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It's astonishing, but we're already closing in on the Nintendo Switch 2's six-month milestone. When Metroid Prime 4: Beyond debuts on December 4, we can provide the device a detailed evaluation based on its strong lineup of exclusive initial releases. Major titles like Donkey Kong Bananza will lead that review, however it's Nintendo's two most recent games, Pokémon Legends: Z-A and currently the Hyrule Warriors sequel, that have allowed the Switch 2 overcome a crucial test in its opening six months: the performance test.

Addressing Hardware Worries

Before Nintendo publicly unveiled the Switch 2, the main issue from gamers regarding the then-theoretical console was regarding performance. Regarding components, the company fell behind Sony and Microsoft for several generations. This situation became apparent in the original Switch's later life. The desire was that a successor would deliver smoother performance, improved visuals, and modern capabilities like 4K resolution. That's precisely what arrived when the console was debuted this summer. That's what its technical details suggested, at least. To accurately assess if the Switch 2 is an improvement, it was necessary to observe important releases running on it. We've finally gotten that during the past fortnight, and the outlook is positive.

Legends: Z-A as the Early Examination

The system's initial big challenge came with the October release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Pokémon games had notable performance issues on the initial console, with releases including Pokémon Scarlet and Violet releasing in highly problematic conditions. The system wasn't exactly to blame for those issues; the actual engine powering the developer's games was old and being pushed past its limits in the series' gradual open-world pivot. Legends: Z-A would be a bigger examination for its creator than anything else, but we could still learn to observe from the title's graphics and performance on Switch 2.

Despite the release's restricted visual fidelity has sparked discussions about the developer's skills, there's no denying that this Pokémon game is nowhere near the tech disaster of its predecessor, Pokémon Legends: Arceus. It runs at a stable 60 frames per second on the new console, while the Switch version maxes out at 30 frames per second. Pop-in is still present, and there are various fuzzy textures if you zoom in, but you won't encounter anything resembling the moment in Arceus where you begin airborne travel and see the whole terrain beneath turn into a jagged, polygonal surface. It's enough to earn the Switch 2 a satisfactory rating, however with limitations since the studio has its own problems that amplify restricted capabilities.

The New Zelda Game as a More Challenging Performance Examination

There is now a more demanding performance examination, though, due to Age of Imprisonment, released November 6. The latest Musou title pushes the Switch 2 due to its hack-and-slash gameplay, which has gamers battling a massive horde of creatures at all times. The earlier title, the previous Hyrule Warriors, performed poorly on the original Switch as the console couldn't keep up with its quick combat and numerous on-screen elements. It often fell below its target 30fps and created the sensation that you were overwhelming the system when fighting intensely.

The good news is that it also passes the performance examination. I've been putting the release thoroughly in recent weeks, completing all missions it has to offer. In that time, it's clear that it manages to provide a consistent frame rate compared to its predecessor, actually hitting its 60 fps mark with better regularity. It can still slip up in the most intense combat, but I've yet to hit any situation where it becomes a stuttering mess as the frame rate suffers. A portion of this may result from the fact that its short levels are careful not to put too many enemies on the battlefield concurrently.

Notable Limitations and Final Assessment

Present are expected limitations. Most notably, shared-screen play sees performance taking a noticeable decrease closer to the 30 fps range. It's also the first Switch 2 first-party game where it's apparent a major difference between previous OLED screens and the updated LCD screen, with notably in story sequences looking faded.

However generally, the new game is a complete change over its predecessor, just as Pokémon Legends: Z-A is to Arceus. If you need evidence that the new console is delivering on its performance claims, despite some limitations present, the two releases show clearly of how the Switch 2 is markedly enhancing titles that performed poorly on previous systems.