What Rayman Legends: Retold Is and Why It Matters on Switch 2
Rayman Legends: Retold is a modern remake of Ubisoft’s acclaimed 2D platformer Rayman Legends, updating its artwork, technology, and structure while preserving the original’s responsive controls, flexible combat, and inventive level design that rapidly introduces and discards mechanics to keep stages feeling fresh. For Nintendo’s upcoming Switch 2, it is positioned as a flagship 4K 60fps platformer that shows off the new system’s hardware strengths without changing what made the 2013 game a standout in the genre. Ubisoft Montpellier and Ubisoft Milan are building Retold as more than a 1:1 remaster, mixing new dragon riding sequences, an extra realm, story twists, and expanded Kung Foot content with the core campaign. The result targets both fans who remember Rayman from earlier consoles and a younger audience that has never touched the original release.
Switch 2 Specs: 4K 60fps Platformer with DLSS and Ray Tracing
On Switch 2, Rayman Legends Retold is being tuned to act as a technical showpiece. Ubisoft told VGC that the team has been working on this version for about a year and that the amount of detail is “approximately the same” as on PlayStation 5, even when four players share the screen. That means a locked 60 frames per second target in both solo and local multiplayer, with 1080p output in handheld mode and 4K when docked through DLSS upscaling. The remake also uses ray tracing graphics, something rarely associated with side-scrolling platformers, to enhance reflections and lighting across its cartoon worlds. Ubisoft further stated that the Switch 2 release is “on par with the Xbox Series S [version in terms of] quality,” suggesting Nintendo’s hybrid will not be treated as a cut-down port this time.
Ray Tracing Graphics and the New 3D-Like Art Style
The original Rayman Legends built its identity on richly illustrated, hand-drawn 2D art that still looks sharp today, which led some players to question why a remake is needed. Retold answers with a new 3D-like aesthetic that pushes Switch 2 specs harder, pairing higher resolution assets with modern lighting and ray tracing graphics to give environments more depth and subtle detail. Portals now replace the old painting frames used as level entrances, better fitting the updated style even if they lose a bit of the storybook framing. Some long-time fans may prefer the more painterly look of 2013, but for newcomers raised on cleaner, sharper visuals, Retold’s environments should feel more familiar while still colorful and expressive. Crucially, the shift in art direction aims to modernize presentation without altering physics, timing, or enemy layouts that underpin the game’s platforming flow.
Preserving Legendary Level Design While Adding New Content
Underneath the new lighting and 4K polish, Rayman Legends Retold keeps the layout and pacing that earned the original its reputation. Players still move through a wide range of inventive stages that introduce ideas, teach them with smart visual cues, then toss them aside before they wear out their welcome. The remake keeps the same tight jumps, glides, wall-runs, and bounces fans remember, while also expanding the package with a brand-new realm, fresh story twists, the return of Kung Foot, and a broader soundtrack. New dragon riding sequences sit between worlds, playing like on-rails shooter interludes that add variety rather than replace core platforming. This balance lets the game act as both a definitive version for veterans and a complete starting point for new players, showing how a classic can evolve without losing the design philosophy that inspired many later platformers.
Why Switch 2 Is a Natural Home for Rayman Legends: Retold
Rayman has often felt like a mascot standing outside the spotlight, especially in an era dominated by other platforming icons, but Rayman Legends Retold is set up to change that on Switch 2. The hybrid system’s focus on local play suits a 4-player 4K 60fps platformer where performance remains stable in every mode. Matching detail levels with PS5 and Xbox Series S while maintaining speed suggests Ubisoft is using Switch 2’s hardware headroom carefully rather than chasing effects that hurt responsiveness. At the same time, the remake’s updated visuals, ray tracing, and portal-based hub are tailored to players who might never look twice at a 2013 release. If it succeeds, Retold could both reestablish Rayman as a reference point alongside Nintendo’s own platformers and signal that future remakes on Switch 2 can respect classic design while embracing modern technology.
