The Nintendo Switch first launched back in March 2017, making it just over six years old. The Switch was a revolution for handheld gaming, offering top-tier experiences on the go, while also letting players hook up the action to a TV via its dock. Generally speaking, theNintendo Switch’s core handheld gimmickhas taken it very far over these last six years, and along with its excellent library of first-party, third-party, and indie titles, the Switch has continued to bring in the big bucks for Nintendo.The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis just the latest in a long line of games that prove the Switch’s continued value.
But the Nintendo Switch is far from being the perfect console. Even when it released, the Nintendo Switch was technologically inferior to the Xbox One and PS4, and as time has gone on, the Switch has only grown more outdated in terms of its hardware. This has only continued to become more apparent in the last year or so, with gigantic titles likePokemon Scarlet and Violethaving a disastrous launch on the Switch, butThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdommight prove that the Switch still has some life in it yet.
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Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s Performance Proves That The Switch Isn’t Done Just Yet
Towards the end of last year,Pokemon Scarlet and Violethad a pretty disastrous launchon the Nintendo Switch. While the game still received extremely high praise from both critics and fans for its willingness to take the franchise in a bold new direction, it was impossible to avoid the discourse that surrounded the game’s technical failures.
Horrific framerate drops, pop-ins galore, muddy visuals, and frequent crashes were among just some of the technical issues that plaguedPokemon Scarlet and Violeton launch. Though many fans blamed developer Game Freak forPokemon Scarlet and Violet’s poor performance, many believed the root of the problem was the Nintendo Switch and its long-outdated hardware.
Before launch, many fans were sure thatThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomwas going to suffer a similar fate toPokemon Scarlet and Violeton launch, and recent controversies surroundingRedfallandStar Wars Jedi: Survivor’s releasesdidn’t do much to quell the flames. Thankfully, now a good few days fromZelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s release, it seems as though the game actually runs remarkably well on the Switch.
Of course,Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomisn’t without its technical issues, with framerate drops being fairly common and some texture pop-ins when transitioning between the game’s Sky Islands and the ground below them. But for the most part, it looks and runs pretty well. Even ona base Nintendo Switch model,Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomwill mostly run well, and any technical issues that do crop up won’t be there long enough for the player to get too irritated by them.
There’s no denying thatthe Nintendo Switch is a pretty outdated console, butZelda: Tears of the Kingdommight have just proven that it isn’t ready to draw its last breath just yet. With enough development time and expertise, it’s more than possible for high-quality games likeZelda: Tears of the Kingdomto continue releasing on the Switch in an optimized state. Of course, the issue is that many developers don’t have the time or ability to optimize their games to this level. No matter how many excellent first-party titles continue to come to the Switch, it can’t just rely on those to survive.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis available now on Switch.
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