In a recent blog post, NVIDIA has revealed more information on the custom GPU that’s powering the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 which is capable of Ray Tracing along with using upscaling technologies like DLSS. NVIDIA describes the GPU on the Switch 2 as a “custom Nvidia processor featuring an Nvidia GPU with dedicated RT Cores and Tensor Cores for stunning visuals and AI-driven enhancements.”
“With 1,000 engineer-years of effort across every element — from system and chip design to a custom GPU, APIs and world-class development tools — the Nintendo Switch 2 brings major upgrades”, NVIDIA states.
The RT cores are mainly for Ray Tracing (including Ray Traced Reflections, Shadows and Global Illumination) while The Tensor cores are responsible for AI-driven upscaling features such as NVIDIA’s DLSS.
Also, there’s this big claim from NVIDIA:
“With 10x the graphics performance of the Nintendo Switch, the Nintendo Switch 2 delivers smoother gameplay and sharper visuals.”
This effectively means that despite being a handheld console, the Nintendo Switch 2 packs quite a punch when it comes to delivering cutting edge graphical performances with industry standard features and scalability. This also makes the Switch 2 easily the most powerful and advanced handheld console to date, which isn’t surprising considering the current gen requirements of gaming.
The Switch 2 features a 7.9-inch LCD screen that can display all games at 1080p resolution, however, the Switch 2 Dock will also be able to output video up to 4K resolution and run games at up to 120fps which is great news for anyone looking to get the best possible visual experience on a handheld.
Nintendo Switch 2 also comes with a ‘C’ button which is used for Chat functionality and utilizes an external camera along with the dedicated microphone present in the Switch 2. Nintendo has claimed that this new technology will be able to filter out all background noise from the player’s voice which definitely sounds both ambitious and exciting.
The Switch 2 will launch on June 5, 2025 and pre-orders will start at retailers in North America from April 9, 2025.
