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It's astonishing, however we're approaching the Nintendo Switch 2's six-month milestone. By the time the upcoming Metroid Prime 4 debuts on December 4, it will be possible to deliver the console a comprehensive assessment due to its impressive roster of first-party initial releases. Heavy hitters like the new Donkey Kong game will dominate that analysis, 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 crucial test in its opening six months: the performance test.

Tackling Hardware Worries

Ahead of Nintendo publicly unveiled the Switch 2, the primary worry from gamers about the rumored system was about power. In terms of components, Nintendo has lagged behind Sony and Microsoft over the last few console generations. That fact became apparent in the Switch's final years. The desire was that a new model would bring consistent frame rates, smoother textures, and standard options like ultra-high definition. That's exactly what we got when the console was launched in June. That's what its technical details suggested, at least. To really determine if the new console is an improvement, we required examples of major titles running on it. We now have that evidence in recent days, and the prognosis remains healthy.

The Pokémon Title serving as First Examination

The first significant examination came with the October release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The Pokémon series had notable performance issues on the initial console, with games like Pokémon Scarlet and Violet releasing in very poor shape. The console itself wasn't solely responsible for that; the actual engine driving the Pokémon titles was aged and strained beyond its capabilities in the transition to larger environments. This installment would be a bigger examination for its developer than anything, but there remained much to observe from the title's graphics and how it runs on the new system.

Although the title's restricted visual fidelity has initiated conversations about the developer's skills, it's clear that the latest installment is far from the tech disaster of its predecessor, the previous Legends game. It operates at a stable 60 frames per second on Switch 2, whereas the older hardware tops out at thirty frames. Some pop-in occurs, and you may notice plenty of blurry assets if you examine carefully, but you won't experience anything similar to the situation in Arceus where you first take to the skies and see the whole terrain beneath become a uneven, basic graphics. That qualifies to grant the new console some passing marks, though with reservations since Game Freak has its own problems that amplify limited hardware.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment serving as a Tougher Tech Test

There is now a tougher hardware challenge, however, due to Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, launched earlier this month. The new Zelda spin-off tests the new console because of its action-oriented style, which has users confronting a literal army of monsters continuously. The earlier title, Age of Calamity, performed poorly on the first Switch as the console couldn't keep up with its fast-paced action and numerous on-screen elements. It regularly decreased under the intended 30 frames and produced the feeling that you were overwhelming the system when being too aggressive.

The good news is that it too succeeds the performance examination. After playing the game through its paces during the past month, experiencing every level it has to offer. Throughout this testing, it's clear that it manages to provide a smoother performance relative to its predecessor, actually hitting its 60 fps mark with better regularity. It can still slip up in the most intense combat, but I haven't experienced any time when the game turns into a stuttering mess as the framerate chugs. Part of that might be due to the situation where its bite-sized missions are careful not to put too many enemies on the display simultaneously.

Notable Limitations and Overall Assessment

There are still expected limitations. Most notably, splitscreen co-op experiences a noticeable decrease closer to the 30 fps range. Moreover the premier exclusive release where I've really noticed a noticeable variation between my old OLED display and the updated LCD screen, with cutscenes especially appearing less vibrant.

But for the most part, this release is a dramatic improvement compared to its previous installment, like Pokémon Legends: Z-A is to the earlier Pokémon title. For those seeking confirmation that the new console is meeting its hardware potential, although with certain reservations remaining, both games provide a clear example of how Nintendo's latest is significantly improving series that struggled on previous systems.