🔗 Share this article

It's astonishing, yet we're approaching the new Switch 2 console's six-month milestone. By the time the upcoming Metroid Prime 4 releases on Dec. 4, we can provide the system a comprehensive evaluation based on its solid selection of first-party early titles. Blockbuster games like Donkey Kong Bananza will dominate that check-in, but it's Nintendo's two most recent games, Pokémon Legends: Z-A and recently Age of Imprisonment, that have helped the new console conquer a key challenge in its opening six months: the tech exam.

Tackling Power Issues

Prior to Nintendo publicly unveiled the Switch 2, the biggest concern from players around the then-theoretical console was regarding performance. Regarding components, the company fell behind competing consoles for several generations. That reality began to show in the original Switch's later life. The desire was that a Switch 2 would deliver consistent frame rates, smoother textures, and industry-standard features like 4K resolution. That's precisely what arrived when the system was launched in June. At least that's what its specs indicated, anyway. To truly know if the new console is an improvement, it was necessary to observe major titles performing on the hardware. That has now happened in recent days, and the prognosis remains healthy.

Legends: Z-A as an Initial Examination

The console's first major test was October's Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The franchise had some infamous tech struggles on the original Switch, with titles such as the Scarlet and Violet games releasing in highly problematic conditions. The console itself didn't bear all the responsibility for that; the actual engine running Game Freak's RPGs was old and strained beyond its capabilities in the transition to larger environments. The new game would be more of a test for its studio than anything, but we could still learn to observe from the game's visual clarity and its operation on the upgraded hardware.

Although the title's basic graphics has initiated conversations about the developer's skills, it's clear that this Pokémon game is nowhere near the tech disaster of its preceding game, Arceus. It runs at a consistent 60 fps on Switch 2, but the original console reaches only 30 fps. Pop-in is still present, and you may notice plenty of blurry assets if you examine carefully, but you won't encounter anything like the moment in Arceus where you begin airborne travel and see the entire ground below become a jagged, polygonal surface. That qualifies to grant the new console some passing marks, though with reservations considering that the studio has its own problems that exacerbate basic technology.

Age of Imprisonment as the More Challenging Hardware Challenge

Currently available is a tougher hardware challenge, yet, due to Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, out Nov. 6. The new Zelda spin-off challenges the upgraded system because of its hack-and-slash gameplay, which has users confronting a literal army of monsters at all times. The series' previous game, the previous Hyrule Warriors, had issues on the initial console as the hardware struggled with its fast-paced action and density of things happening. It frequently dropped under the intended 30 frames and created the sensation that you were breaking the game when fighting intensely.

Fortunately is that it too succeeds the hardware challenge. After playing the release thoroughly in recent weeks, completing all missions it has to offer. During that period, I've found that it achieves a smoother performance versus its predecessor, maintaining its sixty frames goal with more consistency. It can still slip up in the fiercest fights, but I haven't experienced any moment where the game turns into a slideshow as the performance struggles. Part of that may result from the fact that its compact stages are designed to avoid excessive numbers of foes on the battlefield concurrently.

Significant Limitations and Overall Assessment

Remaining are compromises that you're probably expecting. Most notably, splitscreen co-op experiences a substantial reduction closer to the 30 fps range. Additionally the first Switch 2 first-party game where I've really noticed a significant contrast between older OLED technology and the new LCD display, with notably in story sequences having a washed out quality.

But for the most part, the new game is a dramatic improvement compared to its previous installment, like Pokémon Legends: Z-A is to Arceus. For those seeking any sign that the Switch 2 is fulfilling its tech promises, despite some limitations present, the two releases provide a clear example of how the Switch 2 is significantly improving franchises that had issues on older technology.