Amid all the hubbub surrounding the Nintendo Switch 2, the Japanese company has yet to dig into the nitty-gritty details about the hardware powering the bloody thing. Nvidia has come to the rescue, confirming certain aspects about the device’s abilities that have us, and likely everybody else, keen to hit that 5 June release.
Both Nintendo and Nvidia are still skirting around the exact chipset used in the next-gen console, although we know that it features a “custom” Nvidia chip, thanks to a recent blog post.
“The Nintendo Switch 2, unveiled April 2, takes performance to the next level, powered by a custom Nvidia processor featuring an Nvidia GPU with dedicated RT (ray tracing) Cores and Tensor Cores for stunning visuals and AI-driven enhancements,” it said.
OMG, DLSS, AI, & VRR – FYI
Those RT cores will handle real-time ray tracing, bringing the sort of shadows and in-game lighting you’d normally only see outside of your Mario Kart game. But who has the time for that? Arguably more important is the inclusion of Nvidia’s DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) tech, which uses the tensor cores and AI to upscale the resolution without massively impacting the Switch 2’s performance natively.
It won’t just be making The Legend of Zelda look prettier than before; those cores will be employed when using Game Chat, AI-powered face tracking, and background removal to make those video chats slightly more hideous than they would be otherwise. You will, of course, need access to the Nintendo Camera first.
Read More: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is headed to the Switch 2 – just not in the way you think
Nvidia will also deliver a variable refresh rate (VRR) to the console through G-Sync, but not while the console is docked. G-Sync is reserved for the Switch 2’s handheld mode, ensuring “ultra-smooth, tear-free gameplay.”
It’s not all just about the consumer – at least not yet. Nvidia reckons that developers will see “improved game engines, better physics, and optimized APIs for faster, more efficient game creation.” We doubt that it’ll speed up Nintendo’s fierce quality control processes, but it might just mean Activision can pump out Call of Duty titles at a quicker rate. Don’t be surprised if you see one of those released on Nintendo’s hardware as soon as this year.
