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It's astonishing, but we're approaching the Nintendo Switch 2's six-month anniversary. When the upcoming Metroid Prime 4 debuts on Dec. 4, we can provide the device a comprehensive progress report thanks to its strong lineup of exclusive launch window games. Blockbuster games like Donkey Kong Bananza will headline that check-in, but it's the company's latest releases, the Pokémon Legends installment and currently Age of Imprisonment, that have enabled the new console pass a critical examination in its opening six months: the tech exam.

Addressing Power Concerns

Prior to Nintendo officially announced the successor system, the primary worry from players around the rumored system was regarding performance. Regarding technology, the company fell behind competing consoles over the last few console generations. This situation became apparent in the Switch's final years. The hope was that a Switch 2 would deliver consistent frame rates, improved visuals, and modern capabilities like 4K. That's precisely what arrived when the device was launched in June. Or that's what its technical details suggested, anyway. To accurately assess if the new console is an improvement, it was necessary to observe some key games performing on the hardware. That has now happened during the past fortnight, and the assessment is favorable.

The Pokémon Title as an First Examination

The first significant examination arrived with last month's Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The Pokémon series had well-known technical problems on the first Switch, with releases including Scarlet and Violet launching in downright disastrous states. Nintendo's hardware wasn't solely responsible for those issues; the actual engine driving Game Freak's RPGs was aged and getting stretched beyond its capabilities in the transition to larger environments. This installment would be a bigger examination for its developer than any other factor, but there was still a lot we'd be able to glean from the visual presentation and how it runs on the new system.

While the game's limited detail has sparked discussions about Game Freak's technical capabilities, it's clear that Legends: Z-A is nowhere near the tech disaster of its predecessor, Arceus. It runs at a stable 60 frames per second on the upgraded system, but the original console tops out at thirty frames. Pop-in is still present, and there are various fuzzy textures if you look closely, but you won't hit anything like the moment in Arceus where you begin airborne travel and observe the complete landscape turn into a jagged, polygonal surface. This is sufficient to earn the Switch 2 a decent grade, though with reservations considering that the developer has separate challenges that worsen limited hardware.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment as a Tougher Tech Test

We now have a tougher hardware challenge, yet, due to Age of Imprisonment, released November 6. The new Zelda spin-off challenges the upgraded system because of its hack-and-slash gameplay, which has gamers battling a huge number of enemies continuously. The franchise's last installment, the previous Hyrule Warriors, struggled on the initial console as the system couldn't handle with its fast-paced action and numerous on-screen elements. It regularly decreased under the intended 30 frames and created the sensation that you were breaking the game when going too hard in battle.

The good news is that it also passes the performance examination. I've been putting the game through its paces in recent weeks, experiencing every level available. Throughout this testing, the results show that it manages to provide a smoother performance compared to its earlier title, reaching its sixty frames goal with greater stability. Performance can dip in the most heated of battles, but I haven't experienced any moment where the game turns into a choppy presentation as the performance struggles. Part of that could be because of the reality that its bite-sized missions are designed to avoid overwhelming hordes on screen at once.

Important Limitations and Final Evaluation

Remaining are compromises that you're probably expecting. Primarily, shared-screen play has a substantial reduction around 30 frames. Moreover the premier exclusive release where I've really noticed a noticeable variation between previous OLED screens and the current LCD panel, with particularly during cinematics having a washed out quality.

Overall though, Age of Imprisonment is a dramatic improvement versus its previous installment, like Z-A is to Pokémon Legends: Arceus. If you need evidence that the Switch 2 is delivering on its performance claims, although with certain reservations remaining, the two releases provide a clear example of the way the new console is significantly improving franchises that had issues on old hardware.