Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is at the front line of the debate over the Nintendo Switch 2's computing power, because if the Switch 1 can load three worlds at once, imagine what its sequel can do

Nintendo has yet to confirm just how much power Switch 2 is packing, despite rumors that it won't come close to matching the PS5 and Xbox Series X. However, The Legend of Zelda fans argue that the fact that Tears of the Kingdom can run as well as it does on 2017 hardware proves that "people are underestimating what Nintendo will be able to do" with the new console. 

I'm no game dev, but to me, Tears of the Kingdom feels as close to magic as you could possibly get with a video game. I can't even fathom the technical wizardry that went into it – from the endlessly innovative Ultrahand ability to the massive open world that allows you to seamlessly travel between three enormous layers of the map on what's now (comparatively to its competition) a very underpowered console. It's this latter point that fans are highlighting now that the debate about the Switch 2's potential power is in full swing. 

For context, leaks and rumors up to this point have suggested that the Switch 2 could be about as powerful as the PS4 – an internal Activision email which surfaced in 2023 suggested it'd be "closer" to this mark in terms of its performance. Some rumors have claimed it could be about as powerful as the PS4 Pro, although it's worth noting that The Verge's Tom Warren recently referred to this as "the funniest" rumor of them all, so if he knows something we don't, it strongly suggests that might not be true. Regardless, not everyone is immediately impressed by these claims, but others think this would still give Nintendo plenty of extra power to work with, especially considering what it's been able to pull off on the Switch. 

"People complaining that the 'Switch 2 is merely as powerful as a PS4 Pro' is so funny to me because if the Switch, underpowered as it is, could do THIS without glitching, imagine what the Switch 2 can do," one fan writes on Twitter, sharing a clip of Link diving through the sky and into the Depths in Tears of the Kingdom. 

Another player has taken things a step further: "Here's the best example of this," they say. "From the highest possible point in the game down to nearly the deepest. Three layers of open-world map seamlessly loading on the Switch. People are underestimating what Nintendo will be able to do with this new hardware." 

While no concrete specs have been revealed yet, one indie dev who made the last eShop games to release on the Wii U and 3DS has shared an analysis of the apparent Mario Kart 9 footage in the reveal trailer, and his thoughts are promising. Amongst other things, he believes the unique textures visible in it are "extremely telling that this system is significantly more powerful" than the Switch 1 – here's hoping that that's the case. 

The Switch 2 Joy-Cons snap onto the console in a whole new way, but Nintendo has been considering using magnets since the OG Switch, as its producer confirmed almost 8 years ago.