🔗 Share this article

It's hard to believe, but we're nearly at the new Switch 2 console's half-year mark. When Metroid Prime 4: Beyond debuts on the fourth of December, we can provide the system a detailed assessment thanks to its strong lineup of first-party launch window games. Major titles like Donkey Kong Bananza will headline that review, however it's Nintendo's two most recent games, the Pokémon Legends installment and recently the Hyrule Warriors sequel, that have allowed the Switch 2 conquer a key challenge in its opening six months: the hardware evaluation.

Tackling Power Concerns

Prior to Nintendo formally revealed the new console, the main issue from users regarding the then-theoretical console was concerning hardware. When it comes to hardware, Nintendo has lagged behind Sony and Microsoft for several generations. That reality began to show in the end of the Switch era. The hope was that a Switch 2 would introduce more stable framerates, improved visuals, and modern capabilities like 4K. Those are the features included when the device was debuted this summer. That's what its hardware specifications promised, anyway. To really determine if the upgraded system is an enhancement, we'd need to see major titles performing on the hardware. We've finally gotten that in recent days, and the prognosis remains healthy.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A serving as Early Challenge

The console's first major test was last month's Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Pokémon games had well-known technical problems on the original Switch, with releases including Pokémon Scarlet and Violet releasing in downright disastrous states. The system wasn't solely responsible for that; the underlying technology running Game Freak's RPGs was outdated and strained beyond its capabilities in the transition to larger environments. This installment would be more of a test for its studio than anything else, but there remained much we'd be able to glean from the title's graphics and how it runs on the new system.

Although the title's restricted visual fidelity has initiated conversations about Game Freak's technical capabilities, it's clear that Legends: Z-A is far from the technical failure of its earlier title, Arceus. It performs at a smooth 60 frames on Switch 2, while the older hardware reaches only 30 fps. Objects still appear suddenly, and there are plenty of blurry assets if you zoom in, but you won't experience anything resembling the moment in Arceus where you begin airborne travel and watch the whole terrain beneath transform into a jagged, polygonal surface. It's enough to give the system a satisfactory rating, however with limitations given that the developer has its own problems that amplify basic technology.

The New Zelda Game as the Tougher Tech Test

There is now a tougher hardware challenge, however, due to Age of Imprisonment, launched earlier this month. The new Zelda spin-off challenges the upgraded system because of its action-oriented style, which has players facing off against a literal army of monsters continuously. The earlier title, the previous Hyrule Warriors, struggled on the original Switch as the console couldn't keep up with its quick combat and numerous on-screen elements. It frequently dropped below its target 30fps and gave the impression that you were overwhelming the system when being too aggressive.

Fortunately is that it likewise clears the tech test. Having tested the release thoroughly over the last few weeks, playing every single mission available. Throughout this testing, it's clear that it's been able to deliver a consistent frame rate relative to its predecessor, maintaining its sixty frames goal with better regularity. It can still slip up in the fiercest fights, but I haven't experienced any time when the game turns into a stuttering mess as the frame rate suffers. Part of that might be due to the situation where its bite-sized missions are structured to prevent excessive numbers of foes on screen at once.

Notable Compromises and General Verdict

Remaining are expected limitations. Especially, cooperative multiplayer sees performance taking a significant drop near thirty frames. Moreover the premier exclusive release where there's a clear a significant contrast between older OLED technology and the new LCD display, with cutscenes especially looking faded.

But for the most part, the new game is a night and day difference over its earlier title, just as the Pokémon game is to Pokémon Legends: Arceus. If you need confirmation that the Switch 2 is fulfilling its performance claims, although with certain reservations still in tow, both games show clearly of how the Switch 2 is significantly improving series that struggled on older technology.