Nintendo Switch 2: Console to offer strong performance thanks to NVIDIA DLSS

The Nintendo Switch hybrid console, which was released in 2017, has been around for a few years now, but we still consider it to be one of the best gaming handhelds. However, the successor in the form of the Nintendo Switch 2 is already in the pipeline. According to rumors, it will be ready in 2025. A leaker has now confirmed once again that the upcoming console will rely on NVIDIA DLSS and thus offer strong performance despite the somewhat outdated hardware.

Nintendo Switch 2: Better performance than Steam Deck

Official details about the Nintendo Switch 2 are still scarce. After the console was initially rumored to be released in 2024, the release is now set for 2025. The rumor mill surrounding the successor to the third best-selling games console of all time is already in full swing.

In his latest video, leaker Moore’s Law is Dead has once again confirmed a rumor that most Switch 2 games will use NVIDIA DLSS AI upscaling technology, according to NVIDIA sources.

Under the hood of the upcoming handheld console will be the NVIDIA Tegra T239 ARM SoC, which was previously rumored to be ready in 2022. The GPU is said to be based on the Ampere series, which we know from the GeForce RTX 3000 models.

It is manufactured using the 8 nm process and is therefore less efficient than the chips in the PS5 Slim or Steam Deck, for example, but is cheaper. However, Nintendo should be able to compensate for this performance disadvantage in another way, as the YouTuber has now confirmed once again.

According to this, the Nintendo Switch 2 will use NVIDIA DLSS AI upscaling technology and will even be able to outperform the Steam Deck in handheld mode. In the dock, it should also be possible to achieve the graphics performance of the Xbox Series S, while ray tracing should also be supported, which would represent a significant leap for the new Nintendo console.

Upscaling provides a performance boost

Via X, the leaker reveals that the information on the specifications of the Nintendo Switch 2 is real and notes in a conversation that the console cannot keep up with the Xbox Series S in terms of basic performance.

Thanks to Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), however, things look different again. This is to be used in almost all games for the new console, according to the statement.

DLSS makes it possible to render games within the GOU in a lower resolution and then scale them to a higher resolution using artificial intelligence. NVIDIA now does this with impressive quality on the PC and, thanks to DLSS 3, allows images to be generated based on AI using frame generation, which further improves performance.

The leaker also reveals that NVIDIA allegedly offered Nintendo various options for the chip used. These included one based on the current Ada Lovelace architecture of the RTX 4000 series. For cost reasons, however, Nintendo decided against it, Moore’s Law is Dead reveals.

How much will the Nintendo Switch 2 cost?

According to the leaker, his source also confirmed most of the specifications of the Nintendo Switch 2, which is said to rely on an octa-core CPU and an Ampere GPU with 1,536 CUDA computing units, as well as 8 GB or 16 GB of RAM.

Of course, these features also have an impact on the price. The leaker is now expecting a recommended retail price of between 399 US dollars and 499 US dollars, which would make the console more expensive than the Xbox Series S at launch. However, these rumors should of course be taken with a grain of salt.

It can be assumed that Nintendo will officially announce the Switch 2 before the end of the year. It could even be just a few days or weeks away.