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It's surprising, however we're approaching the Nintendo Switch 2's six-month milestone. Once Metroid Prime 4: Beyond debuts on the fourth of December, we can provide the console a detailed evaluation due to its solid selection of first-party launch window games. Major titles like Donkey Kong Bananza will headline that review, yet it's the company's latest releases, Pokémon Legends: Z-A and recently Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, that have enabled the Switch 2 overcome a key challenge in its initial half-year: the tech exam.

Confronting Hardware Worries

Prior to Nintendo formally revealed the new console, the primary worry from players about the hypothetical device was regarding performance. Regarding hardware, Nintendo trailed PlayStation and Xbox for several generations. This situation became apparent in the Switch's final years. The expectation was that a new model would bring smoother performance, improved visuals, and modern capabilities like 4K resolution. Those are the features included when the console was debuted this summer. Or that's what its hardware specifications promised, anyway. To accurately assess if the upgraded system is an enhancement, we required examples of major titles performing on the hardware. That has now happened during the past fortnight, and the prognosis remains healthy.

The Pokémon Title serving as Early Test

The console's first major test was last month's the new Pokémon game. The franchise had notable performance issues on the first Switch, with titles such as Scarlet and Violet debuting in highly problematic conditions. Nintendo's hardware wasn't solely responsible for that; the game engine running Game Freak's RPGs was old and being pushed much further than it could go in the transition to larger environments. The new game would be more challenging for its developer than anything, but there was still a lot to observe from the game's visual clarity and how it runs on the new system.

Although the title's limited detail has sparked discussions about the developer's skills, it's clear that this Pokémon game is nowhere near the performance mess of its preceding game, Arceus. It operates at a consistent 60 fps on the upgraded system, while the older hardware maxes out at thirty frames. Objects still appear suddenly, and you may notice various fuzzy textures if you zoom in, but you won't experience anything like the situation in Arceus where you first take to the skies and see the complete landscape turn into a uneven, basic graphics. This is sufficient to earn the Switch 2 some passing marks, however with limitations since the studio has independent issues that exacerbate restricted capabilities.

Age of Imprisonment as a Tougher Hardware Challenge

There is now a more demanding performance examination, though, due to the new Hyrule Warriors, launched earlier this month. The new Zelda spin-off pushes the Switch 2 thanks to its Musou formula, which has gamers battling a literal army of monsters at all times. The franchise's last installment, Age of Calamity, performed poorly on the first Switch as the console couldn't keep up with its quick combat and density of things happening. It often fell below the desired frame rate and created the sensation that you were pushing too hard when being too aggressive.

The good news is that it too succeeds the tech test. After playing the release thoroughly in recent weeks, completing all missions included. Throughout this testing, I've found that it achieves a consistent frame rate relative to its previous game, reaching its sixty frames goal with better regularity. Performance can dip in the most heated of battles, but I've yet to hit any moment where I'm suddenly watching a slideshow as the performance struggles. Part of that might be due to the reality that its short levels are designed to avoid excessive numbers of foes on the display simultaneously.

Significant Limitations and Overall Verdict

There are still expected limitations. Especially, splitscreen co-op has a substantial reduction closer to the 30 fps range. It's also the premier exclusive release where I've really noticed a significant contrast between my old OLED display and the current LCD panel, with particularly during cinematics having a washed out quality.

But for the most part, Age of Imprisonment is a dramatic improvement over its predecessor, just as the Pokémon game is to Pokémon Legends: Arceus. If you need confirmation that the new console is fulfilling its tech promises, despite some limitations present, both games show clearly of the way the new console is markedly enhancing titles that performed poorly on older technology.