Rumors suggest Switch 2 hardware won’t match PS5 and Xbox Series X, but Zelda fans are unbothered after the wizardry Nintendo managed with Tears of the Kingdom – Gamesradar
The Nintendo Switch might not be the most powerful console, but it can still do some seriously impressive stuff
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Nintendo has yet to confirm just how much power Switch 2 is packing, despite rumors that it won’t come close to matching the PS5 and Xbox Series X. However, The Legend of Zelda fans argue that the fact that Tears of the Kingdom can run as well as it does on 2017 hardware proves that “people are underestimating what Nintendo will be able to do” with the new console. I’m no game dev, but to me, Tears of the Kingdom feels as close to magic as you could possibly get with a video game. I can’t even fathom the technical wizardry that went into it – from the endlessly innovative Ultrahand ability to the massive open world that allows you to seamlessly travel between three enormous layers of the map on what’s now (comparatively to its competition) a very underpowered console. It’s this latter point that fans are highlighting now that the debate about the Switch 2’s potential power is in full swing. For context, leaks and rumors up to this point have suggested that the Switch 2 could be about as powerful as the PS4 – an internal Activision email which surfaced in 2023 suggested it’d be “closer” to this mark in terms of its performance. Some rumors have claimed it could be about as powerful as the PS4 Pro, although it’s worth noting that The Verge’s Tom Warren recently referred to this as “the funniest” rumor of them all, so if he knows something we don’t, it strongly suggests that might not be true. Regardless, not everyone is immediately impressed by these claims, but others think this would still give Nintendo plenty of extra power to work with, especially considering what it’s been able to pull off on the Switch. “People complaining that the ‘Switch 2 is merely as powerful as a PS4 Pro’ is so funny to me because if the Switch, underpowered as it is, could do THIS without glitching, imagine what the Switch 2 can do,” one fan writes on Twitter, sharing a clip of Link diving through the sky and into the Depths in Tears of the Kingdom. people complaining that the “switch two is merely as powerful as a ps4 pro” is so funny to me because if the switch, underpowered as it is, could do THIS without glitching, imagine what the switch 2 can do pic.twitter.com/tD4ubBE9MtJanuary 20, 2025Another player has taken things a step further: “Here’s the best example of this,” they say. “From the highest possible point in the game down to nearly the deepest. Three layers of open-world map seamlessly loading on the Switch. People are underestimating what Nintendo will be able to do with this new hardware.” Here’s the best example of this. From the highest possible point in the game down to nearly the deepest. 3 layers of open world map seamlessly loading on the switch. people are underestimating what Nintedo will be able to do with this new hardware. https://t.co/JKFb362P11 pic.twitter.com/MRcU0f7j78January 20, 2025While no concrete specs have been revealed yet, one indie dev who made the last eShop games to release on the Wii U and 3DS has shared an analysis of the apparent Mario Kart 9 footage in the reveal trailer, and his thoughts are promising. Amongst other things, he believes the unique textures visible in it are “extremely telling that this system is significantly more powerful” than the Switch 1 – here’s hoping that that’s the case. The Switch 2 Joy-Cons snap onto the console in a whole new way, but Nintendo has been considering using magnets since the OG Switch, as its producer confirmed almost 8 years ago.Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and moreI’m one of GamesRadar+’s news writers, who works alongside the rest of the news team to deliver cool gaming stories that we love. After spending more hours than I can count filling The University of Sheffield’s student newspaper with Pokemon and indie game content, and picking up a degree in Journalism Studies, I started my career at GAMINGbible where I worked as a journalist for over a year and a half. I then became TechRadar Gaming’s news writer, where I sourced stories and wrote about all sorts of intriguing topics. In my spare time, you’re sure to find me on my Nintendo Switch or PS5 playing through story-driven RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking old Pokemon games, or going for a Victory Royale in Fortnite.The biggest loser in Zelda: Majora’s Mask finally ends its 25-year losing streak, as 30,000 brute-force attempts finally debunk the myth of Blue DogThe massive DLC nobody saw coming is an expansion for Lil Gator Game, a more adorable spin on Zelda and one of my favorite cozy indie games”With Arc Raiders, we wanted to lean into some of the contemporary conversations around robots and AI”: Embark Studios talk creating an extraction shooter with biteGamesRadar+ is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.©
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