In the midst of countless gameplay previews dropping for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, it seems a few lucky early players have managed to get a feel for its visual performance. And it just might be exactly what was expected.
Following six years of development, including four years of sparse advertising, a one-year delay, and even some pre-release awards, the ambitious and sought-after Tears of the Kingdom is finally within reach. Many in the video game journalism community have been able to test out its new mechanics, such as crafting vehicles, fusing weapons, and even bending the laws of physics. Several aspects of the last game appear to be back as well, from cooking, to weapon durability, to even the infamous Korok Seed quest.
It appears the slightly dodgy performance is another returning aspect from the previous game. Many critics are reporting a stable performance throughout the extended demo, with some even noting its improvement over Breath of the Wild, while others noted some significant frame drops during hectic moments. As reported by Nintendo World Report and Nintendo Life, the game's base resolution is identical to the last game's, being 1600 x 900 (900p) and running at 30fps, even while docked, resulting in an unobtrusive performance during gameplay. The specs are notably the same even on the newer Switch OLED model, which Tears of the Kingdom can be bundled with. Currently, it is unknown how the game will run in the Switch's handheld/tabletop mode, but it wouldn't be surprising if that's also the same as before. Of course, all of this could be incongruous to the final release, as it is only demo.
In addition to its weapon durability, minimalist story, and the ease at which it can be broken, a common complaint about Tears of the Kingdom's predecessor also had to do with its resolution, especially in the Wii U version. Many players and critics noted significant frame drops in more populated areas of Breath of the Wild's immense map, such as the various towns and especially inside the Korok Forest. The consensus seems to be that the best and most stable way to enjoy the game is to play the Nintendo Switch version undocked, so it's likely that such a consensus would apply to the next game too.
Many fans were probably expecting at least a slightly more stable performance in this game. Perhaps this is a sign that the Switch is in need of an often-rumored upgrade soon, but with even the base console still selling remarkably well and Nintendo repeatedly shutting down rumors, it's unknown when we will see it.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will drop on Nintendo Switch on May 12th, 2023.
Sources: Nintendo World Report | Nintendo Life
