Nvidia Confirms AI and Ray Tracing for Nintendo Switch 2 SoC but Withholds Full Specs

Nintendo certainly turned heads with the big reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2 yesterday. However, despite the buzz, the company has been rather tight-lipped about the chip that makes this new console tick. Thankfully, Nvidia, the partner responsible for the custom chip design, stepped up and shared some intriguing details in a recent blog post.

During a developer roundtable, Switch 2’s technical director, Tetsuya Sasaki, explained that Nintendo generally prefers to keep hardware specifications under wraps. “Our main focus,” he said, “is on what value we can deliver to our consumers.”

Echoing this sentiment, Nvidia is also holding back exact specs like core counts and clock speeds, yet they’ve hinted at some remarkable improvements. They claim the new chip boasts graphics performance that’s ten times better than the original Nintendo Switch.

Key features of this new chip include Nvidia’s RT cores, which support advanced graphics techniques like ray tracing, better lighting, and realistic reflections. Meanwhile, tensor cores play a crucial role in powering DLSS upscaling technology. This means players may enjoy up to 4K visuals when the console is docked and frame rates of up to 120 frames per second when playing in handheld mode.

Nvidia also highlighted that these tensor cores allow for nifty AI-driven features like face tracking and background removal. These showcased spectacularly with the new social GameChat feature and in the games we tested, including Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV. It remains uncertain whether this is the same tech used in Nvidia Broadcast on PCs.

Moreover, the new Switch 2 sports a variable refresh rate (VRR) display powered by G-Sync when in handheld mode, helping to prevent screen tearing and ensuring silky-smooth gameplay.

It’s worth remembering that Nvidia was also behind the original Switch, which utilized a customized version of the Tegra X1. Despite being somewhat dated even at its launch, this chip performed impressively over the years, continually powering new games eight years down the line.

As for what this new chip can really do? Well, that’s something we’re all waiting to see when the Switch 2 hits the shelves on June 5, priced at $449.99. Developers are no doubt eager to explore its potential and we can’t wait to see the results.