Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Assists the Switch 2 Succeed in Its Most Major Test Yet

It's surprising, however we're already closing in on the new Switch 2 console's half-year mark. Once Metroid Prime 4: Beyond launches on Dec. 4, we'll be able to give the system a fairly thorough evaluation thanks to its impressive roster of exclusive initial releases. Major titles like Donkey Kong Bananza will dominate that analysis, but it's the company's latest releases, the Pokémon Legends installment and now the Hyrule Warriors sequel, that have enabled the new console overcome a critical examination in its first six months: the hardware evaluation.

Addressing Performance Worries

Before Nintendo publicly unveiled the successor system, the biggest concern from players around the then-theoretical console was concerning hardware. When it comes to components, Nintendo trailed Sony and Microsoft in recent cycles. This situation began to show in the end of the Switch era. The desire was that a Switch 2 would introduce smoother performance, better graphics, and modern capabilities like 4K resolution. That's exactly what we got when the console was launched in June. Or that's what its hardware specifications promised, at least. To really determine if the Switch 2 is an upgrade, we'd need to see major titles operating on the system. That has now happened during the past fortnight, and the assessment is favorable.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A serving as Early Challenge

The first significant examination was October's the new Pokémon game. The franchise had some infamous tech struggles on the initial console, with titles such as the Scarlet and Violet games releasing in very poor shape. The console itself didn't bear all the responsibility for that; the game engine driving Game Freak's RPGs was outdated and being pushed beyond its capabilities in the franchise's move to open-world. The new game would be a bigger examination for its studio than anything, but there was still a lot to analyze from the game's visual clarity and performance on Switch 2.

Despite the release's restricted visual fidelity has initiated conversations about the developer's skills, there's no denying that this Pokémon game is far from the tech disaster of its preceding game, Arceus. It operates at a consistent 60 fps on the upgraded system, but the original console tops out at thirty frames. Some pop-in occurs, and you may notice various fuzzy textures if you zoom in, but you won't encounter anything similar to the situation in Arceus where you begin airborne travel and observe the complete landscape transform into a uneven, basic graphics. It's enough to earn the Switch 2 some passing marks, but with caveats since the studio has its own problems that exacerbate basic technology.

The New Zelda Game as the Tougher Tech Test

We now have a tougher hardware challenge, though, because of the new Hyrule Warriors, released November 6. The new Zelda spin-off tests the new console because of its Musou formula, which has users confronting a massive horde of creatures continuously. The franchise's last installment, the previous Hyrule Warriors, had issues on the first Switch as the hardware struggled with its fast-paced action and density of things happening. It frequently dropped below the desired frame rate and gave the impression that you were pushing too hard when going too hard in battle.

Thankfully is that it also passes the tech test. Having tested the release thoroughly during the past month, experiencing every level it has to offer. In that time, the results show that it's been able to deliver a more stable framerate compared to its previous game, reaching its sixty frames goal with more consistency. It sometimes drops in the most intense combat, but I haven't experienced any situation where the game turns into a slideshow as the framerate chugs. A portion of this might be due to the reality that its compact stages are careful not to put overwhelming hordes on the display simultaneously.

Notable Limitations and General Evaluation

Remaining are expected limitations. Most notably, splitscreen co-op experiences a noticeable decrease near thirty frames. It's also the premier exclusive release where there's a clear a significant contrast between my old OLED display and the updated LCD screen, with particularly during cinematics looking faded.

Overall though, the new game is a dramatic improvement compared to its earlier title, just as Pokémon Legends: Z-A is to the earlier Pokémon title. If you need evidence that the new console is delivering on its hardware potential, although with certain reservations remaining, these titles show clearly of the way the new console is markedly enhancing titles that performed poorly on old hardware.