interaction limitations tied to being a cat. This means our range and reach is limited, we’ll need to bat at things to make things happen, and carry stuff around. It does mean our character is good at climbing on things and getting into narrow spots! There are also occasional hacking and puzzle segments tied to B-12’s abilities. We explore different layers of the underground city, using the duo’s capabilities to ascend to different areas and find a new way up top. 

While there are a lot of moments when we can explore and take our time exploring the areas of town and interacting with peaceful robot Companions, perhaps even taking a nap during more chill parts, Stray can get rather active. This can mean using some stealth to avoid hostile Companions, evasion to get away from Zurks, and even a Defluxor to defeat Zurks. These are worked into the adventure in a way that keeps them from feeling natural, but not like they’re the main focus of the game and journey of our stray cat friend. Even better is that Stray feels better in these sections on the Switch 2. There’s a stability here that wasn’t present in the Switch version. It’s at 30fps, which helps a lot with performance. 

Stray also generally looks much better on the Switch 2 than on the original system, even though the game isn’t as pretty as it is when I played it on the PS5. It definitely helps make the city look better. It’s a noticeable difference. The cat’s touch up is also improved. However, the realistic approach still doesn’t help it look like a 1:1 actual cat. There’s still that divide, but it is better and fine. I think the Companions honestly are the other element that benefit most from this update, as their more exaggerated approach and artificiality look better with the improved visuals and textures.  

While the performance and visuals are both marked improvements for Stray on Switch 2 compared to the original Switch, the Joy-Con 2 mouse control mode is underwhelming. It is possible to use that control option. However, the actual controller support for the game is genuinely great. I felt like swapping to that to test out the feature made the general experience worse.

Stray on Switch 2 is a step up from the adventure on the original Switch version of the game, though it probably still isn’t the ideal way to step into the cat’s paws. It does look better! It runs better! The frame rate is more stable. The mouse controls feel more like a gimmick and aside than a truly viable way to play, unfortunately. Also, it’s still not the prettiest and best way to play. But it is better than what we had, which is nice. 

Stray is now available on the Switch 2 and the game also appeared on the Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. 

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