🔗 Share this article

It's astonishing, however we're approaching the Nintendo Switch 2's six-month milestone. When Metroid Prime 4: Beyond debuts on the fourth of December, we'll be able to give the device a fairly thorough assessment based on its strong lineup of Nintendo-developed early titles. Heavy hitters like the new Donkey Kong game will headline that check-in, but it's two newest Nintendo titles, Pokémon Legends: Z-A and now the Hyrule Warriors sequel, that have helped the new console pass a critical examination in its opening six months: the performance test.

Addressing Performance Issues

Before Nintendo formally revealed the new console, the biggest concern from gamers regarding the hypothetical device was concerning hardware. Regarding hardware, the company fell behind PlayStation and Xbox in recent cycles. This situation became apparent in the end of the Switch era. The desire was that a successor would bring consistent frame rates, better graphics, and modern capabilities like 4K. That's exactly what we got when the console was released in June. Or that's what its hardware specifications promised, anyway. To accurately assess if the Switch 2 is an enhancement, we'd need to see important releases performing on the hardware. That has now happened in recent days, and the prognosis remains healthy.

Legends: Z-A as an Early Challenge

The console's first major test was the October release of the new Pokémon game. The Pokémon series had some infamous tech struggles on the original Switch, with releases including Pokémon Scarlet and Violet debuting in highly problematic conditions. The system wasn't exactly to blame for those problems; the game engine running the Pokémon titles was outdated and getting stretched much further than it could go in the series' gradual open-world pivot. This installment would be a bigger examination for its creator than any other factor, but there was still a lot to analyze from the game's visual clarity and how it runs on the new system.

While the game's limited detail has sparked discussions about the developer's skills, it's clear that this Pokémon game is nowhere near the technical failure of its preceding game, Arceus. It runs at a consistent 60 fps on the upgraded system, whereas the original console maxes out at 30 frames per second. Objects still appear suddenly, and you'll find many low-resolution elements if you zoom in, but you won't experience anything like the moment in Arceus where you first take to the skies and see the whole terrain beneath transform into a jagged, polygonal surface. This is sufficient to earn the Switch 2 a satisfactory rating, but with caveats considering that the studio has separate challenges that amplify basic technology.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment as a More Challenging Performance Examination

Currently available is a tougher hardware challenge, yet, due to Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, out Nov. 6. The latest Musou title tests the new console due to its hack-and-slash gameplay, which has players facing off against a literal army of monsters at all times. The franchise's last installment, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, struggled on the first Switch as the system couldn't handle with its rapid gameplay and sheer amount of activity. It regularly decreased below its target 30fps and created the sensation that you were pushing too hard when fighting intensely.

Fortunately is that it also passes the hardware challenge. I've been putting the game through its paces during the past month, experiencing every level included. Throughout this testing, the results show that it manages to provide a consistent frame rate compared to its predecessor, actually hitting its 60 fps mark with more consistency. It can still slip up in the most heated of battles, but There were no instances of any moment where I'm suddenly watching a stuttering mess as the frame rate suffers. Some of this could be because of the situation where its bite-sized missions are careful not to put excessive numbers of foes on the display simultaneously.

Important Compromises and General Assessment

There are still foreseeable trade-offs. Primarily, cooperative multiplayer has a noticeable decrease around 30 frames. It's also the first Switch 2 first-party game where I've really noticed a significant contrast between older OLED technology and the updated LCD screen, with cutscenes especially appearing less vibrant.

But for the most part, this release is a dramatic improvement versus its earlier title, like Pokémon Legends: Z-A is to Pokémon Legends: Arceus. If you need evidence that the new console is delivering on its hardware potential, although with certain reservations remaining, these titles demonstrate effectively of how the Switch 2 is substantially boosting franchises that had issues on previous systems.