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It's hard to believe, but we're already closing in on the Nintendo Switch 2's six-month anniversary. When Metroid Prime 4: Beyond debuts on Dec. 4, we'll be able to give the console a fairly thorough progress report due to its solid selection of exclusive launch window games. Major titles like the new Donkey Kong game will dominate that check-in, however it's Nintendo's two most recent games, Pokémon Legends: Z-A and recently Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, that have enabled the successor overcome a critical examination in its opening six months: the performance test.

Addressing Power Concerns

Ahead of Nintendo publicly unveiled the Switch 2, the biggest concern from players about the hypothetical device was about power. In terms of components, the company fell behind Sony and Microsoft for several generations. This situation became apparent in the end of the Switch era. The hope was that a successor would introduce consistent frame rates, better graphics, and industry-standard features like ultra-high definition. Those are the features included when the system was launched in June. That's what its hardware specifications promised, for the most part. To accurately assess if the upgraded system is an enhancement, it was necessary to observe major titles running on it. That has now happened over the last two weeks, and the assessment is favorable.

Legends: Z-A as an Initial Examination

The console's first major test was the October release of the new Pokémon game. The franchise had some infamous tech struggles on the original Switch, with titles such as the Scarlet and Violet games launching in very poor shape. The console itself wasn't exactly to blame for those issues; the underlying technology running the developer's games was old and being pushed beyond its capabilities in the franchise's move to open-world. The new game would be more challenging for its developer than anything else, but there remained much to analyze from the game's visual clarity and how it runs on the new system.

Despite the release's limited detail has initiated conversations about the studio's prowess, it's clear that this Pokémon game is nowhere near the technical failure of its predecessor, the previous Legends game. It operates at a smooth 60 frames on the upgraded system, while the original console maxes out at 30 fps. Objects still appear suddenly, and there are various fuzzy textures if you examine carefully, but you won't experience anything similar to the instance in the previous game where you first take to the skies and observe the entire ground below transform into a jagged, polygonal surface. That qualifies to grant the new console some passing marks, however with limitations considering that the developer has separate challenges that worsen basic technology.

Age of Imprisonment serving as a Tougher Tech Test

Currently available is a more demanding performance examination, however, due to the new Hyrule Warriors, 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 continuously. The series' previous game, the previous Hyrule Warriors, performed poorly on the first Switch as the console couldn't keep up with its rapid gameplay and sheer amount of activity. It often fell below the desired frame rate and produced the feeling that you were overwhelming the system when fighting intensely.

Fortunately is that it too succeeds the hardware challenge. After playing the game through its paces in recent weeks, experiencing every level available. During that period, the results show that it achieves a consistent frame rate versus its previous game, reaching its 60 frames target with better regularity. It can still slip up in the fiercest fights, but I've yet to hit any situation where it becomes a choppy presentation as the framerate chugs. Part of that could be because of the fact that its bite-sized missions are careful not to put too many enemies on screen at once.

Important Trade-offs and Final Evaluation

Remaining are compromises that you're probably expecting. Most notably, cooperative multiplayer has a significant drop closer to the 30 fps range. It's also the first Switch 2 first-party game where there's a clear a significant contrast between my old OLED display and the current LCD panel, with particularly during cinematics looking faded.

Overall though, the new game is a complete change versus its predecessor, just as Pokémon Legends: Z-A is to Arceus. For those seeking any sign that the new console is meeting its tech promises, despite some limitations still in tow, both games provide a clear example of the way the new console is significantly improving titles that performed poorly on old hardware.