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It's astonishing, yet we're approaching the new Switch 2 console's six-month anniversary. When Metroid Prime 4: Beyond debuts on December 4, we'll be able to give the device a fairly thorough progress report due to its impressive roster of first-party early titles. Major titles like the new Donkey Kong game will dominate that analysis, but it's Nintendo's two most recent games, the Pokémon Legends installment and currently Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, that have enabled the new console conquer a key challenge in its opening six months: the hardware evaluation.

Confronting Performance Issues

Ahead of Nintendo publicly unveiled the Switch 2, the primary worry from users regarding the then-theoretical console was about power. When it comes to technology, the company fell behind Sony and Microsoft for several generations. That reality became apparent in the Switch's final years. The expectation was that a Switch 2 would deliver more stable framerates, smoother textures, and modern capabilities like 4K resolution. That's exactly what we got when the system was launched in June. At least that's what its specs indicated, at least. To accurately assess if the new console is an upgrade, we required examples of some key games running on it. We've finally gotten that during the past fortnight, and the assessment is favorable.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A serving as Initial Challenge

The system's initial big challenge came with the October release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The franchise had well-known technical problems on the initial console, with games like Scarlet and Violet debuting in very poor shape. The console itself wasn't exactly to blame for that; the actual engine running Game Freak's RPGs was outdated and getting stretched beyond its capabilities in the series' gradual open-world pivot. The new game would be more of a test for its creator than anything else, but there remained much to observe from the title's graphics and performance on Switch 2.

Despite the release's limited detail has initiated conversations about the studio's prowess, it's undeniable that this Pokémon game is not at all like the performance mess of its earlier title, Arceus. It performs at a consistent 60 fps on the upgraded system, but the Switch version maxes out at 30 fps. Some pop-in occurs, and you'll find plenty of blurry assets if you look closely, but you won't experience anything resembling the moment in Arceus where you begin airborne travel and see the entire ground below turn into a rough, low-poly terrain. That qualifies to give the system a satisfactory rating, though with reservations since the studio has independent issues that amplify restricted capabilities.

The New Zelda Game serving as a More Challenging Hardware Challenge

Currently available is a more compelling tech test, though, thanks to the new Hyrule Warriors, launched earlier this month. This Zelda derivative challenges the upgraded system because of its Musou formula, which has gamers battling a literal army of monsters at all times. The franchise's last installment, the previous Hyrule Warriors, had issues on the first Switch as the console couldn't keep up with its quick combat and sheer amount of activity. It often fell below the desired frame rate and created the sensation that you were pushing too hard when fighting intensely.

Fortunately is that it likewise clears the hardware challenge. Having tested the release thoroughly during the past month, completing all missions included. In that time, it's clear that it achieves a smoother performance compared to its predecessor, reaching its sixty frames goal with better regularity. It can still slip up in the fiercest fights, but I haven't experienced any moment where the game turns into a stuttering mess as the performance struggles. Part of that might be due to the situation where its short levels are careful not to put excessive numbers of foes on screen at once.

Important Compromises and Overall Evaluation

Remaining are compromises that you're probably expecting. Primarily, splitscreen co-op experiences a substantial reduction near thirty frames. It's also the premier exclusive release where it's apparent a major difference between my old OLED display and the new LCD display, with cutscenes especially having a washed out quality.

But for the most part, Age of Imprisonment is a dramatic improvement versus its previous installment, like Z-A is to Arceus. Should you require confirmation that the upgraded system is meeting its tech promises, despite some limitations still in tow, the two releases provide a clear example of how Nintendo's latest is substantially boosting series that struggled on previous systems.