Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 Edition Review
Summary: An excellent upgrade to an already phenomenal game. The Switch 2 version of Tears of the Kingdom is the definitive way to play the game.
5
Upgraded!
The Switch 2 launched little over a month ago, and in typically Nintendo fashion, arrived with a small, but excellent list of first-party games, along with the usual third-party offerings. Among these home-grown titles are Switch 2 editions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, the two mainline Zelda titles released on the original Switch in 2017 and 2023, respectively.
I looked at Tears of the Kingdom’s Switch 2 upgrade to see what features have been added and the improvements that have been made over the original release.
Tears of the Kingdom serves as a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild. Players revisit Hyrule as Link and Zelda as they try to defeat Ganon as he threatens the kingdom once more. As in Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom features a vast open world, giving players massive amounts of freedom to explore however and wherever they want.
Most obviously, Tears of the Kingdom takes advantage of the vastly improved hardware of the Switch 2. First and foremost, both Zelda titles now run at 60 frames per second in both handheld and docked modes. This change alone would have been enough of a reason to revisit the games for me, it’s that transformative to the experience.
TotK especially benefits from the improved power of the Switch 2. Its original release frequently dropped below its 30fps target in populated areas or when using the Ultrahand ability – TotK’s unique selling point, the ability to weld various objects together to produce vehicles, weaponry, and a myriad of other contraptions.
It’s largely a locked 60fps experience now. The occasionally drop still raises its head, but it’s far less noticeable now and vastly improved overall because of this.
Next up is the game’s resolution. Boosted from a base of 576p in handheld mode up to a max 1080p, making the most of the new, larger, higher definition screen, and 876p all the way up to 1440p in docked mode. This presents a far more pleasant image that upscales nicely on a 4k TV in docked mode, something that the original Switch always struggled with.
The environment is sharper, objects are clearer at a distance, and, thanks to the improved screen, HDR support, and higher resolution textures, colours are brighter, more saturated, and generally more pleasing to look at.
Lastly, in terms of performance, loading times are massively improved thanks to the Switch 2’s faster hardware and storage. Performing a quick side-by-side test in handheld mode, loading times are roughly halved on Switch 2 over the original release.
Perhaps most interesting of the new additions is that of a companion mobile app called Zelda Notes. This unexpectedly well-thought-out app brings quite a lot to the table. It features a real-time map that marks things like shrines and Koroks for the player, as well as voice-guidance to direct the player towards their destination. A Hylian sat-nav of sorts. Voiced character notes can be found and triggered in-game and listened to within the app, all of which are unique to the Zelda Notes and can’t be heard in-game otherwise. This adds welcome context and lore to the story and makes revisiting areas a worthy excursion.
Contraptions made with the Ultrahand can be saved as blueprints and saved to the Zelda Notes app, which can then be shared with other players via a QR code, and items can be deposited into the app and recalled later.
Along with these features (most of which are also available through the same app for Breath of the Wild), there’s a photo editor allowing for the customisation of in-game screenshots, amiibo support, local and global stat tracking, and a daily log-in bonus for extra items.
Nintendo isn’t known for taking things out of their ecosystem, so for an app like this to be released alongside two of their flagship titles, and for it to be surprisingly good, is very welcome.
Final Thoughts?
In short, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Switch 2 Edition is a very worthwhile upgrade to the original. It improves on the base Switch version in every way, being every bit as engaging now as it was when it first launched in 2023. Owners of the original release can upgrade to the Switch 2 edition for £7.99/$20, and newcomers can pick up the game (that still works on Switch) for £66/$109.
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