We still don’t know much about the Nintendo Switch successor, but whatever form it takes, it might struggle to release in 4K.
Sources reportedly told Digital Foundry that the Nvidia T239 custom chip rumored to be in the next iteration of the Nintendo Switch does not include deep learning accelerator (DLA) capability, which could have a big impact on its DLSS scaling capabilities. With DLA, DLSS scaling would effectively be “free”, or at least require a little less CPU power. Without it, the Switch 2 could be limited to 1080p, or “possibly 1440p if you’re lucky, depending on the game.”
These estimates are based on generally equivalent material and remain far from being confirmed. However, this could potentially hurt the capabilities of the Switch 2, which is rumored to be in the range of the Xbox Series S.
DLSS (which stands for Deep Learning Super Sampling) has been at the center of rumors surrounding a potential Switch 2 for over a year now, with early references to DLSS and the Tegra 239 graphics chip as potential Switch 2 features appearing in the massive NVIDIA hack that occurred in March 2022. Earlier this month, Digital Foundry published an in-depth and detailed analysis of the rumored custom processor and its likely capabilities.
Nintendo, for its part, has remained tight-lipped on the subject, with president Shuntaro Furukawa denying rumors that it had demonstrated the new hardware to partners. Rumors continue to swirl around the new platform, which is expected to be revealed next year. In an NVC column earlier this year, we explored some of the worst-case scenarios for the Switch 2, including the possibility that it might not be backwards compatible.
We would like to know more in the new year. In the meantime, check out our guide to everything we know about Switch 2.
Charlie Wacholz is a freelance writer at IGN.
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