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It's hard to believe, but we're approaching the new Switch 2 console's six-month anniversary. Once Metroid Prime 4: Beyond debuts on the fourth of December, we can provide the system a fairly thorough assessment thanks to its impressive roster of exclusive launch window games. Heavy hitters 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 allowed the successor pass a critical examination in its first six months: the tech exam.

Tackling Power Issues

Prior to Nintendo publicly unveiled the Switch 2, the main issue from users regarding the rumored system was regarding performance. In terms of hardware, Nintendo trailed competing consoles over the last few console generations. This situation became apparent in the original Switch's later life. The desire was that a Switch 2 would introduce more stable framerates, better graphics, and standard options like 4K resolution. That's exactly what we got when the device was released in June. At least that's what its specs indicated, at least. To accurately assess if the new console is an enhancement, we'd need to see important releases operating on the system. That has now happened in recent days, and the assessment is favorable.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A serving as Initial Examination

The first significant examination came with the October release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Pokémon games had well-known technical problems on the original Switch, with games like Scarlet and Violet debuting in highly problematic conditions. The console itself wasn't exactly to blame for that; the game engine driving the developer's games was aged and getting stretched much further than it could go in the series' gradual open-world pivot. The new game would be a bigger examination for its studio than anything, but there remained much we'd be able to glean from the title's graphics and performance on Switch 2.

Despite the release's limited detail has initiated conversations about Game Freak's technical capabilities, it's clear that the latest installment is nowhere near the technical failure of its earlier title, the previous Legends game. It runs at a stable 60 frames per second on the new console, while the older hardware tops out at 30 frames per second. Pop-in is still present, and you may notice various fuzzy textures if you examine carefully, but you won't experience anything like the moment in Arceus where you begin airborne travel and see the complete landscape transform into a rough, low-poly terrain. This is sufficient to grant the new console some passing marks, though with reservations since the developer has separate challenges that exacerbate restricted capabilities.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment serving as a More Demanding Hardware Challenge

There is now a more demanding performance examination, yet, because of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, released November 6. This Zelda derivative pushes the Switch 2 thanks to its Musou formula, which has gamers battling a massive horde of creatures continuously. The franchise's last installment, the previous Hyrule Warriors, had issues on the initial console as the hardware struggled with its rapid gameplay and density of things happening. It frequently dropped below the desired frame rate and created the sensation that you were pushing too hard when going too hard in battle.

The good news is that it too succeeds the tech test. After playing the game through its paces in recent weeks, experiencing every level it has to offer. During that period, the results show that it's been able to deliver a consistent frame rate versus its previous game, reaching its sixty frames goal with more consistency. It sometimes drops in the most heated of battles, but I've yet to hit any moment where the game turns into a stuttering mess as the frame rate suffers. Some of this may result from the reality that its bite-sized missions are careful not to put overwhelming hordes on the battlefield concurrently.

Significant Compromises and General Verdict

There are still compromises that you're probably expecting. Especially, splitscreen co-op experiences a substantial reduction closer to the 30 fps range. Moreover the premier exclusive release where I've really noticed a noticeable variation between previous OLED screens and the new LCD display, with particularly during cinematics appearing less vibrant.

However generally, this release is a dramatic improvement over its earlier title, similar to Z-A is to Pokémon Legends: Arceus. If you need evidence that the upgraded system is meeting its performance claims, even with some caveats still in tow, these titles show clearly of how Nintendo's latest is substantially boosting titles that performed poorly on previous systems.