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It's astonishing, yet we're already closing in on the new Switch 2 console's half-year mark. When Metroid Prime 4: Beyond launches on Dec. 4, we'll be able to give the console a comprehensive assessment thanks to its strong lineup of exclusive early titles. Major titles like the new Donkey Kong game will headline that review, but it's Nintendo's two most recent games, the Pokémon Legends installment and now the Hyrule Warriors sequel, that have enabled the Switch 2 conquer a critical examination in its opening six months: the tech exam.

Tackling Power Worries

Before Nintendo publicly unveiled the new console, the primary worry from users about the rumored system was concerning hardware. In terms of technology, Nintendo has lagged behind competing consoles in recent cycles. That reality began to show in the Switch's final years. The desire was that a new model would bring consistent frame rates, improved visuals, and standard options like 4K resolution. That's exactly what we got when the system was debuted this summer. That's what its technical details suggested, at least. To really determine if the upgraded system is an improvement, it was necessary to observe major titles performing on the hardware. That has now happened during the past fortnight, and the assessment is favorable.

The Pokémon Title as the First Examination

The console's first major test was the October release of the new Pokémon game. Pokémon games had well-known technical problems on the initial console, with games like the Scarlet and Violet games debuting in highly problematic conditions. Nintendo's hardware wasn't exactly to blame for those issues; the actual engine powering the Pokémon titles was old and being pushed past its limits in the franchise's move to open-world. This installment would be more of a test 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 limited detail has sparked discussions about the developer's skills, it's clear that this Pokémon game is far from the tech disaster of its predecessor, Pokémon Legends: Arceus. It operates at a consistent 60 fps on the upgraded system, but the older hardware maxes out at 30 frames per second. Pop-in is still present, and there are many low-resolution elements if you look closely, but you won't hit anything similar to the moment in Arceus where you first take to the skies and observe the complete landscape transform into a uneven, basic graphics. This is sufficient to grant the new console a decent grade, but with caveats since Game Freak has its own problems that worsen limited hardware.

The New Zelda Game as the Tougher Tech Test

There is now a tougher hardware challenge, however, due to the new Hyrule Warriors, out Nov. 6. The latest Musou title challenges the upgraded system because of its Musou formula, which has users confronting a literal army of monsters at all times. The earlier title, Age of Calamity, struggled on the original Switch as the console couldn't keep up with its rapid gameplay and sheer amount of activity. It regularly decreased below the desired frame rate and gave the impression that you were overwhelming the system when going too hard in battle.

Fortunately is that it too succeeds the hardware challenge. After playing the release thoroughly over the last few weeks, playing every single mission it has to offer. Throughout this testing, I've found that it achieves a smoother performance relative to its previous game, reaching its 60 fps mark with better regularity. Performance can dip in the fiercest fights, but I've yet to hit any time when it becomes a stuttering mess as the performance struggles. Part of that might be due to the reality that its compact stages are structured to prevent too many enemies on the display simultaneously.

Important Limitations and Overall Assessment

Remaining are foreseeable trade-offs. Most notably, shared-screen play experiences a significant drop near thirty frames. Moreover the premier exclusive release where there's a clear a major difference between older OLED technology and the current LCD panel, with notably in story sequences looking faded.

Overall though, this release is a night and day difference over its previous installment, similar to Z-A is to the earlier Pokémon title. Should you require confirmation that the upgraded system is fulfilling its tech promises, even with some caveats remaining, both games provide a clear example of the way the new console is significantly improving franchises that had issues on older technology.