Pokémon Legends: Z-A is coming to both new and old hardware, leaving fans with an important decision to make. Is it worth upgrading to play it on Switch 2, or will the old version handle well enough? According to one of the first comparison videos of the game running on both consoles, the differences are hardly noticeable outside of it running at 60fps on the newer hardware. That’s good for Switch 1 owners, but a bit underwhelming for those who’ve already bought a Switch 2.
A new 15-minute video published on the YouTube channel ElAnalistaDeBits shows a deep-dive comparison between both versions of the game. On Switch 1, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is capped at a resolution of 1080p and goes down as far as 800p in handheld mode. On Switch 2, it displays up to 2160p, and down to 1080p in handheld. By far the most meaningful difference is the 60fps perk for Switch 2 owners. Every other side-by-side comparison, however, looks pretty similar.
The Switch 2 version appears to sport better shadows, textures, object draw distance, and density of vegetation and other details, but at least when viewed through captured footage uploaded to YouTube, the differences are pretty minor. On the one hand, that’s good news for everyone who will be playing Pokémon Legends: Z-A on the old hardware. On the other hand, it makes it that much harder to stomach the $10 upgrade for the game on Switch 2. The Pokémon Company is essentially charging for a 60fps mode within the new console’s first six months.
“Before vs before,” joked one YouTube commenter. “From Water to H²O,” quipped another.
New Pokémon games always get dragged through the ringer for their lack of graphical prowess as some fans pine for a major visual upgrade on par with the ones some franchises got with the previous Switch hardware. As a cross-gen game, it’s clear Pokémon Legends: Z-A isn’t going to provide that “next-gen-feeling” leap. At the very least, it seems like the Switch 1 version of the game is in better shape than Pokémon Scarlet and Violet were at launch back in 2022. The video doesn’t show off any major glitches or framerate dips. Hopefully, that reflects the experience most players have when the game comes out on October 16.