Faster Performance for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom on Nintendo Switch 2

Alright, so let me just dive right in — the Nintendo Switch 2 or whatever they’re calling it, might just be the best way to experience some of the old favorites, you know, the ones that did really well, like, critically and stuff. Anyway, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, these games were already kinda legendary, right? But now, with the Switch 2, it’s like, wow, they’ve got some kind of magic happening here.

These games stole our hearts (or mine at least) back in the day — 2017 for Breath of the Wild and 2023 for Tears. Doesn’t matter if you’re new to them or you’ve played like a million times, the Switch 2 versions kinda feel like you’re in dreamland. And those old complaints about low resolution and frame rates? Poof, gone. Well, mostly. The loading times, though. Man, they’ve cut them down so much. Like seriously, you don’t have to sit around waiting — it’s noticeable, you know?

So, I did this messy sorta test thing. Five different scenarios, five times each. It sounds nerdy, I know. Used a Switch OLED for the old versions, and then blam! Switch 2 for the new ones. I dunno, maybe it was overkill, but hey, it’s my call.

We checked how fast you can get the game going from the home screen. That eternal save file loading? Yeah, and reloading too — who doesn’t reload? Fast traveling and getting into those shrines, because you’re doing that a ton, right? And oh, do those seconds add up, trust me.

Guess what? The Switch 2 just crushes the original. I mean, the loading times are, like, hacked in half at least, sometimes more. Tears of the Kingdom in particular — it’s just so much faster. Maybe it’s just a better-optimized game, or maybe there’s some witchcraft involved.

Pairing the Nintendo Switch 2 with these new versions of the games — it’s like pushing Zelda into a new era, I guess. Sure, theoretically, you could play the original ones on this new device too, but honestly, who cares? I didn’t even bother checking those load times yet. Maybe I will, maybe I won’t — it’s on the list.

Anyway, these new editions are smooth, slick, all that good stuff. And if you’ve somehow not explored the latest version of Hyrule, you’re kinda missing out. But there’s a catch, isn’t there always? That extra $10, either for the games or the fancy Nintendo Switch Online expansion thing — what a world, right? But I’d say, if you’re into it, it might just be worth it.