Nintendo Switch 2 Features Support for Hardware Ray-Tracing, Nvidia DLSS

During a hardware-focused discussion, Nintendo officials have disclosed that the upcoming Switch 2 console may incorporate Nvidia’s DLSS technology for image upscaling, along with ray tracing capabilities. According to IGN, Takuhiro Dohta, a senior director within Nintendo’s Entertainment Planning & Development Division, shared insights on some of the features this new console might possess.

In simpler terms, Dohta stated, “We opt for Nvidia’s DLSS upscaling tech when creating our games because it’s already advanced and proven.” This means that rather than developing their own AI-based image enhancer, Nintendo is partnering with Nvidia to utilize its existing technology.

The Switch 2 has the ability to reach 4K resolutions when paired with the right TV, showcasing its impressive capabilities. However, this potential is in the hands of game developers as to whether they choose to utilize it. They will also decide if they aim for higher resolutions natively or opt for DLSS technology.

As a gamer, I’d say, “When it comes to the hardware, it can display games in 4K on your TV, but whether the game developers opt to use this as their native resolution or scale it up is entirely up to them. This flexibility gives developers more creative choices.

Additionally, he verified that the Switch 2 offers hardware-based ray-tracing for enhanced lighting effects. Yet, he underscores the fact that developers will have the final say in utilizing this feature, considering not only the technical expenses but also how it aligns with their creative goals for their respective games.

He confirmed that the GPU indeed has ray tracing capabilities. Just like DLSS, it presents an additional feature for software developers to utilize in their work.

As a curious gamer eagerly awaiting news about the Switch 2, I’ve been pondering over its technical specifications. Yet, when I probed Nintendo’s Tetsuya Sasaki about these details, he chose to keep things under wraps for now, hinting that the company isn’t quite ready to spill the beans just yet.

According to Sasaki, Nintendo isn’t very forthcoming about their hardware details. Instead, they prefer to emphasize the worth they can offer to their customers. However, he thinks that their collaborator, Nvidia, might disclose some specifics.

Nintendo’s official statement, posted on their website, reveals that the Switch 2 utilizes a custom system-on-chip (SoC), which integrates both CPU and GPU components, designed by Nvidia. Previous speculations hinted that this chip could be derived from Nvidia’s Tegra 239 architecture.

On June 5, you’ll find the Nintendo Switch 2 available in stores near you. For a deeper understanding of the technical reasons behind the choice of an LCD screen over an OLED for the new console, have a look at the company’s engineers discussing their rationale behind this decision in more detail.

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2025-04-03 19:12