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It's surprising, but we're approaching the new Switch 2 console's half-year mark. When Metroid Prime 4: Beyond debuts on the fourth of December, we'll be able to give the device a detailed evaluation based on its solid selection of exclusive launch window games. Major titles like Donkey Kong Bananza will headline that analysis, yet it's the company's latest releases, the Pokémon Legends installment and recently Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, that have enabled the new console conquer a critical examination in its initial half-year: the performance test.

Tackling Performance Worries

Ahead of Nintendo formally revealed the Switch 2, the biggest concern from players regarding the then-theoretical console was regarding performance. Regarding hardware, Nintendo trailed Sony and Microsoft for several generations. That reality was evident in the original Switch's later life. The expectation was that a new model would bring more stable framerates, better graphics, and standard options like 4K. That's exactly what we got when the device was debuted this summer. That's what its hardware specifications promised, for the most part. To truly know if the upgraded system is an upgrade, it was necessary to observe major titles operating on the system. That has now happened during the past fortnight, and the outlook is positive.

The Pokémon Title as an Early Challenge

The console's first major test arrived with October's Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Pokémon games had some infamous tech struggles on the first Switch, with releases including Pokémon Scarlet and Violet releasing in very poor shape. Nintendo's hardware wasn't solely responsible for those issues; the game engine running Game Freak's RPGs was old and getting stretched much further than it could go in the transition to larger environments. Legends: Z-A would be more of a test for its creator than any other factor, but there remained much to analyze from the title's graphics and its operation on the upgraded hardware.

Although the title's basic graphics has opened debates about the developer's skills, there's no denying that this Pokémon game is nowhere near the performance mess of its predecessor, Pokémon Legends: Arceus. It operates at a smooth 60 frames on the upgraded system, while the Switch version tops out at 30 fps. Objects still appear suddenly, and there are plenty of blurry assets if you look closely, but you won't encounter anything similar to the situation in Arceus where you initially fly and observe the whole terrain beneath become a jagged, polygonal surface. This is sufficient to grant the new console a satisfactory rating, however with limitations since Game Freak has its own problems that exacerbate restricted capabilities.

The New Zelda Game as the More Demanding Tech Test

There is now a tougher hardware challenge, though, thanks to Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, out Nov. 6. The latest Musou title pushes the Switch 2 due to its Musou formula, which has users confronting a huge number of enemies constantly. The earlier title, Age of Calamity, had issues on the original Switch as the hardware struggled with its rapid gameplay and numerous on-screen elements. It frequently dropped under the intended 30 frames and created the sensation that you were overwhelming the system when fighting intensely.

Thankfully is that it also passes the hardware challenge. After playing the game through its paces in recent weeks, experiencing every level it has to offer. Throughout this testing, the results show that it manages to provide a consistent frame rate versus its predecessor, reaching its 60 frames target with greater stability. It can still slip up in the most heated of battles, but I've yet to hit any situation where it becomes a slideshow as the frame rate suffers. Part of that could be because of the situation where its bite-sized missions are designed to avoid too many enemies on the display simultaneously.

Notable Trade-offs and General Assessment

Remaining are expected limitations. Most notably, shared-screen play experiences a significant drop closer to the 30 fps range. Moreover the premier exclusive release where there's a clear a significant contrast between previous OLED screens and the current LCD panel, with cutscenes especially having a washed out quality.

However generally, this release is a dramatic improvement compared to its earlier title, just as Z-A is to Pokémon Legends: Arceus. If you need any sign that the upgraded system is meeting its hardware potential, even with some caveats still in tow, the two releases provide a clear example of how Nintendo's latest is significantly improving titles that performed poorly on older technology.