🔗 Share this article

It's astonishing, yet we're approaching the new Switch 2 console's half-year mark. By the time the upcoming Metroid Prime 4 debuts on Dec. 4, we can provide the device a fairly thorough assessment thanks to its solid selection of exclusive early titles. Blockbuster games like Donkey Kong Bananza will lead that analysis, yet it's the company's latest releases, Pokémon Legends: Z-A and now the Hyrule Warriors sequel, that have allowed the Switch 2 conquer a critical examination in its initial half-year: the hardware evaluation.

Tackling Power Concerns

Ahead of Nintendo publicly unveiled the new console, the primary worry from users about the then-theoretical console was about power. In terms of hardware, Nintendo has lagged behind competing consoles over the last few console generations. That reality was evident in the end of the Switch era. The hope was that a Switch 2 would deliver smoother performance, smoother textures, and industry-standard features like ultra-high definition. Those are the features included when the system was debuted this summer. Or that's what its specs indicated, for the most part. To truly know if the upgraded system is an upgrade, it was necessary to observe important releases performing on the hardware. That has now happened over the last two weeks, and the outlook is positive.

The Pokémon Title as an Early Challenge

The first significant examination was October's Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Pokémon games had some infamous tech struggles on the first Switch, with releases including Pokémon Scarlet and Violet releasing in highly problematic conditions. The system wasn't exactly to blame for those problems; the actual engine powering the Pokémon titles was aged and getting stretched beyond its capabilities in the series' gradual open-world pivot. This installment would be more challenging for its developer than anything, but we could still learn to observe from the game's visual clarity and how it runs on the new system.

Despite the release's basic graphics has sparked discussions about Game Freak's technical capabilities, there's no denying that this Pokémon game is not at all like the tech disaster of its earlier title, Pokémon Legends: Arceus. It operates at a smooth 60 frames on Switch 2, but the original console reaches only 30 frames per second. Objects still appear suddenly, and there are plenty of blurry assets if you examine carefully, but you won't hit anything like the moment in Arceus where you begin airborne travel and observe the complete landscape turn into a uneven, basic graphics. It's enough to earn the Switch 2 some passing marks, though with reservations given that the studio has independent issues that worsen basic technology.

Age of Imprisonment as a More Challenging Performance Examination

We now have a more demanding performance examination, however, due to Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, out Nov. 6. The new Zelda spin-off challenges the upgraded system thanks to its hack-and-slash gameplay, which has gamers battling a massive horde of creatures at all times. The series' previous game, Age of Calamity, had issues on the initial console as the system couldn't handle with its quick combat and density of things happening. It often fell below the desired frame rate and produced the feeling that you were pushing too hard when being too aggressive.

Fortunately is that it also passes the performance examination. I've been putting the game through its paces during the past month, completing all missions it has to offer. During that period, I've found that it's been able to deliver a more stable framerate versus its earlier title, actually hitting its 60 fps mark with more consistency. It sometimes drops in the most intense combat, but I haven't experienced any situation where I'm suddenly watching a slideshow as the framerate chugs. A portion of this might be due to the situation where its short levels are structured to prevent too many enemies on screen at once.

Notable Compromises and Overall Evaluation

Remaining are compromises that you're probably expecting. Most notably, splitscreen co-op has a significant drop near thirty frames. It's also the initial Nintendo-developed title where there's a clear a major difference between older OLED technology and the current LCD panel, with cutscenes especially looking faded.

Overall though, the new game is a dramatic improvement compared to its predecessor, like Pokémon Legends: Z-A is to the earlier Pokémon title. If you need any sign that the new console is fulfilling its performance claims, although with certain reservations remaining, both games provide a clear example of how the Switch 2 is significantly improving franchises that had issues on previous systems.