Nintendo has recently compared the load times of the Switch 1 and 2 versions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, showcasing how much quicker the Switch 2 edition of the popular title is. The Zelda ports for the Nintendo Switch 2 will come with a few interesting features, and enhanced performance is one of the most useful ones.

Released in 2017 and 2023, respectively, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have been among the most successful games released for the original Nintendo Switch. Soon after release, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom received glowing reviews, selling millions of units each, and are still considered among the best Switch games. Earlier this month, both games were confirmed as Switch 2 launch titles during the Nintendo Direct.

Now, during the Nintendo Treehouse event, the developers shared a scene showing some of the improvements of the Switch 2 port of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. In the video, it’s possible to see how long the loading time after fast travel takes. The Switch 1 version of the game takes a full 24 seconds to complete both the loading times and the animation, while the Switch 2 port only takes 16 seconds. When considering that the game’s animation for teleporting is unchanged, the actual black loading screen goes from 13 to around five seconds on the Switch 2 version, an incredible improvement.

Zelda: Breath of the Wild Loading Times Are Much Faster on the Nintendo Switch 2

This is not the only change that both Zelda games will have on the Switch 2, though. Nintendo also revealed that the two Zelda games will get achievements on the Switch 2, which will track the player’s activity in the world. These will not be in-game achievements, however, and will require the use of the Nintendo Switch App.

Other interesting Zelda features available on the Nintendo Switch App will include the Zelda Notes function, which will improve navigation during gameplay, and help folks find hidden items and places. The Voice Memories feature will expand on The Legend of Zelda’s lore, and other important tools, such as Autobuild Sharing, will let gamers share creations in Tears of the Kingdom.

The two Zelda titles will be only some of the Nintendo Switch 2 launch games. One of the launch titles will be the first-party Mario Kart World, which promises a fast-paced open-world kart game with races having up to 24 players. The rest of the list includes ports from popular titles such as Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, Hitman: World of Assassination, Hogwarts Legacy, and others.

Nintendo Switch 2

Brand

Nintendo

Operating System

Proprietary

Storage

256GB internal / MicroSD

Resolution

1080p (handheld) / 4K (docked)

App Store

Nintendo eShop

Wi-Fi

Yes

Expand