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It's surprising, however we're nearly at the Nintendo Switch 2's six-month anniversary. Once the upcoming Metroid Prime 4 launches on December 4, it will be possible to deliver the console a comprehensive assessment due to its solid selection of exclusive early titles. Major titles like Donkey Kong Bananza will dominate that check-in, yet it's Nintendo's two most recent games, Pokémon Legends: Z-A and currently the Hyrule Warriors sequel, that have enabled the Switch 2 overcome a critical examination in its first six months: the tech exam.

Tackling Hardware Issues

Prior to Nintendo publicly unveiled the successor system, the main issue from gamers about the rumored system was concerning hardware. Regarding technology, Nintendo trailed Sony and Microsoft in recent cycles. This situation was evident in the original Switch's later life. The desire was that a new model would bring more stable framerates, improved visuals, and standard options like 4K resolution. That's precisely what arrived when the console was debuted this summer. Or that's what its technical details suggested, for the most part. To really determine if the Switch 2 is an enhancement, it was necessary to observe some key games performing on the hardware. We now have that evidence during the past fortnight, and the outlook is positive.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A serving as Early Test

The console's first major test came with the October release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The Pokémon series had notable performance issues on the first Switch, with releases including the Scarlet and Violet games launching in downright disastrous states. The console itself didn't bear all the responsibility for those issues; the underlying technology driving the developer's games was old and being pushed much further than it could go in the series' gradual open-world pivot. This installment would be more challenging for its studio than anything, but there remained much we'd be able to glean from the title's graphics and how it runs on the new system.

While the game's basic graphics has opened debates about the studio's prowess, there's no denying that this Pokémon game is nowhere near the technical failure of its earlier title, Arceus. It runs at a consistent 60 fps on the new console, while the Switch version maxes out at 30 fps. Some pop-in occurs, and you'll find plenty of blurry assets if you examine carefully, but you won't encounter anything similar to the moment in Arceus where you first take to the skies and watch the complete landscape become a jagged, polygonal surface. This is sufficient to earn the Switch 2 a satisfactory rating, though with reservations given that the developer has its own problems that amplify limited hardware.

Age of Imprisonment as the More Demanding Tech Test

Currently available is a more compelling tech test, though, due to Age of Imprisonment, out Nov. 6. The latest Musou title pushes the Switch 2 because of its hack-and-slash gameplay, which has users confronting a literal army of monsters at all times. The series' previous game, Age of Calamity, struggled on the original Switch as the system couldn't handle with its rapid gameplay and sheer amount of activity. It frequently dropped under the intended 30 frames and created the sensation that you were overwhelming the system when being too aggressive.

The good news is that it too succeeds the tech test. After playing the title extensively during the past month, experiencing every level it has to offer. Throughout this testing, the results show that it manages to provide a smoother performance versus its previous game, reaching its 60 frames target with more consistency. Performance can dip in the fiercest fights, but I haven't experienced any situation where it becomes a choppy presentation as the frame rate suffers. A portion of this may result from the fact that its bite-sized missions are careful not to put excessive numbers of foes on the display simultaneously.

Notable Compromises and General Assessment

There are still foreseeable trade-offs. Primarily, shared-screen play experiences a noticeable decrease closer to the 30 fps range. Additionally the first Switch 2 first-party game where there's a clear a significant contrast between older OLED technology and the current LCD panel, with particularly during cinematics having a washed out quality.

Overall though, the new game is a complete change over its previous installment, like Pokémon Legends: Z-A is to the earlier Pokémon title. For those seeking confirmation that the upgraded system is meeting its performance claims, even with some caveats still in tow, these titles show clearly of how the Switch 2 is markedly enhancing franchises that had issues on previous systems.