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It's hard to believe, but we're approaching the Nintendo Switch 2's half-year mark. Once Metroid Prime 4: Beyond launches on December 4, we can provide the console a fairly thorough assessment thanks to its solid selection of exclusive launch window games. Heavy hitters like Donkey Kong Bananza will lead that review, yet it's Nintendo's two most recent games, Pokémon Legends: Z-A and recently Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, that have enabled the new console conquer a key challenge in its opening six months: the tech exam.

Tackling Performance Issues

Prior to Nintendo formally revealed the new console, the main issue from players around the hypothetical device was concerning hardware. Regarding technology, Nintendo trailed competing consoles for several generations. That reality was evident in the Switch's final years. The expectation was that a successor would bring consistent frame rates, improved visuals, and standard options like 4K resolution. Those are the features included when the console was released in June. That's what its specs indicated, anyway. To really determine if the Switch 2 is an improvement, it was necessary to observe some key games running on it. We've finally gotten that over the last two weeks, and the assessment is favorable.

The Pokémon Title as an First Examination

The first significant examination arrived with the October release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Pokémon games had notable performance issues on the first Switch, with titles such as Scarlet and Violet launching in highly problematic conditions. The system wasn't solely responsible for those problems; the actual engine driving the Pokémon titles was old and strained past its limits in the transition to larger environments. The new game would be more of a test for its studio than anything else, but there was still a lot to observe from the visual presentation and how it runs on the new system.

Despite the release's limited detail has opened debates about the developer's skills, there's no denying that Legends: Z-A is nowhere near the performance mess of its preceding game, Pokémon Legends: Arceus. It performs at a smooth 60 frames on Switch 2, but the Switch version reaches only 30 fps. Pop-in is still present, and you may notice many low-resolution elements if you examine carefully, but you won't experience anything resembling the situation in Arceus where you first take to the skies and observe the entire ground below transform into a rough, low-poly terrain. That qualifies to grant the new console a satisfactory rating, however with limitations given that the studio has independent issues that worsen restricted capabilities.

The New Zelda Game as a More Demanding Hardware Challenge

Currently available is a more compelling tech test, however, 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 players facing off against a massive horde of creatures at all times. The earlier title, the previous Hyrule Warriors, performed poorly on the original Switch as the system couldn't handle with its rapid gameplay and numerous on-screen elements. It often fell below the desired frame rate and created the sensation that you were breaking the game when going too hard in battle.

Fortunately is that it also passes the tech test. Having tested the game through its paces during the past month, playing every single mission it has to offer. During that period, I've found that it manages to provide a more stable framerate relative to its earlier title, reaching its sixty frames goal with more consistency. It can still slip up in the fiercest fights, but I haven't experienced any time when I'm suddenly watching a choppy presentation as the performance struggles. A portion of this might be due to the situation where its compact stages are structured to prevent excessive numbers of foes on screen at once.

Significant Trade-offs and General Evaluation

There are still compromises that you're probably expecting. Especially, cooperative multiplayer has a noticeable decrease around 30 frames. Additionally the first Switch 2 first-party game where I've really noticed a noticeable variation between older OLED technology and the current LCD panel, with cutscenes especially looking faded.

Overall though, the new game is a night and day difference over its previous installment, just as the Pokémon game is to Pokémon Legends: Arceus. If you need confirmation that the Switch 2 is fulfilling its tech promises, despite some limitations still in tow, the two releases show clearly of how Nintendo's latest is substantially boosting franchises that had issues on previous systems.