Switch 2 Rumored to Boast Major Power Upgrade Over Original Model

The footage of Mario Kart at the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal hints at a more powerful console than its predecessor. The improved lighting and textures suggest enhanced resolution and variety. Yet, Nintendo hasn’t officially disclosed the full specs of the new system.

When the Nintendo Switch 2 was unveiled, it sparked a flurry of speculation about what kind of performance upgrades it might bring. Although Nintendo hasn’t spilled the beans on its exact specifications yet, the sharp eyes of fans have spotted some clues. Judging by the reveal footage, the console’s capabilities seem to be a significant step up from the previous version.

The trailer released on January 16 confirmed several anticipated features, like the larger screen size and additional buttons, but stayed mum on hardware specifics. The clip mainly highlighted the console’s backwards compatibility. Yet, for keen observers, hints of superior performance were hard to miss.

Indie game dev Jerrel Dulay, through a detailed analysis on his YouTube channel, argued that the Mario Kart clips point to the Switch 2 being much mightier than the original console. He highlighted the role of advanced lighting effects and the need for physically-based shaders, which the current Switch would struggle to handle at 60 FPS. There’s even chatter that the new Switch’s RAM could rival that of the Xbox Series S, making those complex visuals feasible.

Diving even deeper, Dulay noted a stark difference in texture quality when comparing the new footage to Mario Kart 8. He explained that achieving a higher resolution and texture variety would require a substantial increase in memory capacity, speculating the Switch 2 might house up to 16 GB of RAM. This speculation aligns with whispers about Nvidia’s DLSS tech potentially featuring in the console, a leap that would allow higher resolutions without ballooning file sizes.

Dulay also pointed out that the increased graphical prowess of the Switch 2 is a win for developers. More power means less compromise on a game’s quality to get it running smoothly on the console. This change would make it easier for studios to bring a wider variety of titles to Nintendo’s platform. With expectations mounting, fans can look forward to more details likely to be unveiled during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct event on April 2.