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It's hard to believe, yet we're already closing in on the Nintendo Switch 2's six-month anniversary. By the time Metroid Prime 4: Beyond releases on the fourth of December, we'll be able to give the device a fairly thorough assessment due to its solid selection of first-party early titles. Major titles like the new Donkey Kong game will lead that review, yet it's the company's latest releases, Pokémon Legends: Z-A and recently Age of Imprisonment, that have helped the Switch 2 conquer a critical examination in its opening six months: the tech exam.

Confronting Performance Issues

Ahead of Nintendo officially announced the new console, the primary worry from users around the then-theoretical console was regarding performance. When it comes to hardware, Nintendo has lagged behind 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 consistent frame rates, better graphics, and standard options like 4K. That's precisely what arrived when the console was released in June. At least that's what its hardware specifications promised, for the most part. To accurately assess if the upgraded system is an enhancement, it was necessary to observe major titles operating on the system. That has now happened over the last two weeks, and the prognosis remains healthy.

Legends: Z-A serving as Initial Test

The first significant examination came with October's Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The Pokémon series had some infamous tech struggles on the first Switch, with releases including Pokémon Scarlet and Violet debuting in very poor shape. The system didn't bear all the responsibility for those problems; the game engine driving Game Freak's RPGs was old and strained beyond its capabilities in the series' gradual open-world pivot. The new game would be more of a test for its creator than anything, but we could still learn we'd be able to glean from the game's visual clarity and its operation on the upgraded hardware.

Although the title's basic graphics has sparked discussions about the studio's prowess, it's clear that the latest installment is far from the tech disaster of its preceding game, Pokémon Legends: Arceus. It operates at a consistent 60 fps on the upgraded system, but the older hardware reaches only 30 fps. Some pop-in occurs, and you may notice many low-resolution elements if you zoom in, but you won't encounter anything resembling the moment in Arceus where you first take to the skies and observe the entire ground below become a jagged, polygonal surface. That qualifies to give the system a satisfactory rating, though with reservations since Game Freak has independent issues that exacerbate basic technology.

Age of Imprisonment serving as a Tougher Performance Examination

Currently available is a more demanding performance examination, though, thanks to Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, out Nov. 6. The latest Musou title tests the new console thanks to its hack-and-slash gameplay, which has gamers battling a huge number of enemies continuously. The earlier title, Age of Calamity, performed poorly on the first Switch as the system couldn't handle with its quick combat and density of things happening. It often fell below its target 30fps and created the sensation that you were pushing too hard when going too hard in battle.

Fortunately is that it too succeeds the hardware challenge. I've been putting the release thoroughly in recent weeks, playing every single mission available. In that time, the results show that it manages to provide a consistent frame rate versus its predecessor, maintaining its 60 fps mark with greater stability. It sometimes drops in the fiercest fights, but I've yet to hit any situation where the game turns into a slideshow as the framerate chugs. Some of this might be due to the fact that its bite-sized missions are designed to avoid excessive numbers of foes on the battlefield concurrently.

Significant Compromises and General Assessment

Remaining are foreseeable trade-offs. Especially, cooperative multiplayer experiences a significant drop near thirty frames. It's also the premier exclusive release where there's a clear a major difference between previous OLED screens and the current LCD panel, with cutscenes especially looking faded.

Overall though, Age of Imprisonment is a night and day difference versus its earlier title, similar to Z-A is to Arceus. For those seeking confirmation that the Switch 2 is fulfilling its hardware potential, although with certain reservations still in tow, both games provide a clear example of how the Switch 2 is markedly enhancing titles that performed poorly on old hardware.