Update 5/14/25: Digital Foundry has revealed the total specs of the SoC behind the Nintendo Switch. This has confirmed a lot of the rumors in regards to the system, right down to what number of CUDA cores the Tegra T239 has. With this info, we now know quite a bit about how the Nintendo Switch will run when it hits retailer cabinets in June, although we must wait and see how video games will use this highly effective cell {hardware}. Things are trying vivid, although.
Original article:
The Nintendo Switch 2 has lastly been revealed, and whereas it brings large enhancements over the unique console, it doesn’t exist in the identical vacuum that the unique handheld did. With the introduction of units just like the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally X, a ton of handheld gaming techniques on the market can play AAA PC video games on the go.
So, whereas the Switch 2 will mechanically have a distinct segment carved out for being a system that performs, nicely, Nintendo video games like Mario Kart World, anybody that’s shopping for a Switch 2 to play multiplatform video games must reckon with units just like the Steam Deck – particularly with the Switch 2’s $449 price ticket.
Now that Nintendo has given a sneak peek into the {hardware} that’s operating its new console, we are able to check out how precisely it would run, and whether or not or not its 4K guarantees are greater than empty phrases.
Nvidia’s Custom Chip
The SoC (System on a Chip) that runs the Nintendo Switch 2 might be crucial a part of the console. The Nintendo Switch 2 is utilizing “customized Nvidia processor” that helps DLSS and ray tracing, and Digital Foundry has revealed the ultimate specs of the chip. The Nintendo Switch 2 runs on the Nvidia Tegra T239, an APU with a 8-core ARM CPU and an Ampere GPU with 1,536 CUDA cores. For reference, Ampere is the graphics structure behind the RTX 3080 – although it will not be almost that highly effective.
Going all the way in which again to 2023, there have been leaks suggesting that the Nintendo Switch 2 would be using the Nvidia Tegra T239 SoC. [Now confirmed.] This APU makes use of 8 ARM A78C cores, mixed with an Nvidia Ampere GPU with 1,536 CUDA cores. Napkin math places that at 12 Streaming Multiprocessors, which might be considerably smaller than even the smallest Ampere GPU – the RTX 3050 for laptops. However, assuming Nvidia didn’t nerf the Ampere SMs within the T239, every SM would have 4 Tensor Cores and an RT core, making for a complete of 48 and 12, respectively.
To be honest, the Steam Deck is utilizing a customized AMD APU that’s constructed on 8 AMD RDNA 2 GPU cores, which is smaller than what Nintendo is providing right here. But, you must take into account that the Steam Deck has a decrease decision show, and pumps extra energy into it. Plus, AMD Z2 processors are popping out over the following 12 months, with the Z2 Extreme that includes 16 RDNA 3.5 GPU cores, which might be an enormous improve. Though, techniques with that chipset are going to be a lot costlier than the Switch 2.
That small of a GPU principally makes 4K gaming an impossibility natively, however as a result of the Tensor Cores are there, DLSS goes to be a significant component in how the Nintendo Switch performs when docked – assuming that is the SoC that’s truly within the system. However, with so few Tensor Cores, even upscaling to 4K goes to be a stretch in every part however essentially the most light-weight video games.
Instead, most video games are seemingly going to focus on 1080p, even when they don’t natively render at that decision. There are video games like Donkey Kong Bananza that do appear to be rendering at a local 1080p decision, in line with Digital Foundry’s hands-on demos. However, third-party video games like Cyberpunk 2077 appear to be relying closely on upscaling, with native resolutions as little as 540p. I wouldn’t anticipate the Nintendo Switch 2 to ever have the ability to deal with Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K, even with DLSS, although Nintendo will certainly have higher luck with any sport it may get operating natively at 1080p.
The Ampere cores within the T239 even have RT cores, which ought to theoretically enable for hardware-based ray tracing in Nintendo Switch 2 video games. Though, once more, this might be closely constrained by the processor’s 12 RT cores. Ray tracing might be potential, however don’t anticipate any jaw-dropping implementations of the know-how, and particularly don’t anticipate it in video games like Cyberpunk 2077.
Even with RT cores, ray tracing is an especially costly workload for the GPU, and the T239 is restricted by extra than simply its small SM depend – energy is a large limiting issue, too. I spoke with Richard Leadbetter over at Digital Foundry, who informed me that your entire system seemingly consumes as little as 10W, together with the show, the SoC, and the mainboard. We gained’t know precisely what the T239’s precise TDP (thermal design energy) is till somebody finds a strategy to measure it, however it seemingly leaves solely 5-6W for the SoC itself – a 3rd of the ability of the Steam Deck’s AMD APU.
[We now also know how fast the CPU and GPU will run. When its docked, the Nintendo Switch 2 GPU will run at 1,007MHz, just shy of 1GHz. That’s a bit slower than the mobile RTX 3050, the closest existing Ampere GPU on the market right now. However, when running on battery, the speed drops precipitiously, coming down to 561MHz. That’s going to make for a huge difference in gaming performance between the two modes.
The CPU, however, runs faster when in handheld mode, at 1,101MHz, compared to 998MHz when docked. This seems counter intutive, but it likely has something to do with the lower memory bandwidth allocated to the system when in handheld mode, and that’ll be much more impactful to gaming performance.
As for the memory, the Switch 2 will feature 12GB of LPDDR5 memory on a 128-bit, a huge jump from the original Switch. When the system is docked, the Switch 2 will get 102GB/s of memory bandwidth, which will get cut down to 68GB/s in handheld mode. With how important memory bandwidth is to current-generation games, especially those with an open world – looking at you Mario Kart World – this is likely going to have the biggest performance impact.]
However, whereas the Nintendo Switch 2 won’t have the ability to produce the identical quantity of energy as a handheld gaming PC just like the Asus ROG Ally X, that doesn’t imply there gained’t be beautiful video games operating on the system. After all, video games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza look gorgeous, and it goes to indicate how intelligent Nintendo builders are at getting essentially the most out of the {hardware} within the Switch.
After all, the unique Nintendo Switch was powered by the Nvidia Tegra X1, which was constructed on the now-ancient Maxwell graphics structure and solely packed 256 CUDA cores. Ampere is orders of magnitude extra environment friendly than Maxwell even on its finest days, and there are six instances extra cores within the Switch 2’s GPU. The Nintendo Switch 2 needs to be manner sooner than the unique console, which bodes nicely for cross-generation ports like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Battery Life
While a complete system energy finances of 10W means the system isn’t fairly as quick because it could possibly be, it does imply the battery could have a a lot better time maintaining. Nintendo has come out and stated it ought to final round 2 hours at a minimal. That’s lower than was quoted for the unique Switch, however that shouldn’t be too stunning, because of its higher-resolution show and extra highly effective processor.
The Nintendo Switch 2 has a 5,220mAh battery, a big step up from the 4,310mAh battery within the authentic console. That’s a large bounce, and if its battery has the identical voltage of the unique Switch, that may equate to round 19Whr. That’s a smaller battery than the Steam Deck, which might be why Nintendo quotes an analogous battery life to the Steam Deck, regardless of its much less power-hungry processor.
Nintendo most likely might have put a extra highly effective battery within the Switch 2, however its choice seemingly got here right down to dimension constraints. There’s solely a lot battery that’ll match whereas retaining the identical thickness as the unique Nintendo Switch, in spite of everything.
The Display
The most putting distinction at first look between the Switch and Switch 2 might be going to be the show. While it doesn’t have the OLED display that made the Switch OLED such a marvel, the show is greater and has the next decision. The Nintendo Switch 2 sports activities a 7.9-inch LCD show with a decision of 1920×1080 with HDR 10 assist. The show can be quick, supporting variable refresh fee as much as 120Hz. That’s actually a bit overkill contemplating the silicon powering the factor, however it does imply that older video games or indie titles will really feel extraordinarily clean – assuming they’ve unlocked body charges. 120Hz can be a helpful refresh fee for video games that focus on 40fps since that makes for a clear ratio that gained’t lead to extreme stuttering.
Nintendo hasn’t launched any details about the brightness of the show, however the HDR 10 certification means it must not less than have a peak brightness of 1,000 nits, so it’s going to be a vivid display. We don’t know precisely how coloration efficiency will end up both, however Nintendo does declare that it helps WCG, or Wide Color Gamut.
The show might be going to be the factor that lifts the Nintendo Switch 2 above its rivals. The Steam Deck LCD has an 800p show with a peak brightness of 400 nits, and it doesn’t assist WCG. The Steam Deck OLED does provide a a lot nicer show, however it’s nonetheless an 800p show. The Nintendo Switch 2 display can be an enormous improve over the unique, which had a 6.2-inch, 720p LCD show.
Is the Nintendo Switch 2 a Worthy Upgrade?
In a vacuum, the Nintendo Switch 2 is massively higher than the unique Nintendo Switch. It’s leagues sooner, has a display that’s larger, brighter and sharper, and has Joy-Con that you just don’t need to wrestle with to disconnect. The solely drawback is that the Switch doesn’t exist in a vacuum anymore.
There are a ton of handheld gaming techniques on the market now, and whereas most of them are costlier than the $449 Nintendo Switch 2, they seemingly provide a greater gameplay expertise in multi-platform video games. The actual enchantment of the Switch 2 goes to be Nintendo’s catalog of first-party video games, similar to with the unique console. Nintendo is understood for making nice video games that benefit from its – comparatively – weak {hardware}. If you’re the kind of gamer that falls in love with Nintendo video games, then the Nintendo Switch 2 makes plenty of sense. However, in case you’re simply going to get this factor to play Cyberpunk or Elden Ring on the practice, there are higher gaming handheld choices on the market.
Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC elements queen. You can comply with her @Jackiecobra
