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It's astonishing, however we're already closing in on the new Switch 2 console's six-month anniversary. When Metroid Prime 4: Beyond launches on December 4, we can provide the system a fairly thorough assessment due to its strong lineup of Nintendo-developed early titles. Heavy hitters like Donkey Kong Bananza will headline that check-in, yet it's Nintendo's two most recent games, Pokémon Legends: Z-A and recently the Hyrule Warriors sequel, that have enabled the Switch 2 overcome a crucial test in its initial half-year: the tech exam.

Tackling Hardware Issues

Prior to Nintendo officially announced the Switch 2, the main issue from users about the rumored system was concerning hardware. In terms of technology, Nintendo has lagged behind Sony and Microsoft for several generations. That reality became apparent in the end of the Switch era. The desire was that a successor would bring consistent frame rates, better graphics, and industry-standard features like 4K resolution. Those are the features included when the device was debuted this summer. At least that's what its specs indicated, anyway. To accurately assess if the upgraded system is an improvement, we'd need to see major titles running on it. That has now happened in recent days, and the assessment is favorable.

The Pokémon Title serving as First Test

The system's initial big challenge came with October's Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The Pokémon series had notable performance issues on the original Switch, with releases including Scarlet and Violet releasing in very poor shape. Nintendo's hardware wasn't solely responsible for those problems; the game engine driving the developer's games was old and getting stretched much further than it could go in the franchise's move to open-world. This installment would be more of a test for its developer than anything, but there was still a lot to analyze from the visual presentation and how it runs on the new system.

While the game's basic graphics has sparked discussions about the developer's skills, there's no denying that the latest installment is not at all like the tech disaster of its predecessor, the previous Legends game. It operates at a consistent 60 fps on the upgraded system, while the original console tops out at 30 fps. Pop-in is still present, and there are various fuzzy textures if you look closely, but you won't encounter anything resembling the instance in the previous game where you first take to the skies and watch the entire ground below turn into a uneven, basic graphics. This is sufficient to earn the Switch 2 a satisfactory rating, however with limitations since the studio has independent issues that worsen restricted capabilities.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment as the More Demanding Performance Examination

There is now a more demanding performance examination, though, thanks to the new Hyrule Warriors, launched earlier this month. This Zelda derivative challenges the upgraded system thanks to its Musou formula, which has players facing off against a huge number of enemies continuously. The series' previous game, Age of Calamity, had issues on the initial console as the hardware struggled with its fast-paced action and sheer amount of activity. It frequently dropped under the intended 30 frames and gave the impression that you were overwhelming the system when being too aggressive.

Thankfully is that it too succeeds 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 achieves a smoother performance compared to its earlier title, maintaining its 60 frames target with better regularity. Performance can dip in the fiercest fights, but I've yet to hit any situation where it becomes a choppy presentation as the frame rate suffers. A portion of this could be because of the situation where its compact stages are structured to prevent too many enemies on the display simultaneously.

Significant Limitations and Final Assessment

Remaining are foreseeable trade-offs. Primarily, splitscreen co-op sees performance taking a significant drop around 30 frames. Additionally the initial Nintendo-developed title where I've really noticed a noticeable variation between older OLED technology and the new LCD display, with notably in story sequences appearing less vibrant.

But for the most part, this release is a complete change compared to its earlier title, similar to the Pokémon game is to Pokémon Legends: Arceus. If you need confirmation that the upgraded system is delivering on its performance claims, although with certain reservations present, both games show clearly of the way the new console is substantially boosting franchises that had issues on older technology.