PGA Tour 2K25 Switch 2 Review

For years, golf fans on Nintendo platforms have had to settle for arcade-style experiences or ports of other titles. With the arrival of more powerful hardware in the Nintendo Switch 2, sports and golf aficionados can now expect an experience that’s up to par with more modern consoles.

Take, for example, the PGA Tour series of games, which has long been heralded as the best the genre has to offer, as with its other sports titles, such as the WWE 2K and NBA 2K series. Launched just earlier this month, PGA Tour 2K25 follows in the footsteps of its siblings that launched a year earlier, and while it is a port that does take advantage of the latest Nintendo hybrid console, it has some bogeys that hold it back from winning the cup.

Fairways

Immediately noticeable with PGA Tour 2K25 is the improvement in visuals. With its 2K23 installment being the last one, the team definitely had time to improve many things, and the visuals definitely stand out. Character models and animations look accurate, and the courses look lively; even in handheld mode, the game feels like a definite step up from its predecessors.

This isn’t the only part of the game that saw improvements, and it would be quite fair to say that gameplay sees a massive uptick with its new EvoSwing mechanic for both the Swing Stick and 3-Click Swing inputs. Unlike previous iterations that focused heavily on raw tempo, EvoSwing breaks the shot down into four distinct pillars: Contact, Rhythm, Transition, and Swing Path.

Swing Stick basically requires players to simply pull down and push up on the stick, which could be tricky because it determines where you’ll aim your shot. 3-Click Swing has a bit more nuance, with players pressing and holding buttons for more accurate control of the ball. Both are certainly valid ways to play, and it’s nice to see that both newcomers and veterans can play to their liking.

One thing about this system is that you’ll immediately see where you botched or made good on your shot, letting you know how to approach it better on the next swing. The system rewards players who will take the time to learn the ins and outs, no longer relying on luck but more on practice. Players will pull downward for contact and a upwards for the swing path, which definitely has a learning curve.

Going Pro

Similar to other titles in the 2K stable, PGA Tour 2K25 emphasizes its MyCareer mode, giving players a way to take their own character to glory. The expanded MyCAREER mode lets you begin at Q-School or the Korn Ferry Tour before working your way up to the FedEx Cup, with the addition of major championships like The PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and The Open bringing a sense of prestige that was missing in previous years.

In case you have no time to go the full 9 yards, or 18 holes in this case, there’s always the option to utilize Dynamic Round, which is basically a way to allow players to choose the most important holes to actually play while the game simulates the rest based on your attributes.

In other areas, PGA Tour 2K25 also keeps the robust Course Designer fully intact, complete with new Pot Bunker tools, giving players the freedom to build their own courses or download thousands of community-created gems from other platforms.

Fore!

Being the slightly underpowered platform, the Switch 2 version of PGA Tour 2K25 targets 30fps in both handheld and docked modes. While a 60fps option is certainly welcome, for a slow-paced game such as golf, 30fps should be more than enough.

As mentioned earlier, visuals are pretty impressive, but you can definitely expect some concessions here and there, especially in texture and lighting, with some noticeable pop-ins. Additionally, microtransactions abound, as is tradition at this point, but they’re not as aggressive here in PGA Tour 2K25 and are mostly used for cosmetics, not affecting anything gameplay-related.

The biggest offender in PGA Tour 2K25 is that it runs counter to what the Switch 2 shines at: portability. It is understandable that when playing docked, an internet connection is almost always available, but in handheld mode, staying connected could be challenging. Quick play is available offline, but many features and progression gains will be gimped.

Verdict: Wait for it…

PGA Tour 2K25 on the Nintendo Switch 2 is a welcome return, delivering an installment that looks and performs well on the latest hardware. The EvoSwing system is the star of the show, providing a level of depth and satisfaction that makes every swing feel earned.

However, the experience isn’t without its rough patches. The Switch 2 is a portable system after all, so there are concessions that compromise the experience, along with the always-on requirement for MyCAREER progression, something extremely counter-productive to the portability of this hybrid console.

If you can overlook these faults, then PGA Tour 2K25 on the Switch 2 does come out swinging, offering a package that makes it one of the top sports titles for the system.

*PGA Tour 2K25 was reviewed on a Switch 2 with a review code provided by the publisher.