Nintendo executive addresses The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom performance on Switch 2

A Nintendo executive has shared new insight into how The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will perform on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 console, officially revealed during the April 2 Nintendo Direct. Both The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will receive enhanced "Switch 2 Editions," boasting significantly improved frame rates and resolution.

While The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was already considered a technical marvel on the original Nintendo Switch—pushing the hardware to its limits while maintaining solid visuals—performance dips were occasionally noticeable, especially during complex builds or in areas like the Korok Forest. Now, with the more powerful Switch 2, those issues might become a thing of the past.

Switch 2 Dramatically Reduces Frame Rate Issues
 

Thanks to the upgraded hardware in the Nintendo Switch 2, both Zelda titles will feature faster load times and smoother overall gameplay. In an interview with Nintendo Life, Nate Bihldorff, Nintendo of America's Senior Vice President of Product Development & Publishing, shared his experience playing the upgraded versions.

When asked whether he had noticed any frame rate drops during gameplay, Bihldorff said: “I haven't, to be honest.” He explained that he tested some of the most performance-intensive scenarios, including visiting Korok Forest in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and recreating complex player-made contraptions in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Even with these stress tests, he hadn't encountered any performance issues.

Despite the major improvements, Bihldorff acknowledged that some edge cases might still strain the system—particularly involving The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s ambitious Autobuild feature:

“Nothing's perfect, especially with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The amount of stuff you can do in that game is impossible to predict because of the access they've given you to building things... There probably are still gonna be ways that you can go beyond the stress of the system, but I haven’t found any.”

With players known for pushing game engines to their limits—building mechs, missile launchers, and other wild inventions—it’s not out of the question that someone may find a way to break the game’s performance. Still, the majority of players can expect a noticeably smoother and more responsive experience on the new console.

Both The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are confirmed to run at 4K resolution and 60 FPS on the Switch 2, delivering a major visual and performance upgrade for fans. With a release date set for June 5, 2025, players can look forward to exploring Hyrule like never before.

Don't forget to use our price comparator tool to find the best deals for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom when the enhanced editions arrive alongside the Nintendo Switch 2!