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It's astonishing, however we're nearly at the Nintendo Switch 2's six-month milestone. Once Metroid Prime 4: Beyond launches on the fourth of December, we can provide the device a fairly thorough assessment due to its solid selection of exclusive launch window games. Heavy hitters like the new Donkey Kong game will dominate that review, but it's Nintendo's two most recent games, Pokémon Legends: Z-A and currently the Hyrule Warriors sequel, that have helped the new console pass a critical examination in its first six months: the performance test.

Addressing Power Issues

Before Nintendo formally revealed the Switch 2, the main issue from users about the then-theoretical console was about power. When it comes to hardware, the company fell behind PlayStation and Xbox for several generations. That fact became apparent in the end of the Switch era. The hope was that a new model would deliver smoother performance, better graphics, and standard options like 4K. Those are the features included when the console was debuted this summer. At least that's what its technical details suggested, at least. To really determine if the upgraded system is an upgrade, we'd need to see important releases running on it. We now have that evidence in recent days, and the assessment is favorable.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A serving as Initial Examination

The console's first major test came with the October release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The Pokémon series had notable performance issues on the original Switch, with titles such as the Scarlet and Violet games releasing in very poor shape. Nintendo's hardware wasn't solely responsible for those issues; the underlying technology driving the Pokémon titles was old and being pushed past its limits in the franchise's move to open-world. This installment would be a bigger examination for its developer than anything else, but we could still learn to analyze from the title's graphics and its operation on the upgraded hardware.

Although the title's limited detail has sparked discussions about the developer's skills, it's clear that this Pokémon game is nowhere near the technical failure of its predecessor, the previous Legends game. It runs at a smooth 60 frames on the upgraded system, whereas the older hardware maxes out at 30 fps. Some pop-in occurs, and there are plenty of blurry assets if you look closely, but you won't experience anything similar to the instance in the previous game where you first take to the skies and observe the whole terrain beneath become a uneven, basic graphics. It's enough to grant the new console some passing marks, but with caveats considering that the developer has separate challenges that worsen restricted capabilities.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment as the More Challenging Tech Test

Currently available is a more compelling tech test, however, thanks to the new Hyrule Warriors, launched earlier this month. The latest Musou title challenges the upgraded system due to its Musou formula, which has players facing off against a literal army of monsters constantly. The franchise's last installment, the previous Hyrule Warriors, performed poorly on the original Switch as the hardware struggled with its fast-paced action and density of things happening. It frequently dropped below its target 30fps and created the sensation that you were pushing too hard when being too aggressive.

The good news is that it also passes the tech test. I've been putting the title extensively over the last few weeks, playing every single mission included. Throughout this testing, I've found that it's been able to deliver a more stable framerate compared to its previous game, maintaining its 60 fps mark with greater stability. It sometimes drops in the fiercest fights, but I haven't experienced any time when it becomes a stuttering mess as the frame rate suffers. 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.

Important Trade-offs and Overall Evaluation

There are still compromises that you're probably expecting. Primarily, cooperative multiplayer sees performance taking a substantial reduction closer to the 30 fps range. Moreover the premier exclusive release where I've really noticed a significant contrast between older OLED technology and the new LCD display, with particularly during cinematics looking faded.

But for the most part, Age of Imprisonment is a complete change compared to its predecessor, just as the Pokémon game is to Arceus. Should you require confirmation that the upgraded system is meeting its performance claims, despite some limitations still in tow, these titles provide a clear example of the way the new console is markedly enhancing series that struggled on older technology.