It's always cool to check out the games that arrived at the start and the end of a console's lifespan. As developers become more savvy with the hardware and find ways to skirt around its limitations, the games begin to look and play a lot better. By the end of the console's cycle, developers have managed to make the hardware truly sing, making some of the best games the console has ever seen.

It seems we're seeing something similar with the Switch 2, which has only been out for just over a month now. Its newest big blockbuster hit is Donkey Kong Bananza, and Nintendo has straight up admitted that you're going to see some performance issues while playing the game due to how it was developed.

Donkey Kong Bananza won't be as smooth as some people may like

This information comes from an interview with the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia. The interview involved the game's producer, Kenta Motokura, and the director, Kazuya Takahashi. La Vanguardia sat down with both of them and pitched questions about the game to see how it was made and what people can expect from Bananza.

The interview starts off pretty standard, but things take an interesting turn when the interviewer asks about the performance of the game, stating that they noticed frame drops while playing the game. They then asked if Nintendo knows about this issue, and Takahashi replied thusly (machine translated):

Takahashi: There are several factors to consider. First, we intentionally used effects like hit-stop and slow motion to emphasize impacts. Second, because we use voxel technology, there are times when there are major changes and destruction in the environment. We're aware that performance may drop slightly at these times. However, as you say, overall the game is smooth, and at points where large-scale changes occur, we prioritized fun and playability.

The voxel technology is one of the game's biggest draws. If you're unsure, voxels are, essentially, 3D pixels. Imagine a world constructed with teeny-tiny Minecraft-like blocks, and you have a good idea as to what a voxel is. Creating a world with voxels allows players to create and destroy things in impressive ways, but keeping track of all those tiny cubes can take a toll on performance. As such, if you make a massive dent in the world of Bananza, it may end up being too much for the Switch 2 to handle and cause a performance drop.

Hopefully, as the developers (including the ones at Nintendo) get to grips with how to improve performance, we'll see less of these issues during the Switch 2's lifespan. However, for the time being, it's best to enjoy the game for what it is. And if you're interested in what's next for Nintendo's handheld, check out these three new Nintendo Switch 2 games everybody will pick up in 2025, with Donkey Kong Bananza's release marking off one on that list.