Nvidia Confirms AI and Ray Tracing Features for Nintendo Switch 2 SoC, Keeps Exact Specifications Under Wraps

Nintendo recently stirred up excitement with the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, but when it comes to the brains behind the new console, they remained tight-lipped. Fortunately, Nvidia, the company responsible for crafting the custom chip at its core, has shed some light on what’s under the hood in a recent blog post.

At a developer roundtable, Tetsuya Sasaki, the technical director for the Switch 2, made it clear that Nintendo isn’t about to spill the beans on hardware specifics. “Nintendo doesn’t share too much on the hardware spec,” he mentioned. “Our main focus is on delivering value to our customers.”

Following Nintendo’s discreet approach, Nvidia is also keeping details like core counts and speeds close to the chest. However, they assure us that the new chip packs a punch with graphics capabilities that are “10x better than the original Nintendo Switch.”

The improvements come courtesy of Nvidia’s RT cores, enabling hardware ray tracing, enhanced lighting, and reflections. Simultaneously, their tensor cores drive DLSS upscaling, likely helping the Switch 2 achieve impressive 4K visuals when docked and boost frame rates up to 120 fps in handheld mode.

Further showcasing the chip’s prowess, Nvidia confirmed that these tensor cores empower AI features, including face tracking and background removal. This technology plays a part in the new social GameChat feature and is integrated into games like Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV. It’s not entirely clear if this shares technology with Nvidia Broadcast on PC, but it’s an intriguing proposition.

On top of that, Nvidia revealed that the Switch 2’s display boasts variable refresh rates, thanks to G-Sync in handheld mode, ensuring smooth gameplay without screen tearing.

Reflecting on their history, Nvidia also powered the original Switch using a customized Tegra X1 chip. Nintendo got significant performance out of that older technology, allowing it to continue supporting releases even eight years later.

As we approach the Switch 2’s release date of June 5, priced at $449.99, the anticipation builds to see just how much game developers can leverage from this robust new chip.