NVIDIA Tegra239 SoC Confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2; First Chip Image Emerges

It seems like Nintendo’s Switch 2 has once again tapped into NVIDIA’s technical prowess, mirroring the strategy of its predecessor, as glimpses of the chip have surfaced online for the first time.

With the debut of Nintendo’s next-gen console, the Switch 2, we’ve finally got a peek into its powerhouse features, including capabilities like a 4K 60 FPS output when docked. Yet, details on the chipset driving these specs remained under wraps—until now. Nintendo partnered with NVIDIA, relying on its bespoke Tegra SoCs, leading us to believe the device is equipped with NVIDIA’s latest Tegra239 chip. This speculation has turned into confirmation with @Kurnalsalts sharing a snapshot of the chip, distinctly marked “T239”.

There isn’t much else in the tweet to go on, so we’re turning to prior insights regarding the SoC’s specs. It reportedly boasts eight Arm Cortex-A78C cores, blends a GPU with Ada Lovelace and Ampere tech, and is packed with 1536 CUDA cores. Expected clock speeds range from 1.1 GHz to 1.5 GHz, depending on whether the unit is docked. This model also supports a 128-bit LPDDR5 memory interface.

Although information about the Tegra239 is scant, one thing is clear: the SoC’s support for DLSS upscaling is a game-changer, allowing the console to deliver enhanced performance. For those craving a deeper dive into the specs, check out our comprehensive post where we explore the intricacies of this new device. NVIDIA’s Tegra239 chip proves its dedication to advanced ASIC development is unwavering, maintaining a unique collaboration with ARM and Nintendo.

The lingering question is when NVIDIA will reveal its chip tailored for the AI PC scene, a project rumored to be in the works for over a year. Their anticipated collaboration with MediaTek on an ARM-centric SoC—potentially the N1X and N1 series—remains in the air, with no fresh updates on the horizon.