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It's hard to believe, however we're nearly at the new Switch 2 console's six-month milestone. When the upcoming Metroid Prime 4 releases on Dec. 4, we can provide the console a detailed assessment due to its strong lineup of first-party launch window games. Blockbuster games like Donkey Kong Bananza will dominate that review, yet it's the company's latest releases, Pokémon Legends: Z-A and currently Age of Imprisonment, that have helped the Switch 2 overcome a critical examination in its initial half-year: the tech exam.

Tackling Power Concerns

Prior to Nintendo formally revealed the new console, the main issue from gamers regarding the rumored system was concerning hardware. Regarding hardware, the company fell behind competing consoles for several generations. That fact began to show in the original Switch's later life. The hope was that a new model would bring smoother performance, improved visuals, and standard options like 4K. Those are the features included when the console was launched in June. At least that's what its specs indicated, anyway. To really determine if the upgraded system is an enhancement, we required examples of important releases running on it. That has now happened in recent days, and the outlook is positive.

Legends: Z-A as the Initial Challenge

The system's initial big challenge came with last month's Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The Pokémon series had some infamous tech struggles on the initial console, with games like Scarlet and Violet releasing in highly problematic conditions. The system didn't bear all the responsibility for that; the underlying technology powering Game Freak's RPGs was old and getting stretched beyond its capabilities in the series' gradual open-world pivot. Legends: Z-A would be more challenging for its developer than any other factor, but there remained much we'd be able to glean from the visual presentation and its operation on the upgraded hardware.

While the game's restricted visual fidelity has initiated conversations about the developer's skills, it's clear that the latest installment is not at all like the tech disaster of its earlier title, Arceus. It operates at a smooth 60 frames on the new console, whereas the older hardware reaches only 30 fps. Pop-in is still present, and you may notice plenty of blurry assets if you look closely, but you won't encounter anything similar to the instance in the previous game where you begin airborne travel and see the entire ground below turn into a rough, low-poly terrain. This is sufficient to earn the Switch 2 some passing marks, however with limitations considering that the studio has independent issues that amplify restricted capabilities.

Age of Imprisonment as a More Demanding Performance Examination

There is now a more compelling tech test, yet, due to Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, out Nov. 6. The latest Musou title pushes the Switch 2 because of its action-oriented style, which has gamers battling a massive horde of creatures at all times. The franchise's last installment, Age of Calamity, struggled on the initial console as the system couldn't handle with its rapid gameplay and density of things happening. It frequently dropped below the desired frame rate and created the sensation that you were overwhelming the system when going too hard in battle.

Thankfully is that it too succeeds the performance examination. I've been putting the game through its paces over the last few weeks, completing all missions included. In that time, it's clear that it achieves a consistent frame rate versus its previous game, maintaining its 60 fps mark with more consistency. It can still slip up in the fiercest fights, but I've yet to hit any situation where the game turns into a stuttering mess as the frame rate suffers. Part of that could be because of the situation where its compact stages are structured to prevent excessive numbers of foes on screen at once.

Significant Limitations and General Verdict

Remaining are expected limitations. Most notably, cooperative multiplayer has a significant drop near thirty frames. It's also the initial Nintendo-developed title where it's apparent a noticeable variation between previous OLED screens and the updated LCD screen, with cutscenes especially appearing less vibrant.

However generally, the new game is a night and day difference over its predecessor, like Z-A is to Arceus. Should you require any sign that the new console is delivering on its tech promises, despite some limitations present, both games provide a clear example of how the Switch 2 is significantly improving franchises that had issues on previous systems.