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It's surprising, yet we're already closing in on the Nintendo Switch 2's six-month milestone. When Metroid Prime 4: Beyond releases on Dec. 4, it will be possible to deliver the device a fairly thorough assessment due to its solid selection of exclusive early titles. Blockbuster games like Donkey Kong Bananza will lead that analysis, but it's two newest Nintendo titles, Pokémon Legends: Z-A and recently Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, that have helped the Switch 2 pass a crucial test in its opening six months: the hardware evaluation.

Tackling Power Issues

Prior to Nintendo officially announced the Switch 2, the main issue from gamers regarding the hypothetical device was about power. In terms of technology, the company fell behind competing consoles in recent cycles. That reality was evident in the Switch's final years. The expectation was that a new model would bring more stable framerates, better graphics, and standard options like 4K resolution. That's exactly what we got when the console was launched in June. At least that's what its specs indicated, anyway. To accurately assess if the Switch 2 is an improvement, we required examples of important releases running on it. We've finally gotten that in recent days, and the assessment is favorable.

Legends: Z-A serving as First Challenge

The first significant examination came with last month's Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The Pokémon series had some infamous tech struggles on the first Switch, with releases including Scarlet and Violet launching in very poor shape. Nintendo's hardware wasn't solely responsible for those problems; the actual engine running the Pokémon titles was outdated and being pushed much further than it could go in the franchise's move to open-world. Legends: Z-A would be a bigger examination for its developer than any other factor, but there was still a lot to analyze from the visual presentation and how it runs on the new system.

Despite the release's basic graphics has initiated conversations about Game Freak's technical capabilities, it's clear that Legends: Z-A is not at all like the technical failure of its preceding game, Arceus. It runs at a stable 60 frames per second on the upgraded system, whereas the older hardware tops out at 30 frames per second. Objects still appear suddenly, and you may notice various fuzzy textures if you zoom in, but you won't encounter anything resembling the instance in the previous game where you initially fly and watch the whole terrain beneath turn into a uneven, basic graphics. That qualifies to give the system a decent grade, but with caveats considering that Game Freak has its own problems that worsen limited hardware.

The New Zelda Game as a More Demanding Performance Examination

We now have a more demanding performance examination, though, due to Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, released November 6. The latest Musou title pushes the Switch 2 due to its Musou formula, which has gamers battling a huge number of enemies continuously. The earlier title, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, had issues on the initial console as the hardware struggled with its quick combat and sheer amount of activity. It often fell below the desired frame rate and gave the impression that you were pushing too hard when going too hard in battle.

The good news is that it too succeeds the tech test. I've been putting the game through its paces over the last few weeks, experiencing every level available. Throughout this testing, the results show that it's been able to deliver a more stable framerate versus its predecessor, reaching its 60 frames target with better regularity. It sometimes drops in the most heated of battles, but I haven't experienced any moment where I'm suddenly watching a choppy presentation as the framerate chugs. A portion of this could be because of the reality that its compact stages are designed to avoid too many enemies on the battlefield concurrently.

Notable Trade-offs and Overall Verdict

There are still compromises that you're probably expecting. Especially, shared-screen play has a substantial reduction around 30 frames. Moreover the initial Nintendo-developed title where I've really noticed a major difference between previous OLED screens and the new LCD display, with particularly during cinematics looking faded.

But for the most part, Age of Imprisonment is a complete change compared to its earlier title, just as the Pokémon game is to Pokémon Legends: Arceus. If you need any sign that the new console is delivering on its tech promises, despite some limitations still in tow, these titles provide a clear example of how the Switch 2 is substantially boosting series that struggled on previous systems.