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Start with TV Resolution: Automatic, RGB Range: Automatic, Auto Low-Latency Mode: On when your television supports it, and HDR Output: Compatible Software Only. Install the newest Switch 2 system and dock updates, then enable VRR if both your television and the game support it. If Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Encore Edition presents the reported TV-mode choices, use Performance for smoother combat and traversal or Quality for a sharper 30-fps image. Those game-specific targets and the reported November 5, 2026 release remain provisional until Nintendo or the publisher confirms them on an official product page.
Recommended Switch 2 preset
This preset is the safest starting point for docked play. It lets the console and television negotiate a compatible signal instead of forcing a resolution or color range that could produce a blank screen, crushed shadows, washed-out highlights, or unnecessary scaling.
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| 1 |
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Nintendo Switch 2 System | $499.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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| Setting | Starting value | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| TV Resolution | Automatic | Allows the console and display to select a supported mode. Switch 2 supports 720p, 1080p, 1440p, and 2160p (4K). |
| 120 Hz Output | Automatic or enabled when available | Useful only when the television and software support it. Nintendo documents 120-Hz output at 1080p and 1440p. |
| RGB Range | Automatic | Prevents a full-range/limited-range mismatch unless your television manual specifies a matching value. |
| Auto-Low-Latency Mode | On when supported | Allows the television to switch to its game picture mode automatically. |
| HDR Output | Compatible Software Only | Outputs HDR only for software that actually supports it, avoiding forced HDR processing in games that do not. |
| VRR | On when supported by the TV, software, system software, and dock | Can smooth supported variable frame-rate output, but it is not universal across games. |
Use this baseline before judging image quality. A television may retain separate picture settings for each HDMI input, resolution, HDR state, and game mode, so changing a Switch setting can expose a different TV preset than the one you were previously viewing.
Update the console and dock first
Install the latest Switch 2 system software before changing display options. Nintendo’s version 23.0.0 update, released September 9, 2026, added TV-mode VRR when both the software and television support it; the dock also needs its corresponding update. VRR can therefore appear unavailable even when the TV advertises VRR if the console or dock is behind on updates.
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- Dock that supports 4K when connected to a compatible TV*
- GameChat** lets you voice chat, share your game screen, and connect via video chat as you play
- Connect the console to the internet and open System Settings.
- Choose System, then run the system update check and install any offered update.
- Leave the console in the dock and allow any dock-update prompt to complete. Do not disconnect power or HDMI during that process.
- Restart the console after updating, then launch the game and check its own display options.
The exact game menu can differ between a preview build and the shipped release. Do not assume that a console-level option proves the game uses it; the software must support HDR, 120 Hz, VRR, or a particular rendering mode for that feature to affect play.
Set the Switch 2 TV Output options
TV Resolution: Automatic
Open System Settings > Display/TV Output and leave TV Resolution on Automatic for normal docked play. Automatic is preferable when you move the dock between displays or use an HDMI receiver, because the console can select a mode that the connected chain reports as supported.
Manual choices are useful when troubleshooting. Nintendo lists 720p, 1080p, 1440p, and 2160p (4K) as Switch 2 TV resolutions. Select 1080p or 1440p only when you have a specific reason, such as testing a high-refresh television, resolving an HDMI-handshake problem, or matching a display that scales one input better than another. A forced 2160p signal cannot make a game render at 4K if the game internally renders at a lower resolution; it may only add scaling.
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Enable 120-Hz output when your television supports it and you want to test a high-refresh mode. Nintendo documents 120-Hz output at 1080p and 1440p, and the software must also request a compatible refresh rate. A 120-Hz television does not make every game run at 120 frames per second.
If enabling 120 Hz causes flicker, a blank screen, or repeated signal drops, return TV Resolution to Automatic, verify that the HDMI cable and television input support the required bandwidth, and try 1080p before 1440p. Keep the setting that remains stable; a reliable 60-Hz signal is better than an unstable high-refresh connection.
RGB Range: Automatic
Keep RGB Range on Automatic unless the television manual gives a specific full-range or limited-range instruction for that input. A mismatch can make blacks look gray or hide detail in dark areas. Change the value only when you can compare the same scene and confirm that the TV’s black-level control matches the console’s selected range.
Auto Low-Latency Mode
Turn on Auto Low-Latency Mode when supported by the television. ALLM lets the display enter its game mode automatically when the console is active, reducing the chance that a cinema or image-processing preset adds delay. If the TV never changes modes, enable its HDMI gaming or low-latency feature manually and check whether a receiver or soundbar between the dock and TV blocks ALLM signaling.
HDR Output and Adjust HDR
Set HDR Output to Compatible Software Only. Nintendo also offers Off and For All Software, but forcing HDR for every title can apply an HDR container or tone mapping to software that was authored for SDR. Use For All Software only if you deliberately prefer the television’s conversion for non-HDR games and have checked the result in several scenes.
When HDR is available, open the Switch 2 Adjust HDR calibration screen and adjust it while the television is in its HDR picture mode. Follow the on-screen pattern rather than copying values from another display: peak brightness, black level, and tone mapping vary by television. After calibration, launch the game and confirm that the TV reports an HDR signal. If it remains in SDR, the game may not support HDR, the title may require a separate in-game toggle, or an HDMI receiver may be stripping the signal.
Quality versus Performance: what to choose
A community search result reports that Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Encore Edition is planned for Switch 2 on November 5, 2026, with TV-mode Quality targeting 30 fps at 1440p and Performance targeting 40 fps at 1080p. These figures are not confirmed by Nintendo or the publisher in the available official material. Treat them as a provisional guide until the shipped game or an official product page shows the options.
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- The next evolution of the Nintendo Switch system
- One system, three play modes: TV, Tabletop, and Handheld
- Larger, vivid, 7.9” LCD touch screen with support for HDR and up to 120 fps
- Supports up to 4K resolution** when using a compatible game and TV connected via the included Nintendo Switch 2 dock
- Nintendo Switch 2 plays compatible physical and digital Nintendo Switch games.***
| Reported mode | Reported target | Motion during combat | Image detail | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality | 30 fps at 1440p | More cinematic, but less fluid during camera turns and firefights | Higher output resolution and potentially finer distant detail | Players who prioritize a sharper static image and a 30-fps presentation |
| Performance | 40 fps at 1080p | Smoother traversal, aiming, and combat if the target is sustained | Lower output resolution, with the television scaling to its panel | Players who value responsiveness and motion clarity |
Choose Performance first if you are sensitive to judder, spend most of the game in active combat, or sit close enough to notice camera motion more than fine texture detail. Choose Quality if you prefer a steadier cinematic cadence and can accept 30 fps. Re-evaluate after playing in a representative area rather than deciding from a still screenshot: the difference is most visible while panning, aiming, and moving through busy scenes.
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Is 4K better than 1440p for this game?
Switch 2 can output 2160p (4K), 1440p, 1080p, or 720p. Nintendo states that 4K output contains four times the image resolution of 1080p, but that is a console-output capability, not proof that a game renders internally at 4K. Nintendo also states that the frame-rate limit for 4K resolutions is 60 fps. A 4K television may therefore receive a 4K signal while the game renders at 1440p or 1080p and the console scales it.
For this title, use the mode the game provides rather than forcing 4K at the system level. If the reported Quality mode really renders at 1440p, forcing 2160p could add another scaling step without increasing game detail. If the reported Performance mode renders at 1080p, a 4K output can still look clean on a 4K panel, but it cannot recreate detail that was not rendered. Automatic resolution lets the console select the advertised game/display combination.
Use 1440p or 1080p manually when testing 120-Hz behavior, because Nintendo documents 120-Hz output at those resolutions. Use 4K when you want the television to receive its native-resolution signal and the game’s own mode remains stable at that output. Compare the same scene with the TV’s sharpening and motion interpolation disabled; those television processes can disguise the actual difference.
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Nintendo’s Switch 2 FAQ states: “VRR support varies by game and is available in handheld, tabletop, and TV modes.” That means the presence of a VRR toggle does not guarantee an effect in Guardians of the Galaxy. The game, console software, dock, television, and HDMI path all have to support the feature.
- Update Switch 2 system software and the dock, including the update associated with version 23.0.0 or later.
- On the television, enable its HDMI VRR, Adaptive Sync, or equivalent setting for the dock’s input. Some TVs expose this per input.
- Connect the dock directly to a VRR-capable HDMI input while testing. Temporarily bypass an AV receiver, capture device, or HDMI switch if VRR does not engage.
- Enable VRR in the Switch 2 TV-output controls, then launch the game.
- Use the TV’s signal-information panel to verify that VRR is active. If the panel reports a fixed refresh rate, the game may not support VRR or may only activate it in particular scenes.
VRR cannot convert a 30-fps mode into a 40- or 60-fps mode. Its purpose is to let the display follow supported frame-rate variation, reducing tearing or uneven pacing within the range the game and console provide. If VRR introduces flicker or brightness changes, disable it for this title and keep the stable fixed-refresh configuration.
HDR, 120 Hz, ALLM, and VRR: television requirements
Check the television’s manual for the specific HDMI port, resolution, and refresh-rate combinations it supports. A set may support HDR on every port but VRR only on selected inputs, or support 120 Hz at 1080p but not 1440p. Enable the TV’s game or low-latency mode without motion interpolation, noise reduction, or aggressive sharpening when evaluating the game’s own image.
- HDR: Requires both HDR-compatible software and an HDR-compatible display. The console option alone does not add HDR to an SDR game.
- 120 Hz: Requires a compatible display and software; Nintendo documents it at 1080p and 1440p.
- ALLM: Requires a television that accepts the automatic low-latency signal.
- VRR: Requires compatible software, television, current system software, and the required dock update.
If you use a soundbar or receiver, verify that it passes the resolution, HDR format, 120-Hz signal, ALLM, and VRR features you want. The simplest diagnostic is dock to TV directly; add other devices back one at a time after the direct connection works.
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Troubleshooting common problems
The screen is blank after changing resolution or refresh rate
Wait for the display to recover, then return TV Resolution to Automatic. If the image does not return, power off the television, reconnect the dock’s HDMI cable directly to a known-compatible input, and restart the console. Test 1080p before 1440p or 2160p. A stable automatic signal is preferable to a forced mode that the HDMI chain cannot maintain.
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The picture looks washed out or the blacks are crushed
Set RGB Range back to Automatic and ensure the TV’s black-level control is also automatic or matched. Check the same dark scene with HDR disabled and enabled. Do not compensate for a range mismatch by raising brightness; correct the range first.
HDR looks dim, gray, or over-bright
Confirm that the television switched to its HDR picture mode and repeat Adjust HDR while that mode is active. Set HDR Output to Compatible Software Only and verify that the game reports an HDR signal. If the title remains SDR, leave HDR forced off for it rather than applying a conversion you do not like.
VRR or 120 Hz does not appear
Confirm the TV input, HDMI cable path, system software, dock update, and the game’s support. Try a direct dock-to-TV connection at 1080p, then 1440p. If another compatible game activates the feature but Guardians of the Galaxy does not, the title may not implement it; Nintendo explicitly says VRR support varies by game.
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Performance mode feels uneven
Check whether the game is actually holding its reported target rather than relying on the label. Disable television motion smoothing, keep ALLM or game mode active, and test with VRR both on and off. If the mode still feels inconsistent, Quality may provide a steadier presentation even though its nominal frame rate is lower.
Presets for different setups
4K television without high-refresh support
Use Automatic resolution, HDR Compatible Software Only, RGB Automatic, and ALLM On. Select Quality if the final game offers the reported 1440p/30-fps option and you prefer detail; select Performance only if its motion improvement is more important than the television’s scaling.
120-Hz television with VRR
Update the console and dock, enable the TV’s game, 120-Hz, and VRR features, and begin with Automatic resolution. If the game exposes the reported Performance mode, test it at 1080p with VRR enabled. Compare it against Quality at 1440p with the same TV processing disabled.
Older 1080p television
Use Automatic or 1080p resolution, leave 120 Hz and VRR off unless the set explicitly supports them, and keep RGB Automatic. HDR should remain Compatible Software Only; if the display is not HDR-compatible, the game will stay in SDR.
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Portable or tabletop play
TV-output resolution, ALLM, and television-specific HDR behavior do not apply away from the dock. VRR support can exist in handheld and tabletop modes according to Nintendo, but it still varies by game. Use the game’s own Quality or Performance choice if it exposes one, then judge readability and motion on the built-in screen.
Final checklist before playing
- System software and dock firmware are current.
- TV Resolution is Automatic unless you have a tested reason to force 1080p or 1440p.
- RGB Range is Automatic and the TV black level matches.
- ALLM or the TV’s game mode is active.
- HDR is Compatible Software Only, with Adjust HDR completed in the TV’s HDR mode.
- 120 Hz is enabled only when the display and software support it.
- VRR is enabled only after confirming the TV, game, system software, dock, and HDMI path support it.
- You have tested the game’s actual Quality and Performance behavior rather than relying solely on a reported target.
The most defensible starting configuration is therefore Automatic resolution, Automatic RGB, ALLM enabled, Compatible Software Only HDR, and VRR enabled only on a fully compatible updated setup. Treat the Encore Edition’s reported 1440p/30 Quality and 1080p/40 Performance modes, as well as its planned November 5, 2026 release, as unconfirmed until an official Nintendo or publisher listing and the shipped software verify them.
Quick Recap
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