Skip to main content

‘Doom’ Nintendo Switch update finally adds motion controls

DOOM Launch Trailer - Nintendo Switch

The Nintendo Switch version of Doom is a pretty remarkable achievement, with the campaign and multiplayer fully playable in the palm of your hands. The game originally didn’t ship with the option to aim with motion controls, however, and a new update has answered fans’ requests.

Recommended Videos

“With today’s update, we’ve added motion aiming to Doom, a much-requested control option that allows you to utilize the built-in gyroscope of the Joy-Con for more precise aiming,” said Bethesda community manager Jason Leavey in an update post.

In a similar manager to other shooters on the Nintendo Switch, as well as the PlayStation Vita, players will be able to use the motion controls in conjunction with traditional analog sticks. This should help to compensate for the smaller sticks included on the Joy-Con. There’s even an option to use inverted motion controls, if you’re a monster.

Additionally, a new party system should make it easier to find multiplayer matches through the Switch’s somewhat barbaric system, and a number of technical fixes are in the update. These include a fix for an audio bug that caused nearly all sound to completely cut out until the player restarted a previous checkpoint, as well as a crash caused by the BFG weapon, texture issues in multiplayer, and unresponsive controls in the main menu. The average resolution has also been bumped in certain areas of the game — when playing with the system docked, it’s noticeably blurrier than the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC versions.

Doom released late last year for Nintendo Switch, along with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, but Bethesda isn’t done bringing its games to the platform. This year, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus will be coming to Switch, and it’s being ported by Panic Button, the same studio behind the Doom port. In an interview late last year, MachineGames narrative designer Tommy Tordsson Bjork claimed it would be “as good” as Panic Button’s work on Doom, and we’re certainly up for bashing some Nazi skulls again.

Doom is available now for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. The Switch version doesn’t include the SnapMap editor, but it does feature all DLC from the other versions of the game.

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
Nintendo Switch 2 preorders begin next week, but accessories will cost more
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom runs on a Switch 2 screen.

If you've been itching to place your preorder for the Nintendo Switch 2, great news: the wait is over,and you can place your preorder on April 24. Despite concerns over tariffs, the price remains unchanged. The Nintendo Switch 2 will retail for $450 for just the console or $500 for the Mario Kart World bundle; however, accessory prices have been adjusted "due to changes in market conditions." Nintendo states that "other adjustments to the price of any Nintendo product are possible in the future."

In its announcement, Nintendo writes, "We apologize for the retail pre-order delay, and hope this reduces some of the uncertainty our customers may be experiencing. We thank our customers for their patience, and we share their excitement to experience Nintendo Switch 2 starting June 5, 2025."

Read more
These are the Nintendo Switch 2 sequels I really want to see
An angry Wiggler ambushes the heroes from behind in Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope.

In the torturously long wait for the Nintendo Switch 2 to arrive, I've been reflecting on its predecessor's deep game library. The Switch has one of the best game collections of any console, if not the best. That's largely thanks to a bevy of high-quality exclusives from Nintendo's biggest franchises. Naturally, I want to see new Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing games on Switch 2, but I've also been considering what smaller games could fit right at home on a console that introduces an entirely new control scheme.

As I put together a true dream list of games that could work with Switch 2's new features, I started to realize that it wasn't the big games I was most excited for. Instead, I started dreaming up sequels to some of the Switch's most niche releases. Those are the games that feel like they could take advantage of mouse controls or camera support the most. I say all that to prepare you for this list of Switch games that I'd like to see get a Switch 2 sequel, because it might confuse you at first glance. It's not that I don't want to see Super Mario Odyssey 2 or any heavy hitters of that nature; I just see a lot of opportunities for Nintendo's B-games to reach their fullest potential here.

Read more
Nintendo’s upcoming Zelda Notes have an overlooked perk: item durability repair
Link fights a Zonai in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 Edition.

The Nintendo Switch 2 editions of both Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will work with a new app called Zelda Notes, and the app has been extensively discussed. It introduces tons of new features like navigation help, auto-build sharing, and much more, but you can also use it to repair your weapons in-game.

Nintendo wasn't clear on this feature, and even on its features page for Zelda Notes, it simply says "Test your luck once per day in Zelda Notes. Get hearts, meals, or other effects based on the result." Popular Zelda YouTuber Zeltik uploaded a video that highlights some of the features, showing the potential bonuses a player can earn through the Daily Bonus effect. One of those is "Equipment Repairs."

Read more