Here's how every Hyrule Warriors game runs on Switch 2 – Age of Calamity, Imprisonment, and Definitive Edition

When I first started doing backward compatibility articles to cover many RPG series following the Switch 2's launch, I tackled Ys, Shin Megami Tensei, Persona, Dragon Quest, SaGa, Xenoblade Chronicles, Fire Emblem, and more. I always wanted to write about both the Hyrule Warriors games, but kept wondering if I should wait and do a bigger Zelda article. This week, Nintendo and Koei Tecmo's AAA Studio are launching Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment worldwide for Nintendo Switch 2. As we got closer to this week's launch, I decided it was the right time to tackle both Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity alongside the new release to see how backward compatibility helps both older titles and also my thoughts on the series' first Switch 2-exclusive entry. As with my earlier features going over different franchises, I will be comparing load times, performance, and more when testing on Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch.

How does Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment run on Nintendo Switch 2?

My digital pre-order unlocked about six hours ago and I've basically spent the entire time playing Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. It makes a great first impression with good image quality handheld and mostly solid performance in the opening hour. I want to note that the cut-scenes appear softer than the gameplay when played docked for some reason. I'm not sure if this is something that can be improved or not, but it is quite obvious when playing on a 1440p display. It didn't bother me as much when playing handheld.

As James covered in his review, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment does not deliver a perfect 60fps experience, and based on my time with the opening hours, it is much better than I expected. This might be because Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity made me expect the worst, but I have no issues with the performance or visuals during gameplay in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment so far. Beyond that, I want to make a note of the great rumble implementation. I thought it was very good out of the box, but there's an in-game setting to increase the intensity. I set this to maximum and thought it was a lot better during attacks and even movement.

Note: The images above were captured via a 4K capture card.

Speaking of changing settings, I recommend you change the camera movement speed as soon as you can (after the tutorial when you get the Special Ration item) because the default is very sluggish compared to what I'm used to when I play Warriors games. 

While I'm happy with the performance so far, some aspects of the visuals can leave a lot to be desired. When playing on my 1440p monitor, it lacks proper anti-aliasing and texture filtering. This is very noticeable on the ground and in foliage during movement. I got used to it, but I was hoping to see Koei Tecmo's first Switch 2-exclusive be a bit better technically. The good news is the character models look great and the particle effects really pop on the screen. Usually, Warriors game screenshots always feature over-the-top effects and combat. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment surprised me by actually delivering what it showcased in promotional material during actual gameplay with great particle effects.

Note: The images above were captured via the Switch 2 system capture functionality. 

As for load times, I was a bit surprised that the initial load was very long, but I realized that Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment smartly loads more initially so when you want to get into the map and scroll around, it is quicker. It still takes longer than Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, but is a marked improvement in every way over Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.

Note: The load times above are in seconds. This test has been done with the Switch 2 version installed on the internal storage on my Switch 2.

How does Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition run on Nintendo Switch 2?

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition was funnily enough, a game that rendered at 1080p even handheld on the original Switch. This means it downsampled to the 720p display from 1080p and was 1080p while docked as well. The end result of this was unstable performance with a 60fps target (and some rare crashing that never got fixed), but it was still a much better experience than playing it on Wii U on New 3DS. The load times even on Switch 1 are quite fast, but Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition remains one of the biggest winners on Switch 2 via backward compatibility. This is because it now hits 1080p 60fps handheld delivering an incredible portable Warriors experience with almost too much quality content. 

Note: The images above were captured via a 4K capture card.

As for load times, the Switch 2 cuts most of the loading by a good amount. You can find the results below.

Note: The load times above are in seconds. If you play docked, there will be an additional 2-3 second load for selecting your controller. This is not present handheld. The results above for dashboard to title screen are done handheld. This test has been done with the Switch version installed on the internal storage on Switch 2 and on the SD Card on Switch OLED.

What we want from a Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade

I doubt Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition is getting patched given its age, but I'd love to see 1440 or 4K support added for docked play in addition to HDR in a potential Switch 2 update or upgrade. Beyond any potential updates or patches, Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition remains the best and most complete handheld Warriors game you can play on Switch 2 right now. I look forward to seeing how I feel about Age of Imprisonment once I finish playing it over the coming weeks.

How does Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity run on Nintendo Switch 2?

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is easily one of the worst performing games I've played on Switch 1. I could deal with Pokemon Violet, but I just gave up on Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity after a few hours until much later when I decided to try it again. I never finished it on Switch and I was most curious about how it would feel on Switch 2. The result is mostly good, but there's room for improvement. 

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity on Switch is not a game I would recommend to anyone right now, but on Switch 2, it delivers a good experience with rough visuals. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity unfortunately had a 30fps cap on Switch 1 so it cannot run above 30fps on Switch 2. Playing Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity on Switch 2 does result in faster loading compared to Switch, but there isn't much improvement with other technical aspects. The shimmering and aliasing during gameplay are still present even when played on Switch 2 via backward compatibility.

Note: The images above were captured via a 4K capture card.

Note: The load times above are in seconds. This test has been done with the Switch version installed on the internal storage on Switch 2 and on the SD Card on Switch OLED.

The load time improvement is welcome when playing the Switch version via Switch 2 internal storage, but I wish it was faster for actual battles. 

What we want from a Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity feels a lot better on Switch 2 compared to Switch 1, but it is still 30fps with subpar visuals that have a lot of shimmering during gameplay. A higher resolution and uncapped frame rate in a potential patch would help out a ton, but I don't see it happening given they want to showcase and promote Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment now.

Hopefully I get to revisit this article in the future through more Zelda Warriors games or even potential updates and upgrades for existing ones.