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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 December 4, we'll be able to give the device a detailed assessment based on its solid selection of exclusive initial releases. Major titles like the new Donkey Kong game will dominate that review, yet it's the company's latest releases, Pokémon Legends: Z-A and recently Age of Imprisonment, that have enabled the Switch 2 pass a critical examination in its first six months: the tech exam.

Tackling Performance Worries

Before Nintendo publicly unveiled the new console, the biggest concern from users around the rumored system was regarding performance. When it comes to components, the company fell behind PlayStation and Xbox for several generations. That fact was evident in the original Switch's later life. The expectation was that a new model would deliver more stable framerates, better graphics, and standard options like 4K. That's precisely what arrived when the system was released in June. Or that's what its specs indicated, anyway. To truly know if the new console is an enhancement, it was necessary to observe some key games performing on the hardware. We've finally gotten that during the past fortnight, and the prognosis remains healthy.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A as an Initial Examination

The first significant examination was the October release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. The Pokémon series had notable performance issues on the first Switch, with titles such as Pokémon Scarlet and Violet releasing in highly problematic conditions. The console itself wasn't solely responsible for those issues; the actual engine running Game Freak's RPGs was outdated and being pushed beyond its capabilities in the franchise's move to open-world. Legends: Z-A would be a bigger examination for its creator than anything, but there was still a lot to analyze from the title's graphics and how it runs on the new system.

Although the title's restricted visual fidelity has opened debates about the developer's skills, it's clear that this Pokémon game is nowhere near the technical failure of its predecessor, the previous Legends game. It operates at a smooth 60 frames on the upgraded system, but the older hardware maxes out at thirty frames. Some pop-in occurs, and you may notice many low-resolution elements if you examine carefully, but you won't hit anything like the situation in Arceus where you first take to the skies and watch the entire ground below turn into a jagged, polygonal surface. That qualifies to earn the Switch 2 some passing marks, but with caveats given that Game Freak has separate challenges that worsen basic technology.

Age of Imprisonment as a Tougher Tech Test

Currently available is a tougher hardware challenge, though, due to Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, released November 6. The latest Musou title tests the new console due to its action-oriented style, which has gamers battling a massive horde of creatures at all times. The franchise's last installment, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, had issues on the initial console as the system couldn't handle with its fast-paced action and density of things happening. It regularly decreased below its target 30fps and gave the impression that you were overwhelming the system when fighting intensely.

Thankfully is that it also passes the tech test. I've been putting the title extensively in recent weeks, playing every single mission included. In that time, I've found that it's been able to deliver a more stable framerate versus its predecessor, maintaining its 60 frames target with greater stability. Performance can dip in the most intense combat, but There were no instances of any situation where the game turns into a stuttering mess as the performance struggles. A portion of this may result from the situation where its bite-sized missions are careful not to put overwhelming hordes on the display simultaneously.

Notable Limitations and Overall Verdict

Present are foreseeable trade-offs. Most notably, splitscreen co-op experiences a noticeable decrease closer to the 30 fps range. Additionally the first Switch 2 first-party game where I've really noticed a major difference between older OLED technology and the current LCD panel, with cutscenes especially having a washed out quality.

But for the most part, Age of Imprisonment is a night and day difference over its predecessor, just as Pokémon Legends: Z-A is to Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Should you require evidence that the new console is delivering on its tech promises, although with certain reservations present, these titles show clearly of the way the new console is substantially boosting series that struggled on old hardware.