If you were holding out hope that Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 would eventually land on Nintendo Switch, you might want to temper those expectations. While Activision just quietly dropped both classic shooter games on PS4 and PS5, rumours circulating suggest that a Switch version was never part of the plan.
That's a tough pill for Switch fans. Both games have a devoted following, and the portability angle of a Switch version would have been an obvious selling point. But if the current rumour holds, that version simply isn't happening.
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What just launched, and what Switch owners are missing
Activision released both Call of Duty: Black Ops (originally a 2010 release) and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (2012) on PlayStation platforms this week. For years, Xbox players had access to both titles through backwards compatibility on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, with full online support intact. PS4 and PS5 owners finally got their version, though the reception has been rough.
The ports launched at $40 each, with a temporary PS Plus discount bringing them to $20 until August 6. DLC season passes are currently $10 each but jump to $30 when the discount expires, putting the full package for both games at over $140 at standard pricing. For 12-plus-year-old games with no graphical overhaul, no 120FPS support, no FOV slider, and no bundled DLC, that pricing has not gone over well.
Switch owners, meanwhile, aren't even in the conversation.
Why no Switch version is a bigger deal than it sounds
Here's the thing: the Switch 2 is out and Nintendo's platform is in a stronger position than ever for third-party support. A portable version of two of the most beloved entries in the entire Call of Duty franchise would have found an audience. Black Ops and Black Ops 2 are regularly cited as fan favourites, with Black Ops 2 in particular maintaining a vocal community that has pushed for years to get the game on modern hardware.
Activision bringing both games to PlayStation was already a win in that regard. Stopping there, with no Switch port planned, feels like leaving an obvious opportunity on the table.
The pricing backlash adds context to the Switch silence
The reaction to the PS5 ports has been largely negative, with player frustration centred on the premium price point for what amounts to a bare-bones release. No new content, no significant visual upgrades, no crossplay, and DLC sold separately at prices that feel lifted straight from 2012. Reddit threads discussing the ports are full of players calling out the pricing as tone-deaf.
That context matters for the Switch situation. If Activision was going to do a Switch port, the expectation would be the same stripped-down treatment at a similarly steep price. Given how the PS5 launch has landed, maybe the absence of a Switch version is less surprising than it first appears.
For players who want to get into the broader Call of Duty universe right now, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is the current entry in the series and represents the most accessible starting point on modern platforms.
What this means for the classic Black Ops revival
Activision clearly sees value in bringing older Black Ops titles back into the spotlight. The PS5 ports, despite the backlash, do signal that the publisher is paying attention to the demand for classic entries. Whether that interest extends to Switch at some point down the line remains an open question.
For now, Switch players are watching from the sidelines while PS5 and Xbox players debate whether $40 for a 14-year-old shooter with no extras is a fair ask. If you want to stay across every development as this story moves forward, the Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 guides hub is worth bookmarking for the latest across the franchise.
