The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Nintendo EPD · Nintendo · 2023
On the original Switch, Tears of the Kingdom targets 30fps and dips during busy fusion and effects-heavy scenes, yet stays a technical marvel; the Switch 2 edition lifts it to a smoother 60fps with higher docked resolution.
How it runs on each console
Performance modes are estimated from each console's power and the game's demand — deterministic, never guessed.
Nintendo
Nintendo Switch 2
Premium · 256GB UFS
Nintendo Switch OLED
Handheld · 64GB
About The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom pushes the original Nintendo Switch to its limits. It targets 30fps and largely holds it across an enormous open world, a genuine technical achievement on this hardware — but it can dip below that target during elaborate Ultrahand builds, dense particle effects, and busy combat, especially when Zonai devices and physics stack up. Both docked and handheld play at 30fps; docked runs at a higher resolution while handheld drops resolution to stay steady, so handheld can feel smoother during the most demanding moments. There are no Performance or Quality modes to select — the frame target is fixed. The Nintendo Switch 2 edition is the meaningful upgrade: it boosts the game to a smoother 60fps target and a higher docked resolution, transforming the exact fusion and effects scenes that strained the original hardware. HDR isn't the focus on the base Switch; the art direction carries the visuals. As a Nintendo exclusive this runs only on Switch family hardware — but if you own a Switch 2, that edition is the definitive way to experience Hyrule.
Best display & mode settings
- 1On the original Switch there are no display modes to choose — the game targets a fixed 30fps, so set expectations there and enjoy a remarkable technical showcase.
- 2Expect dips below 30 during heavy Ultrahand builds and effect-dense combat; keeping large Zonai contraptions simpler eases the physics load that causes them.
- 3On the base Switch, handheld drops resolution to stay steadier — switch to handheld for the busiest fusion and battle scenes if docked play stutters.
- 4If you own a Nintendo Switch 2, play the Switch 2 edition: it lifts the target to 60fps and raises docked resolution, smoothing exactly the scenes that strained the original.
- 5Use a solid dock connection and your TV's Game Mode to keep input latency low; at a 30fps target, responsive controls make the biggest comfort difference.
FPS values displayed on GamerSpecs are estimates. Actual game performance may vary depending on hardware configuration, drivers, cooling, power limits, background applications, and game updates.