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It's surprising, but we're nearly at the new Switch 2 console's six-month milestone. Once Metroid Prime 4: Beyond debuts on the fourth of December, it will be possible to deliver the system a fairly thorough progress report thanks to its impressive roster of Nintendo-developed initial releases. Heavy hitters like the new Donkey Kong game will headline that check-in, however it's the company's latest releases, the Pokémon Legends installment and recently Age of Imprisonment, that have enabled the Switch 2 pass a critical examination in its opening six months: the hardware evaluation.

Tackling Hardware Issues

Prior to Nintendo publicly unveiled the Switch 2, the biggest concern from users around the then-theoretical console was concerning hardware. Regarding components, Nintendo has lagged behind Sony and Microsoft for several generations. That fact became apparent in the end of the Switch era. The expectation was that a successor would deliver smoother performance, better graphics, and industry-standard features like 4K. That's exactly what we got when the device was debuted this summer. Or that's what its specs indicated, anyway. To accurately assess if the Switch 2 is an improvement, we'd need to see important releases performing on the hardware. We now have that evidence in recent days, and the prognosis remains healthy.

The Pokémon Title serving as First Examination

The system's initial big challenge arrived with the October release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. Pokémon games had notable performance issues on the original Switch, with games like Pokémon Scarlet and Violet launching in downright disastrous states. Nintendo's hardware didn't bear all the responsibility for those issues; the game engine running the developer's games was old and being pushed beyond its capabilities in the transition to larger environments. This installment would be more of a test for its creator than anything, but there remained much to analyze from the visual presentation and its operation on the upgraded hardware.

While the game's basic graphics has opened debates about Game Freak's technical capabilities, it's clear that this Pokémon game is not at all like the performance mess of its earlier title, Arceus. It runs at a smooth 60 frames on Switch 2, but the original console reaches only 30 frames per second. Some pop-in occurs, and you may notice many low-resolution elements if you zoom in, but you won't hit anything similar to the moment in Arceus where you initially fly and watch the whole terrain beneath transform into a rough, low-poly terrain. This is sufficient to earn the Switch 2 a decent grade, however with limitations since Game Freak has its own problems that amplify limited hardware.

Age of Imprisonment as the More Challenging Hardware Challenge

There is now a tougher hardware challenge, however, thanks to Age of Imprisonment, launched earlier this month. The latest Musou title tests the new console because of its hack-and-slash gameplay, which has players facing off against a literal army of monsters at all times. The franchise's last installment, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, performed poorly on the first Switch as the system couldn't handle with its fast-paced action and numerous on-screen elements. It often fell below its target 30fps and created the sensation that you were overwhelming the system when fighting intensely.

The good news is that it likewise clears the hardware challenge. I've been putting the release thoroughly in recent weeks, playing every single mission it has to offer. Throughout this testing, the results show that it achieves a smoother performance compared to its earlier title, reaching its sixty frames goal with better regularity. It sometimes drops in the most intense combat, but I haven't experienced any time when it becomes a stuttering mess as the performance struggles. Some of this might be due to the fact that its compact stages are careful not to put excessive numbers of foes on the battlefield concurrently.

Significant Trade-offs and General Evaluation

There are still foreseeable trade-offs. Especially, cooperative multiplayer sees performance taking a noticeable decrease closer to the 30 fps range. It's also the initial Nintendo-developed title where there's a clear a significant contrast between older OLED technology and the updated LCD screen, with notably in story sequences appearing less vibrant.

Overall though, Age of Imprisonment is a night and day difference versus its earlier title, similar to Pokémon Legends: Z-A is to Pokémon Legends: Arceus. If you need evidence that the Switch 2 is meeting its hardware potential, even with some caveats remaining, these titles provide a clear example of how Nintendo's latest is significantly improving franchises that had issues on old hardware.