The upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 brings substantial upgrades over its forerunner, though a modded variant of the original Switch OLED demonstrates that minor hardware adjustments could have narrowed the performance gap in specific scenarios.
A YouTube analysis by naga highlights side-by-side evaluations of boot times, portable/docked gameplay, and battery efficiency between the base model and an enhanced Switch OLED. The modified unit features an overclocked processor (1707 MHz) and graphics chip (1724 MHz), expanded 8 GB memory, a 8600 mAh power cell, and optimized thermal management to handle increased demands.
While titles like The Witcher 3 and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom load quicker on Switch 2, the disparity lessens in games such as Hogwarts Legacy. Performance metrics across backward-compatible titles remain closer than expected: GRID Autosport in handheld mode performs nearly identically on both devices, though the Switch 2 benefits from superior CPU efficiency for steadier framerates. Docked gameplay on the modded OLED model achieves near-60 FPS in Zelda: Breath of the Wild, albeit at reduced resolution compared to its successor.
Unofficial enhancements reveal even starker contrasts in unoptimized titles. Pokémon Legends: Arceus hits 60 FPS on the modded Switch versus a capped 30 FPS on Switch 2. Similarly, Metroid Prime Remastered runs flawlessly at 1440p/60 FPS with modifications, while Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy doubles its framerate to 60 FPS compared to the unpatched Switch 2 version.
Though unfair for unpatched comparisons, this evaluation underscores how hardware constraints like restricted memory impacted the original Switch. The Switch 2’s advanced architecture eliminates such bottlenecks, enabling efficient ports of demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Star Wars Outlaws, and the upcoming Resident Evil Requiem. The latter, in particular, has stunned developers with its seamless performance on the new hardware.
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