🔗 Share this article

It's surprising, yet we're already closing in on the Nintendo Switch 2's half-year mark. Once the upcoming Metroid Prime 4 releases on December 4, we'll be able to give the device a comprehensive progress report thanks to its impressive roster of first-party initial releases. Blockbuster games like Donkey Kong Bananza will dominate that analysis, however it's two newest Nintendo titles, the Pokémon Legends installment and currently Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, that have helped the Switch 2 conquer a critical examination in its initial half-year: the hardware evaluation.

Addressing Performance Issues

Ahead of Nintendo officially announced the Switch 2, the primary worry from gamers about the rumored system was regarding performance. When it comes to hardware, the company fell behind PlayStation and Xbox in recent cycles. That fact became apparent in the Switch's final years. The hope was that a successor would deliver consistent frame rates, smoother textures, and standard options like ultra-high definition. That's precisely what arrived when the system was debuted this summer. Or that's what its specs indicated, for the most part. To accurately assess if the Switch 2 is an upgrade, we required examples of important releases running on it. We now have that evidence during the past fortnight, and the prognosis remains healthy.

The Pokémon Title as the First Examination

The system's initial big challenge came with last month's Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The franchise had some infamous tech struggles on the first Switch, with games like Scarlet and Violet debuting in very poor shape. Nintendo's hardware wasn't solely responsible for that; the actual engine powering the Pokémon titles was outdated and being pushed beyond its capabilities in the transition to larger environments. Legends: Z-A would be more challenging for its creator than anything, but there remained much to observe from the visual presentation and its operation on the upgraded hardware.

Although the title's basic graphics has sparked discussions about the developer's skills, it's undeniable that Legends: Z-A is not at all like the tech disaster of its preceding game, the previous Legends game. It performs at a smooth 60 frames on the upgraded system, while the Switch version maxes out at 30 frames per second. Some pop-in occurs, and there are many low-resolution elements if you look closely, but you won't experience anything similar to the instance in the previous game where you first take to the skies and see the entire ground below turn into a uneven, basic graphics. That qualifies to give the system a decent grade, but with caveats considering that Game Freak has separate challenges that exacerbate limited hardware.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment as the More Challenging Tech Test

Currently available is a more demanding performance examination, though, because of Age of Imprisonment, released November 6. This Zelda derivative tests the new console because of its action-oriented style, which has users confronting a huge number of enemies at all times. The franchise's last installment, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, had issues on the initial console as the console couldn't keep up with its quick combat and numerous on-screen elements. It frequently dropped below the desired frame rate and gave the impression that you were pushing too hard when being too aggressive.

The good news is that it also passes the hardware challenge. Having tested the title extensively during the past month, playing every single mission it has to offer. During that period, the results show that it achieves a more stable framerate compared to its previous game, actually hitting its 60 fps mark with better regularity. It sometimes drops in the most intense combat, but I've yet to hit any time when I'm suddenly watching a stuttering mess as the performance struggles. A portion of this might be due to the reality that its compact stages are careful not to put too many enemies on screen at once.

Significant Trade-offs and General Evaluation

There are still foreseeable trade-offs. Primarily, cooperative multiplayer experiences a significant drop around 30 frames. Moreover the initial Nintendo-developed title where I've really noticed a major difference between older OLED technology and the current LCD panel, with particularly during cinematics looking faded.

However generally, Age of Imprisonment is a dramatic improvement compared to its earlier title, like Pokémon Legends: Z-A is to the earlier Pokémon title. If you need confirmation that the upgraded system is meeting its hardware potential, despite some limitations remaining, the two releases provide a clear example of how Nintendo's latest is substantially boosting series that struggled on old hardware.