Switch 2 Motherboard Leaked... And There Are Questions About Performance

[@NameGueSapeYe]

Hoping for Nintendo to release best of the best technology is the definition of insanity.

[@TooGoodForYoutube]

nobody expected this, just TSMC 5nm and not Samsung 8nm. 5nm is far from the best and the possible higher clocks wouldn‘t have made it achieve a PS5-level of performance. Most people in the discussions are more concerned about battery life with this node.

[@epicon6]

Their whole business model is selling the same family friendly IP and hardware that’s as bad as they can get away with because the profits from hardware for them are insane. If the PS5 makes 10% profits from hardware, the Hitlerdo Switch profits are propably like 60% They are a dirty company who don’t care for games, they just want to milk families as much as they can.

[@brokeandtired]

@@TooGoodForKZbinits Samsung 8mm around RTX 3050 , which will above PS4 Pro level. And better than a Xbox Series S (and graphics on that are still good). The Switch 2 is really good for a handheld.

[@SoyAntonioGaming]

Since the original Wii, yes.

[@Dblock42]

those are same people that would complain if it had al the newest tech and costs twice as much

[@JasonRoofie]

Will Switch 2 outperform the RTX 5090?

[@norwegianla4982]

Most likely in sales!

[@MentalElfAmbassador]

Yes, using Nintendo's patented: Nintendo Integrated Generative Graphics Enhancement Renderer

[@forvale]

@@MentalElfAmbassador lmfao

[@m-zap1332]

I read your comment as "Will Smith 2"

[@ledheavy26]

*MFG 7x used in performance comparisons.

[@angrygnome4304]

Nintendo can't sell the Switch 2 for more than $399 but people are wanting a machine that's more powerful than anything currently on the handheld market. 😂

[@Dingleburry37]

Right! You can't have it both ways, and nintendo will always lean affordability over hardware power. It's their business philosophy

[@Dakr2000]

I just hope the dock has great performance. Most people who want a powerful nintendo console aren’t using it portably anyways. I would buy a pro dock if it were an option.

[@lurkingsoldi2107]

Nintendo glazing. Even a steam deck is way more powerful than it

[@GAMER_PUNK247]

Seriously haha

[@battman505]

people also forget things like the dock and wireless controllers arent free to produce. these need to be accounted for in the bill of costs.

[@LizardPushingButtons]

So… PS4 settings at lower resolutions being upscaled to 1080p or 1440p outputs in docked mode, and even lower resolutions upscaling to 900p or 1080p resolutions in handheld mode? That’s great for a Nintendo console, and I’m guessing it won’t be any more than $400. Seems reasonable.

[@Bendaak]

That’s better than I thought it would be. I am very happy with this news. Handheld console with XB1/PS4 level performance and 2.5-3 hours of battery would be a dream come true. I couldn’t use the Steam Deck because it only provided 50 mins of untethered gameplay on AAA titles such as Cyberpunk 2077.

[@HermesderWetterbote]

for 250$ that would be fine. for 300$ you get a more powerful steam deck or xbox series s

[@Doom2pro]

What about after Tarrifs?

[@pablomuerta9452]

Hmm i might be wrong here and im not devs. But from what the leaks says abt how Nvidia and DLSS will work with Switch is that : 1. Switch 2 will be capped at 2.4 TFLOPS for handheld (due to battery limitation). FYI : steam deck is 1.6 TFlops and PS4 is 1.8 Tflops. 2. In Docked mode Nvidia DLSS full performance will be unleashed (not using battery) pushing up to 4.8 Tflops. FYI PS4 PRO is 4.2 Tflops. 3. This DLSS will be focusing/ customised on only upscaling Switch Cartridge and Digital games hence theres no need for additional raw power or energy consumption thats y i can be more effective since its only 1 or 2 type of work. 4. The half power capped in handheld is due to the fact that we need more battery life and nobody is looking at 4K in handheld mode. 5. The reason for Samsung 8nm node is probably due to point no 4 and its more cheaper since not many devices using it anymore. 6. In Nutshell its more powerful than PS4 and steam deck in handheld and on par or better than PS4 Pro in Docked ( hence the rumors of similarity with XboxSX and PS4pro) this was also mentioned by Phil Spencer during FTC Trial. 7. For the price 400-450 dollar this will be worth it.

[@LizardPushingButtons]

@@HermesderWetterbote right, but something to consider is that the Switch 2 comes with the dock, the joy-con (with all sorts of doodads) and the console itself, and thats without mentioning these god-awful tariffs being proposed. It’s got reasons to be priced at $400, and unfortunately, world events and politics will push the price up a bit compared to the original Nintendo Switch.

[@JimmyFraggs]

I know I’m the exception here but I’d be happy with a rock solid 720P 60FPS in handheld mode with settings that wouldn’t mirror ‘LOW’ on PC. I’d rather have richer environments and steady framerates over resolution. Then let it do its magic when in docked mode - l1080P/1440P with DLSS.

[@lpnp9477]

I couldn't care less about graphical fidelity at this point, just gimme good games at good frames (to be clear, 30fps is NOT good)

[@cube2fox]

You guys are on hopium. The Switch 2 chip process is even more outdated now than the Switch 1 SoC was at launch. Most Switch 2 games will again target only 30 FPS.

[@russelllapua4904]

@@cube2fox If you don't know what you're talking about just say that, don't make us read what you're typing in order for us to find that out.

[@DR.DisInfect]

You'll get 30fps and like it

[@andrewfaulconer52]

You're assuming 3rd party developers will prioritize framerates when they haven't been doing that for the current Switch. This console has to last for 7 years. Imagine how outdated the Switch 2 will be by 2030 with the PS6 already out. Elden Ring, GTA, all these big games and franchises don't get put on Switch because of outdated hardware. It's not just graphics, consoles need the newest hardware to support the latest game engines that are capable of all sorts of things.

[@The.JZA.]

While it's not neck-breaking speed, the new SOC should be able to crank out about 1.7 TFLOPS in handheld mode and around 3 TFLOPS in docked mode which is a huge upgrade from the 0.236 TFLOPS and 0.393 TFLOPS in handheld and docked mode respectively of the OG switch. That's ~7.2 times and ~7.6 times increase in handheld and docked modes respectively. Considering how much they have been able to squeeze out of the Switch hardware (think of BOTW and TOTK), I suspect we will see some pretty nice games on the Switch 2.

[@Howitchewstofeel5gum]

It's always the exact same cycle with every Nintendo console since the Wii: The rumor mill goes absolutely crazy concerning hardware power, people hype themselves up with all sorts of unrealistic expectations based on those rumors that immediately get treated as facts, and then, when the hardware actually gets unveiled or leaked, the inevitable disappointment arrives. Every. Single. Time. Lol. See you in 2032 when the whole thing repeats

[@jamesmckay4573]

disappointment selling a hundred and fifty million units I am sure satisfies Nintendo well enough.

[@hooky17]

And yet, it will likely sell tens of millions. I don't know why people expect so much from Nintendo. They have ALWAYS been more concerned with the software than the hardware. Especially for their target demographic as the price point is important. And to be fair, Wii U aside, they almost always nail it

[@ZeroAlligator]

Nintendo is never on the cutting edge, and they don’t need to be, they need a product that is reasonably priced and that can run fun games. If you are looking for the cutting edge there’s a product out there for you, it just isn’t a Nintendo system.

[@juanchopepe666]

The N64 and GameCube were quite cutting edge ​@@ZeroAlligator

[@56ty_]

Exactly. Watch switch 2 outsell ps5, Xbox, steam deck, whatever combined

[@temjin0014]

I’m so tired of Switch 2 hardware rumors. Nintendo please put a stop to it by revealing the hardware.

[@ahmedhasan4966]

It's guaranteed that the Switch successor will be revealed in the next 3 months.

[@Idan-22]

@ahmedhasan4966 OMG how u know this is new info !!!

[@ahmedhasan4966]

​@Idan-22 Nintendo themselves have confirmed that the Switch successor will be revealed sometime during this fiscal year. (April 1st, 2024, at the earliest and March 31st 2025 at the latest)

[@Idan-22]

@ahmedhasan4966 it was a joke, everybody knows.

[@metwono]

You guys got it all wrong. That’s just one half of the motherboard. That’s two 64 bit processors, Tom and Jerry, Nintendo’s first 128bit console.

[@AdmiralBison]

I can't believe I recognize the Atari Jaguar 64 reference. 😄

[@lutherh2511]

My uncle works at Nintendo and said the Switch 2 will be capable of 8K 240fps portable gaming and will be on a 1nm chip

[@AdmiralBison]

I miss the whole "Everyone has a relative who works at Nintendo" childhood schtick😋 So believable as a kid. Company insiders and leakers doesn't quite sound as magical.

[@you2be839]

Your uncle still has a chance of succeeding in life if he just stops smoking whatever the hell he's currently smoking!...

[@DoratTheKiller]

On a holographic display, I hope

[@evospeedy]

I wish

[@m-zap1332]

Switch 2 will be slightly more powerful than a Tamagotchi

[@sapphiro]

Probably close to Tamagotchi 2 when docked.

[@1lubo1]

You're so smart. You must be very experienced in playing with a tamagotchi.

[@mikeuk666]

Cringe

[@rinaldoadams3160]

The kids won't understand this comment 😂

[@waterzipper]

@@rinaldoadams3160 no they’ll get it. They brought back the Tamagotchi because of turning red.

[@noelgt101]

I feel like people are missing the picture. This is Nintendo were talking about. They gave us some of the greatest games ever produced on a very low power system. Imagine what they can do with a game like Zelda on a ps4 power-like system. You know. The same console that gave us God of war and Horizon. If anyone can make the most out of what they got. Its Nintendo.

[@gamble777888]

Hardware specs are largely irrelevent. The games will be what matters.

[@MaI2Me]

@@gamble777888exactly 👍

[@OnderHassan]

It’s going to be a glorious generation. I can’t wait what Nintendo will do with this technology.

[@zikarisg9025]

One of the biggest miracles of the Switch, not talked about often enough, is it's retention of battery life. Any other chargeable device I ever possesses at least half it's battery lifetime over 2 years. Phone, Laptop, Controllers and so on. My Switch is 5 years old, I almost use it exclusively in mobile mode and it still lasts 4-5 hours, maybe 1 less than when it was new. Seems like magic to me. Battery life is actually the aspect of the Switch 2 most important to me.

[@MarcusTheDorkus]

Probably because they don't stress the battery very much. It doesn't get very hot since the Switch itself runs quite cool and they don't try to uber fast charge the battery when it's plugged in.

[@jamesfzy]

Nintendo portable has always prioritized battery life. It is why the Gameboy only has 1 colour but still triumphed over all other competitors at the time. This is a product primarily aimed at kids, teens, families and casuals, having a substantial battery life is important.

[@abcbcd7974]

Really hoping it has the same battery life as the switch v2. 4-5 hours is personally perfect for me. Been playing lots of civ 6 on switch and is the only game ive played that that eats up all the battery life from 100% to 1% constantly and its been fun and hopefully switch 2 will have that experience. 4 hours is my hope in handheld.

[@NicholasKoeppel]

The Switch was insanely well built… and now we have much better materials… I would expect the body to be more solid, and components to be higher quality… I’m really not sure what to expect for battery life this time around though: 2-3 hours seems obtainable at high load(like a Zelda or Odyssey), with 4-5 hours being the standard for basic load(Indie/remakes)… anything more seems like a very hard goal to obtain… One of the things the Switch had going for it over other mobile devices: They used hi-quality, well sealed batteries; in a ridged body design… with a fan system to remove additional moisture, and being a little too big to put in your pocket; moisture control is key to long-term battery life… modern cell phones being silicon waterproofed, usually adds about 2 years to your device…

[@gamble777888]

@@jamesfzy Correct, which is why the pipe dreams of this being "on par" with handheld PCs never made sense.

[@JM_Traslo]

I honestly just hope we see things running well. Doesn't have to be 4K60 maxed out. But Doom 2016 and Eternal running medium settings 60FPS with a dynamic res around and above 1080p? That would be swell. The more Switch-1 games get a patch for Switch 2, the better. If they've got any sense they'll announce as many day-1 patches for the Switch 1 library as possible to encourage people to crossover.

[@gradient5319]

I don't think we'll see 1080p It'll probably only be 720p with fsr to upscale to 1080p. I think the use of upscaling techniques will be very beneficial to the performance of the Switch 2.

[@JM_Traslo]

@@gradient5319 Well ID-Tech already supports DLSS so I don't see why it wouldn't be trying to utilize whatever Nintendo-DLSS is coming with the Switch 2, on top of just outright running better with improved specs anyway. Given it already reaches 720p in docked Switch 1, I would've thought they'd probably do something like "we target 1080p, but it can dynamic-res past that where possible" and probably ends up hovering 1200p or something.

[@gradient5319]

@@JM_Traslo I said fsr but that goes for whatever tech they'd prefer. But DLSS is exclusive to Nvidia RTX GPUs and I'm not sure Nintendo is gonna develop another upscaling technique of their own. It's up to the games, at the end of the day, and FSR is very well established.

[@JM_Traslo]

@@gradient5319 It's literally been confirmed they're filing patents for a low-power-draw equivalent to DLSS using the tensor cores and whatnot explicitly mentioned in its documentation.

[@gradient5319]

@@JM_Traslo I didn't know about that, but we'll still have to see if that actually happens and if it's properly implemented.

[@velinion1]

Honestly, it's portable. That means power limits and (more importantly) heat limits that other consoles don't have. You can loosen the power constraints when docked, but more power means more heat, and you still have the restricted airflow and tiny fans mandated by a portable form factor. Could it manage PS4 baseline performance? Maybe. The die shrink since then means major power and heat savings. But the constraints of the form factor are real and frankly unavoidable. Using the Steam Deck as an example (apples to oranges due to the x64 vs ARM architecture, larger form factor which allows better cooling, etc, but it gives me BIOS access to experiment with) it has a default 10W TDP. You _can_ increase that to up to 15W but younget little extra performance by dling that alone - heat output is the constraining factor. If you undervolt on the other hand, lowing heat output at the 10W TDP you gain both performance and battery life. If you get lucky with silicone stability, you can drop CPU, GPU and SOC voltages 3-5%, also _drop_ TDP to 9W and get a slight performance boost witg noticably better battery life, or push it up to 11-12W TDP to retain original battery life with a moderate performance boost. Heat really is the limiting factor when space constrained. I'm still excited to see what they achieve with it though. The quality of a console is only loosely related to its specs. Just look at how good the original Game Boy was on a z80 processor running off 4 AA batteries.

[@pablomuerta9452]

Lets not forget Nvidia custom chip and the fact the DLSS for this one is integrated and tuned specifically for Switch Games only, which can pinpoint a more efficient power consumption since Nintendo using Cartridge as game source and digital which basically almost the same size. This is diff from PC games which released in diff generations, has multiple size, configuration and graphic requirements . In nutshell DLSS for Switch are only doing 1 or 2 type of work. Now we just hope devs optimised each Switch 2 games

[@georged7627]

If the current Switch can do miracle ports then I can’t wait to see switch 2 do some magic as well 🙏🏽

[@gamble777888]

I mean if you want to play those ports just buy a portable PC. Will be a massively better experience.

[@james-xf1ox]

Didn't red dead 2 end up on switch? That's impressive tbh, switch 2 won't match these handheld pc's

[@AdmiralBison]

@@james-xf1ox no only the RDR 1.

[@AdmiralBison]

It would be interesting but the gaming landscape since 2017 has vastly changed. Switch owners had to do a lot of "port begging" over the years of certain AAA multiplat games and when they did come most were great. But now PCs come in the handheld form factor and are vastly more powerful (and more expensive but that's gaming Pcs for you😋) some AAA devs may not want to put so much time and resources squeezing highly demanding games on the Switch 2. PC handhelds exist now and not only are they fast growing, they just like Desktop and Laptop gaming PCs upgrade nearly every year as well. Don't get me wrong. I think the Switch 2 will sell great but not be as successful as the Switch 1. There are more powerful options out there now.

[@brycebitetti1402]

​@AdmiralBison Oh come on. While it's definitely growing the handheld PC market is a niche of a niche, and the Switch 2 won't be effected by it the same way consoles aren't effected by PCs, at least not yet. PCs require a level of technical knowledge, patience, and troubleshooting that most people don't want to deal with. That experience is worsened when dealing with the constraints of a handheld. Casual gamers want to sit down in front of their TV, pick out their game, and play it without having to potentially sort out some unknown issue that could be caused by who knows what, and be confident in the knowledge that if there's some kind of technical error, it's most likely the fault of the game and not on them or their setup. Especially for a machine that'll be targeting the family market, Nintendo is playing an entirely different ballgame wherein handheld PCs aren't even a factor. That much can be measured by sales alone.

[@ThatGuy-p2c]

Why would anyone want 4K on such a small screen?

[@ViewtifulVash]

You ever hear of a tv before? You know the thing that pretty much everyone one plays their consoles on?

[@AdmiralBison]

Obviously, cpu/gpu specs can't reach 4K output, but having 4K or high-resolution panels help make the visuals sharp and clear. Many handheld gaming PCs have 2K panels simply because they're widely available. For some handheld Gaming PCs when docked with an eGPU can achieve higher resolutions, but it's really only noticeable on large screen handhelds 10"+

[@JamesBurdon-gu5yu]

@Vash Less thab 5% of switch users use the docked mode that has been proven

[@AlbyWalker-d5v]

​@@ViewtifulVashyou out of your mind even the Rog ally X can't out put 4k 🤦

[@VictorFernandes-q9o]

4k lol yeah because you’d get the same power on 10watts as the pcs that run at 400watts. lol sometimes I think people really are clueless about tech.

[@8bitnation419]

Nintendo should just drop the trailer.

[@Agumon5]

Battery life is going to be the real test. Makes me wonder what the data is in terms of people who use the switch in docked mode versus handheld. Given the hardware that's going to be in this thing, it's either going to be significantly larger than the original switch, or it's going to have very compromised battery life.

[@see.eye.2361]

My guess is >100 min on the most demanding games.

[@AP90x]

Yea i use my switch mostly in handheld mode so its going to be rough unless im always by a charger which honestly i usually am.

[@Bargate]

Bad battery life would be a massive disappointment. Even the launch switches always had at least 3 hours and that was pretty shocking coming off the 3DS. The later switches from 2019 have better battery life and the OLED lasts at least 5 hours. The Switch 2 will probably be better to buy later.

[@lpnp9477]

It needs to have a mode switch. Power save for worse performance and better battery life or performance mode throwing caution to the wind on battery life. I generally play in bed connected to an outlet, so i wouldn't be satisfied with it being only more powerful when docked. I don't know why Nintendo always has to be so averse to options.

[@mikeuk666]

​@lpnp9477 agreed give us that option or just when docked overclock it

[@Orain88]

I had a 3070 for a while, which was an 8nm model. That thing undervolted like a champ. I did not need anywhere near its 220w tdp to get its best consistent performance. I rarely ran it over 180 watts and would get 98% its full tdp performance. I could undervolt and underclock it to use something like 100 watts and still get around 70% of the fps. I would not be surprised if they tuned the switch 2 to do a lot with less power, but the chip would be capable of a decent bit more with more thermal headroom.

[@mightyhadi6132]

Ampere is still great for a GPU but for handled it's more optimize to the metal, efficiency and batteries life .

[@gijseijkelboom7397]

Switch 2 will run on 10-15w

[@philsc6028]

I think 1080p 60FPS performance across the board while having some decent battery time, should be a reasonable request in the year 2025

[@upendownlinker]

Its weaker than a ps4 which couldn't pull that off.

[@MrBl3ki]

You will not have that across the board even in the docker mode.

[@MrTomemac]

As long as the games are hella fun the thing could be a toaster and still sell gangbusters. And ultimately that’s all that matters.

[@MaI2Me]

💯

[@VictorFernandes-q9o]

Wrong. I play switch on pc at 4k 60fps minimum with extra AA etc. and no games being fun is not all that matters. Visuals enhance your experience a lot.

[@alejoh88]

Nintendo doesn't care about high end graphics performance, their consoles are just a mean to an end: their game IP

[@robertpeacock894]

3.1 teraflops and 12gigs of ram with DLSS means I’ve still got my hopes up. With two groups of people on line disappointed and pumped I’d presume Switch 2 will land right in the middle.

[@cjmars822]

Hardware is half the equation equalling a successful product. The hardware could be basically the same as a PS4 (for example) but that doesn’t mean a damn thing if the software being run isn’t all that “next gen”. I can run Doom 1995 on my phone, laptop, and Steam Deck: it’s still Doom 1995; the platform doesn’t improve what the programmers at ID Software created

[@YouTubersAnonymous203]

0:48 this absolutely fulfills my expectations of something ordered on Wish

[@fearingalma1550]

For my money, Nintendo avoiding TSMC based SoCs is a smart move- it means they can still produce their handhelds if China nationalizes the foundry or things otherwise go tits-up in the region.

[@jayhsyn]

Samsung 8NM isn’t power efficient in a large die, it is a lot more efficient when it’s a small die like used in their cell phones. The reason ampere isn’t efficient is because they are giant die sizes and Samsung 8NM wasn’t designed for such big die sizes which is why their yields were so terrible.

[@connarcomstock161]

Can it run Crysis?

[@cathalorourke1]

Or Doom?

[@AdmiralBison]

Switch 1 ran both Crysis and Doom. Should be able to run Doom Eternal and the next Doom (with some downgrades and cut backs) like they did the Switch 1.

[@martinaee]

I don’t know…. Let’s see the actual product before everyone freaks out. I for one am very excited regardless. It will be a huge jump from Switch 1 and that’s all I want lol.

[@HermesderWetterbote]

it will be a smaller jump than wii to wii u

[@SuperFranzs]

@@HermesderWetterbote Wii to Wii U was a HUGE leap, though. The Wii was basically just a slightly overclocked GameCube with double the RAM, and then the Wii U went from the Wii's 24MB + 64MB RAM, to 2GB. It still basically just has 3 Wii cores on the same chip running at 1.24GHz instead of 729MHz.

[@ThinkTinkh]

@@HermesderWetterbote depends on what component you compare. Plus the jump from the 7th gen to 8th gen is also smaller than from the 6th gen to the 7th gen. So basically natural.

[@ThinkTinkh]

@@SuperFranzs yeah the cpu on the Wii u was flippin disgusting.

[@JWBR84]

I'm still stoked.

[@ThisSteveGuy]

DF is completely ignoring how this is the first time DLSS will be used in a closed system, unlike with PCs. There's only one single hardware profile in use here that the game studios are focusing their efforts on. That means the DLSS implementation in particular will be directly optimized to an extent we haven't seen before, and it can't be compared to how DLSS fares in the far more open world of PC GPUs. We've never seen anything like this, so you can't just assume it'll play out just like how, say, a 3050 does or whatever. Game developers coding for a single piece of hardware will always get far more out of it than they could with an open PC environment.

[@cube2fox]

They probably use the same DLSS versions as PC cards. Also, DLSS is slower the slower your GPU is. So the upscaling is probably restricted to a modest degree.

[@PlaystationTalks]

does not matter any of u thinking this gonna be some insane power up yall gonan look stupid

[@ZackSNetwork]

You have to also consider that it has a very small amount of Tensor cores compared to desktop and laptops as well. Along with using DLSS requires more power usage. Which is why Nintendo may do FSR in portable mode and DLSS in docked mode.

[@ThisSteveGuy]

@@PlaystationTalks Why are you assuming I think a $400 handheld console is going to have "insane power"? This is what's wrong with DF and their fans. They're all so smug.

[@ThisSteveGuy]

@@cube2fox You cannot compare how PC GPUs works with how a closed singular system like a console works. This has been true for every console that has ever existed. When developers have only one hardware spec to code for, they can do far more with it than they can with PCs, which have a near infinite amount of configurations that need to be catered to. This is how Switch was able to get all those "impossible ports" which it allegedly shouldn't be able to run.

[@roelej]

4 years later switch2 Pro can't wait.

[@jasonburt5404]

Don’t you mean 8 years?

[@cyxceven]

@@jasonburt5404 I think they mean Pro version coming 4 years from now. I highly doubt it, but I am expecting an OLED Switch 2 in two years. XD

[@mianlo2624]

​@@cyxceven Well if multiplatform developers don't properly port their games for the Switch 2. Then Nintendo might need to release a Pro version sooner rather than later.

[@skycloud4802]

Wouldn't be so hopeful. The Nintendo Switch could have really done with a Pro upgrade and it never got one.

[@ThinkTinkh]

OLED and nonsensically massive computational improvements here we come

[@Torrybobs]

Even miracle ports will look better comparative to how Switch ports were handled just because it’s much more powerful than the current Switch. I do think we’ll get a Switch 2 Pro this coming generation though, but I’m gonna buy a Switch 2 at launch regardless of its third party performance. Games built with the system in mind are gonna be stunning though, that’s almost guaranteed.

[@ps123fan]

will it even be switch 2 though? arcade - game and watch - nes- snes - n64 - gamecube - wii - wii u - switch but maybe, wii - wii u so

[@garymoon6230]

Gone are the days of amazing jumps up in gaming consoles like nes to SNES was such a leap.

[@briengakaplan-b1550]

So Switch 2 is gonna literally repeat the Switch story - underpowered from the start that outsells everything else and will push the hardware further than anyone expects.

[@gamble777888]

The games are what will ship the units. We need to see the games. Hardware specs are totally irrelevent.

[@sccanj]

Hardly

[@JamesBurdon-gu5yu]

@Scanji What do yu mean "Hardly" thats exactly what the switch 1 did and your fanboyism for playstation wont change that i am afraid

[@OnderHassan]

Nintendo has made Sony and Microsoft look like amateurs with the Switch. They will not break a sweat with the Switch 2 considering how lackluster the PS5 has been since its release.

[@MrBl3ki]

They aren't underpowered for a portable console if the rumors are true. The rest is correct though. Due to ever increasing diminishing returns it is probably do even better than the original Switch when it comes to 3rd party support but I still won't buy it because of Nintendo's outrages software pricing policy.

[@suwooshi]

This really feels like it should’ve been a Switch Pro and released at least 1 year earlier

[@skycloud4802]

I feel like the Switch was held by the lack of a Pro variant or 'New 3DS' treatment (although not by sales numbers clearly). The wait has been painfully long, but the Switch successor will at least arrive soon let's hope.

[@rickenbacker472]

Zelda TotK on Switch 1 is absolutely superb. Mindblowing infact. And it runs on 7 year old hardware that wasn't even that powerful at the time. My point - specs are now pretty irrelevant when it comes to Nintendo games.

[@Doom2pro]

You haven't run into people begging for 60fps.

[@rickenbacker472]

@ Yeah yeah I know, incremental QoL improvements are always nice. Foliage density, draw distances, framerate, resolution, etc. but these are all nice to haves not game changers.

[@akillis7797]

@@rickenbacker472 I would have to disagree that low fps is a game changer.

[@sergioballes]

The game falls below 15fps when certain explosions happen or in the Deku forest. I can handle 30fps. Going under in 2024-2025 is a crime.

[@rickenbacker472]

It's funny how Zelda TotK on Switch is probably the most beautiful game of 2024. Respect to Nintendo for putting artwork ahead of technology. Movies are only 24fps and no-one cares. Scooby doo cartoon look awful but everyone loves them. TotK at 60fps is a nice to have but not a gamechanger.

[@Scarl3tShad3]

I was hoping it was ps4 pro level of power not just ps4 level of power everyone who thought it would be as powerful as a ps5 were coping from the beginning 😂

[@DannyWilliamH]

I'm not a Nintendo fanboy or hater and they are who they are. It works for them to release older hardware but program games for it that really outshine what should be possible. Expecting a glorified handheld to match up in any way with curent gen home consoles is crazy.

[@MrBl3ki]

The age of the hardware is not an issue like it was with Wii and WiiU, it being a portable device is. As you have said, anyone (fanboy or hater) expecting a portable device as strong as a full-sized console is mentally handicapped.

[@Jemi08]

I literally dont care about AA and how crisp it looks just let 3rd party games run at a stable 60fps PLEASE 😭

[@jordanstephens4178]

Feel like this was gonna be the switch pro we heard about ages ago but they said nah we can just upgrade this a tiny bit more and make it our next gen console

[@user-to1su2iy4d]

Good thing you put "feel like" as a precaution to let people know you don't fully believe such a dumb conspiracy

[@jordanstephens4178]

@user-to1su2iy4d bro ps4 levels ain't good enough in 2025

[@ScrimmyBunglets]

​@@user-to1su2iy4dnot dumb at all what are you talking about? It's not as powerful as it very easily could be. And it's well known that nintendo were planning on making a switch pro and weren't able to because of covid parts shortages. It makes complete sense

[@l9day]

Tears of the Kingdom with a whole console

[@JayTheComputerGuy]

@@jordanstephens4178 every steam deck user says otherwise. but it is more powerful than a ps4 and steam deck (which is very close to high end handheld asides from rog ally)

[@VictorFernandes-q9o]

The worst thing Nintendo ever did was quitting the console market. I don’t play portable. Might play maybe advance wars and that’s it. I worked much rather have a full powerful console with a proper controller. If you pay for the switch 2 + a pro controller + storage it will cost over 500 dollars which could be a nice powerful console closer to the ps5 power

[@COFFEEBREAKRACING]

I agree, I believe the hybrid format is keeping them behind, a proper TV console is what they need, they are wasting their time with the handheld format

[@FZJanimated]

No idea what people obsession is with graphics on nintendo games. Ever since the gamecube that they stopped caring about graphics and they are doing just fine.

[@RyanZirnheld11]

Seeing how underutilized current hardware is by developers I don’t really care if the switch 2 is “underpowered”. The fact that RDR2 runs on PS4/Xbone shows the sky is the limit basically on that power level, let alone adding upscaling/DLSS

[@more7642]

If the Switch 2 will be more powerful than PS4, like, more in the SteamDeck's/Series S department, it would be enough to sell over 100 millions units. Since Wii Nintendo wasn't about GPU/CPU power, it was more about game design, so I think PS4 Pro-esque performance in case of next-gen Switch would be great.

[@sergioballes]

I don’t know how people is getting surprised now when this was revealed long ago through the Microsoft leak, and they said that Switch 2 power was along the lines of a PS4 Pro. This is going to be a problem ONLY if the price tag is over 400€

[@mrbrownie0162]

Nowadays, I dont think it's something bad that the switch 2 has the power of a ps4, because there aren't a lot of games for ps5 that can't be played on a ps4, but I'm afraid for the future with the switch 3, because they could make it with the power of a ps4 pro and by then there will be a lot of games that cant be well played with that or even with a ps5

[@ghst822]

cant wait for 1080p 30fps

[@tristman8413]

You'll be lucky 😂

[@jed23ify]

Unfortunately at this point the switch is a handheld and hardly a home console. I’ll end up getting it cause I love me some Nintendo IPs like Zelda, Kirby, and smash brothers.

[@Dakr2000]

@@ghst822 in handheld mode maybe. That’s not bad for lower end portables.

[@mxttspl]

When they were talking about it being a base PS4, that’s all I could think about. Decent looking games graphically, but it felt like EVERY game ran at 30 on the PS4. If the system can run something at 720p60 and then be upscaled to 1080p or even 1440p, I consider that a success (for Nintendo).

[@ThinkTinkh]

Better than 360 30fps in some games now

[@alexb115]

Rich, T234's SMs and A78 takes ~10B transistors from the whole die. T239 is rumoured to be 75% SM & ARM cores, so ~7.5B transistors give or take, the ratio SM to ARM is not that linear but at this scale.. we have to take shortcuts. Keeping the same Samsung 8nm density used throughout Ampere & Tegra Orin, you have ~8-9B transistors that can fit into 200 mm^2. Are you starting to understand how it doesn't make much sense? You have to still make an APU. Sound, I/O, bus ducts, cache, video encoder/decoder, ISP, optical flow, memory system/logic. Compression added? Ada features backported? In 1.5B transistors? Ain't happening. The foundation of 12SM & 8 ARM A78 takes 35% of T234, and you have to fit the rest into 42% of the area for 200 mm^2. We don't even consider binning here so imagine that, >100M production chip with that kind of yields. At this point it doesn't fit. 5LPP is basically the 7nm++ line. They can get a comfortable 60MTr/mm^2 because Nvidia never goes full density of a node. 12B transistors into 200 mm^2.

[@ThinkTinkh]

Still more for me to learn 🤔🙂

[@SGT___3722]

Sir, this is a Wendy's

[@Error-7-0-7]

Why can't people understand that Nintendo isn't trying to be at the cutting edge of technology? They're trying to be get their consoles in as many hands as possible. There is no way in hell I am buying my 8 year old son and 10 year old son an $800 Steam Deck each, but I don't mind buying them both a $200 Switch Lite.

[@gamble777888]

Exactly. And that's perfect. It's what Sony doesn't understand, the more it tries to compete with PC the less appealing it is vs PC. You can never compete with PC, it is iterating non stop, it is a completely open ecosystem. Consoles always made sense as a big time cost effective and "conveniant" option for younger players, casuals, or gamers who were not tech savy or on a budget.

[@AG30]

@@gamble777888I don’t think it is competing with pc because if it was they wouldn’t be porting games there. They are trying to reach a new market and failing in doing that. The ps5 still for 400~500 is a great value to play mostly every 3rd party game out there

[@999a0s]

@@AG30 what people lose sight of in salivating over the TFlops and performance-per-dollar is that video game consoles are a machine for playing games. i have a computer with a pretty good Nvidia GPU, but it doesn't matter how many realtime rays my GPU can cast if the games themselves are complete slop. i go on Steam all the time and leave feeling completely disinterested. PS3 and Switch are enough for me.

[@defeqel6537]

$800?

[@Spankanoid]

Many switch game ran horrendously and sub-par. We should demand more from them.. but we wont.

[@noperopepope]

I'm going to put part of the blame on Nvidia here. Really Nvidia? You couldn't build a custom Tegra chip on newer architecture? The Switch sold 150m units, and this is the best deal you could give Nintendo?

[@subwaystories1031]

This is so true. I understand if they did that with the switch 1 since it is indeed a new concept and market. But come one, the switch was a colossal success. Put some effort in creating custom soc like how amd does for consoles

[@zbigniew2628]

Margins on a console stuff are low and Nvidia can sell whole productions for a year ahead with AI cards. 8nm is not used for them and Samsung lately has problems, so they can give a rly good price.

[@moddedinkling4168]

Samsung has a really great opportunity here to really push expandable storage to newer heights. If the Switch 2 supports SD Express, something tells me Samsung may be planning to bring back microSD support for the Samsung Galaxy S series, something sorely missing for half a decade.

[@hiduck8247]

U got a baby brain

[@moddedinkling4168]

@hiduck8247 and?

[@doublejumpvideogames....]

​@@hiduck8247 why would they?

[@1lubo1]

You can keep on dreaming... the removal of microSD cards is selling their higher storage models. Low speed microSD has nothing to do with the removal. Just for this sole reason I bought a S20 FE instead of any current high end model and the phone works flawlessly with a decend microSD card.

[@lpnp9477]

​@@moddedinkling4168df videos have some of the weirdest aggressive trolls I've ever seen in a community lol Best to ignore them and move on, or report them if you're so inclined

[@arcadeperfectreviews2653]

I love how little this will matter once we see ACTUAL GAMEPLAY

[@MrEffectfilms]

At this point it's becoming a running gag. Gameplay doesn't really matter here because if you're a Nintendo fan you know what to expect already but people are tired of their tech being shit. Their ports continue to be abysmal or just straight up don't exist because of how terrible and outdated their technology is. It took until the Switch came out for a port of Skyrim to release..... SKYRIM!!!

[@JuiKuen]

@@MrEffectfilms And you'd rather play soulless (read: dog***t) games that look amazing, right? It doesn't matter how good a game looks if it plays like turd or as a lot of games are now, have some p/correct crap shoved into them. No surprise no one's buying said tat.

[@arcadeperfectreviews2653]

@@MrEffectfilms i dont understand the point you're trying to make.

[@MrEffectfilms]

@JuiKuen Oh wow you turned hostile at the first sign of disagreement 😂😂😂. The thing is though I'm a very visual person. It's not enough for a game to be "good" I need to enjoy what I'm seeing, I'm not able to spend hours looking at something that looks like ass. I understand not everyone is like this but a lot of people are and these things matter to us.

[@carlo5771]

@@JuiKuenAre you correlating games that have good graphics as soulless?

[@CargoShorts7]

Switch 2 will be around Steam Deck OLED, dunno why anyone is expecting more power than that

[@FlyingPhilUK]

I'm going to suggest that the Switch 2 SOC is on Samsung 5nm - since it's a new chip and not just a binned Orin chip, then it makes sense to move to the current Samsung Process The 8nm Orin chip is 400+mm2 - and the T239 is supposed to be about 75% of an Orin - so, that would be difficult to achieve on 8nm at ~200mm2 - but would work out well for a Samsung 5nm chip (also noting the Samsung 5nm is not as dense as TSMC 5nm)

[@cube2fox]

"75% of an Orion" - no indication for that

[@FlyingPhilUK]

@@cube2fox Just all the rumors up to now have been 1536 Cuda cores... - of course may not be correct - but it seems people do seem to think T239 is the SOC and it's 1536 cuda codes (+ 8 ARM Cores)

[@FlyingPhilUK]

There's no evidence on this SOC pic that it's 8nm - the only reason people think it could be 8nm, is that people believe it's a derivative of Orin

[@MdSan1292]

Looks like the emulator of switch 2 will release before console itself

[@rocksteady140]

If the switch 2 can't even play games in its native 1080p resolution, I'll probably do without it. No more desire for blurry graphics.

[@GoodonSwitch]

What about the rumored Matrix UE5 Demo?

[@TheDamaori]

The Switch came out in 2017 with tech that was less powerful than consoles released in 2013....What were people expecting!?!!!!

[@bbbazzinga]

Every rumor goes to the garbage can when you try to fit everything into a ~450 usd profitable device that needs to sustain at least 3 hours of battery life while running a big game. That's when the reality slaps you on the face.

[@alldavids4202]

Anyone who thought the new Switch would be a powerhouse hasn’t been paying attention.

[@74Vidgamer]

Really sad to see Digital Foundry start sliding into the use of misleading thumbnails. Please don’t become one of those channels, you’re like one of the few trusted sites left on here.

[@Ldsemoboy]

19:00 is when they confirm it won't be PS4 pro level and more like base PS4 levels

[@konradszkudlarek]

Imagine that : Nintendo Revleas Switch 2 premiere date and inform people that GTA VI will be launch title.

[@Emanouche]

Running at 20fps, with 480p textures.

[@konradszkudlarek]

@Emanouche so if 480p is to high they could go to 240p and dlss it to 720p and then we will get smooth 60p expirience.

[@TheKestevon]

They didn't even get GTA 5 to run on Switch.

[@konradszkudlarek]

@@TheKestevon that doesn't mean anything.

[@ThinkTinkh]

@@Emanouche 480p20? 360p30! But at least they can upscale it to 720p30 and it will run decently 🤔

[@alexb115]

DLSS is demanding process on this kind of variety of hardware. Reminder guys that you tested a 2050 with gimped RAM and even more gimped bandwidth with windows OS & API overhead and you're trying to compare costs of tensor core frametimes from this system with a closed system running on NVN API ? There's a lot of IFs in those statements. We've never seen Ampere in a closed platform environment with a close to the metal API. If we had compared a PC spec for spec with a PS4 back in the days we would never have imagined the likes of TLoU part 2, The order 1886 or Uncharted 4.

[@Captainoftruth-t4t]

Just a pie in the sky idea. What if the dock acts as an egpu? What’s the cpu and ram saying? Keeping the handheld “pegged” for battery and heat/noise reasons

[@cyxceven]

Perhaps an improved dock coming later down the line to act as an "upgrade" to the stock dock might contain an eGPU. Or perhaps for the inevitable OLED refresh in a couple of years. That's certainly an interesting idea. For launch, though, I think Nintendo wants to keep the initial asking price down.

[@rdvansloten]

That would make the console skyrocket in price and they miss their target audience. Since they never upgraded the base Switch in any meaningful performance way, don't hold your breath there will ever be a Switch 2 Pro or eGPU add-on.

[@Captainoftruth-t4t]

@@rdvansloten I hear you! I’m not one that’s too concerned with punch when it comes to Nintendo. They’ve made incredible games for 30 odd years, most of my childhood faves were Nintendo. They always get the most from their systems squeezing every ounce. The steam deck oled is similar, not the punchiest performance wise but just runs so well with the refined OS

[@fer-nando5641]

*2025 and some people still don't understand how Nintendo works!!?* *Let's remember kids:* They don't "fight" Sony or Microsoft, and they never will. They're always a gen behind, at most. *That being said, I think the best gamers could expect and hope for it's an end of cycle/optimized PS4/XOne experience.* In my opinion, nothing wrong with it. Only issue is that, traditionally, Nintendo likes to price their products similarly to current gen consoles, so you really have to be a fan to pay the same premium and get less hardware. They do that because they trust their IPs are the real deal.

[@JTSuter]

For those upset that the Switch 2 won't be powerful, blame the majority of users who prefer a handheld device over a purely TV console system, because that's what Nintendo is really catering towards.

[@Bendaak]

Good. If I want a home console I’ll get a PS5, thanks.

[@JTSuter]

@@Bendaak Thanks for proving my point!

[@jemandetwas1]

​@@JTSuterWait, do you have a problem with people who want a handheld device, or am I reading too much into your comment?

[@JTSuter]

@ I don’t have a problem with handheld users; I have a problem with Nintendo not providing a stationary console and ignoring a sizable group of users who have no reason to use handheld mode. If they can make the Switch Lite, then they can make a more powerful system option for the TV. I guess “blame” was a strong word to use.

[@Bendaak]

@@JTSuter Almost all gamers find this a non-issue as the Switch is a tertiary system which does not directly compete with powerhouse home consoles such as the XBSX and PS5. If you wish to have a powerful home console, my advice is to go there. First party Nintendo titles run great on the Switch so if you wish to play those games docked on the Switch 2, you will be provided with a satisfying experience.

[@tplink]

The GameCube era was the last time Nintendo was competitive with power. Ever since then, people have over expected the power of their consoles, and every time, Nintendo has gone the weak route. Its time to learn people. Nintendo will always underperform power wise with their consoles.

[@ThePoushal]

Switch 2 will run off potatoes

[@urazoktay7940]

Amazing video. Thank you Digital Foundry.

[@Jarnis-v1c]

I thought Switch 2 hardware has been around for years and Nintendo just taking forever turning that chip into a final device and having the software ready. And Nintendo is kinda fine for that since now the Samsung 8nm node is dirt cheap to make.

[@cube2fox]

Nintendo has likely a contract with Nvidia. If Samsung lowers their prices, Nvidia's profit margin grows even more, and Nintendo pays the same.

[@Jarnis-v1c]

@@cube2fox It depends - contract terms could be just for the design and manufacturing is done by Samsung for Nintendo directly. without knowing the terms on the chip deal, can't say for sure. I know Sony had a deal with AMD for PS4 SoCs at least that Sony bought working chips and rest was down to AMD to take care of (manufacturing, packaging, testing). This means per chip is obviously more expensive, but it also means Sony didn't have to pay for dud chips. NVIDIA & Nintendo, no clue what their deal is. Could be for working chips, could be X dollars per wafer, could be just design and then Nintendo deals with Samsung for the rest.

[@DarthChrisB]

If it runs Silksong I'm happy.

[@saschadri]

Nintendo always does cheap old hardware with high profit margins.

[@Kamodomon]

I am shocked that people are still expecting Nintendo to do 4k with this next console. Even with a more modern chip, there's only so much Nintendo is willing to put into the console to make costs. And DLSS is great tech but it's not doing miracles out here. And this has been the case with Nintendo since forever. People and hype, I swear. Honestly still can't wait for it. I really want to see what people can do with a little more headroom, especially with the disappointment that is Scar/Vio's performance and some of the hiccups in recent Zelda games. Smoothing things out will be very welcome.

[@ps123fan]

what it gonna do though 1440p/upscale 2k? seems reasonable, they have money since switch sold so well

[@casualcadaver]

People actually expect it to do 4K ? Thats crazy, literally insane.

[@ThinkTinkh]

It will do 4k upscaled on certain games not a problem. Not. A. Problem.

[@ThinkTinkh]

@@casualcadaver 4k upscaled is easy. Just not every game.

[@Kamodomon]

@@ps123fan Just because they have money doesn't mean they're going to spend it on a console that will sell for a loss like was the norm with the other consoles for a looong time. Nintendo is HELLA conservative with their hardware. If you look at the Switch specs, they were dated even before the system launched. If you look at the leaked specs for the Switch 2, this is also the case already. They are going to shoot for 1080p and try to make it stable at 60. Nintendo is not going to go above that cause there's no real need to for a device that's meant to be portable. the DLSS stuff is probably going to help smooth some aspects out but it's not going to be what people hope it'll be. We're talking about the company that continuously puts out consoles that max out at 64gb of storage. Switch had 32gb 2017. IF Nintendo is going to do upscaling, I don't see them going for 1440p because not that many people have that resolution in their living rooms, doesn't make sense to try to shoot for a niche resolution.

[@MovielikeCinema]

Hope it will be cheap for the consumer too.

[@vectoralphaSec]

If its this weak, yeah it will be cheap.

[@pipedream690]

Switch released at $300 so my guess is $350.

[@epytaf]

Super disappointed to see the USB-C ports are soldered. Port failure is the #1 killer of Switches in my experience

[@SuperFranzs]

Is it that hard to solder on new USB-C ports if they get damaged?

[@epytaf]

@SuperFranzs It was on the original Switch because unlike most ports, USB-C has two rows of pins stacked on top of each other. So there's no way to fit a soldering iron underneath it to reach the first row. My solution was just to use a heat gun, but that's inherently more risky due to all the tiny surface mount components surrounding the port.

[@mystic5469]

Lmao I’m laughing at all the ps4 pro level hardware it’s Nintendo for god sake they don’t do powerful hardware stuff .

[@NightWanderer31415]

It's Nintendo, what did you expect?

[@TonkarzOfSolSystem]

The Switch 2 hardware may be old but it’s way less obsolete compared to what the Switch hardware was when it released.

[@theonik2006]

Not true. The switch launched with a Maxwell GPU just before Pascal came out. Pascal was pretty amazing but the Switch had the best chip nVidia had available for that segment, and in 2017 it was only 1 year old. The Ampere architecture is from 2020 by the time this is out this will be 5 year old tech. Now it matters less because progress has slowed down and in many ways the Switch 2 is a paradigm shift technologically, but I simply wouldn't say it's more modern than the Switch was when it was new. The main factors here are that nVidia just isn't making the kind of chip Nintendo needed off the shelf and I suspect if it wasn't for the pandemic the Switch 2 would have been out by 2022. But it didn't and so...

[@Thelango99]

@@theonik2006 Pascal cards started releasing in 2016. The tegra X1 is from 2015.

[@FFx16459]

@@theonik2006hmm I’m sure some of what you wrote is true - the part about the switch 2 or mid life intention upgrade releasing much earlier than 7 years latter released. As for Nvidia, Nintendo is one of its biggest client. The bottom line is even if Nvidia didn’t have anything on the shelf for Nintendo, they would and still create a custom APU/SOC for Nintendo per their power requirement etc. No different than what AMD does with Xbox & Sony with their SOC. What I think happened was that Nintendo probably wanted to release a mid cycle upgrade but because of a COVID they never did. This one should really be switch 1.5 Switch not 2. Nintendo are known for making extreme shortcuts on their hardware, why would it change now? They went with the extreme cheaper option sansumng 8nm rather than tsmc etc.

[@gamble777888]

It will be kind of similar actually

[@theonik2006]

@@FFx16459 Eh, the Tegra X1 on the Switch was basically off the shelf and this is basically an automotive part. I don't think nVidia really makes custom parts per se, unlike AMD this simply isn't a market nVidia appears to be interested in. These days nVidia makes most their money from datacenter parts so I doubt Nintendo has that kind of sway.

[@kouvang1265]

Let's all pray together, people, for the SoC be 5nm process node instead of 8nm process node.

[@jahnotreal]

Dynamic DLSS is interesting… and I think that’s a great idea if it keeps frame rate stable. I honestly don’t care if the image quality if still pretty poor if I’m getting 60fps and better game environments.

[@easyygo3008]

You are not going to. You are either gping to get ultra low game environments upscal'd to 1440p at 60 fps or 30fps uspcaled to 4k. The device is way too weak and has a ram issue bottlenecking it

[@AngelEscobareo]

Maybe that process node is for the prototype or even a dev kit made only to run on AC power with a toggle to switch from docked to hanheld mode? only to get the hardware to devs hands without as much cost/effort. Maybe the retail version will use a different node.

[@Varg69420]

People ever thinking switch 2 was gonna do anything crazy like raytracing are out of their minds

[@easyygo3008]

There are $499 devices coming this year that will handle mucch better graphics (legion go S with steam OS).

[@Varg69420]

​@@easyygo3008 i don't recall saying anything other than switch 2

[@ahmedhasan4966]

The Switch 2 can do ray tracing. Why? Because the T239 chip (the processor of the Switch successor) has amperes architecture which is capable of doing ray tracing.

[@zip3704]

Mobile devices have raytracing. Its obv not going to do everything thats unrealistic, but having bits of raytracing for specific parts of the game like maybe cinematics isnt too far fetched.

[@no1DdC]

@@zip3704 Yup. Expect something similar to some Xbox Series S games, like RT reflections or shadows, perhaps even some titles with basic RTGI (Indy is on the Series S as well, after all - and that's a weaker GPU). Since DLSS ray reconstruction is a feature of this chip, it might end up doing pretty well rendering this kind of effect.

[@RifterDask]

It's gonna perform better than most people think. Might beat the Steam Deck in CPU bound titles. That might not sound impressive, but Nintendo themselves will be able to do amazing things with it.

[@Guzmania]

For me, battery-life is more critical than power and resolution in a handheld.

[@Retrohut305]

Agreed

[@adaml.5355]

Don't forget the games.

[@cube2fox]

Battery life probably won't be good with a large chip made on a 8nm Samsung process.

[@tails300]

@@cube2foxwhich is why 5nm hasn’t been ruled out yet. If Nintendo is aiming for a 3 hour battery life then an 8nm process isn’t going to work.

[@cube2fox]

@@tails300 Battery life mainly depends on the clock speed. They can make it really low.

[@hellsacolyte]

The best question - will it cut the extra 1 frame of input lag from shmups on the Switch in BC mode (assuming and hoping there is).

[@COFFEEBREAKRACING]

There is no demand for this console

[@JamesBurdon-gu5yu]

Fake news CNN ^^^

[@kolbyking2315]

What I'm thinking: GPU = 80% to 132% of the Steamdeck, depending on the gpu's wattage and node (4W+8nm - 18W+5nm). CPU = 55% to 85% of the Steamdeck, depending on it's frequency (2GHz - 3GHz)

[@gamble777888]

I wouldn't compare it to PCs man. It's going to be underclocked, it's going to be prioratizing batter life, you can bank on that.

[@kolbyking2315]

@@gamble777888 You can compare the Switch 2 gpu to pc/laptops because Ampere is a pc/laptop architecture. My comparison of the ARM A78C with the Steamdeck's x86 5300u-equivalent is not that good since there are completely different architectures.

[@kolbyking2315]

@@gamble777888 I spent some time modeling Ampere clocks and wattage, and I'm very skeptical that Nintendo will use 8nm for the Switch 2. The original 20nm Switch Tegra gpu was ~3W undocked and ~6W docked, with a 16 whr battery. The 16nm Switch gpu was ~2W undocked and ~4W docked. If the Switch 2 gets a 20 whr battery and similar battery life as the 20nm Switch 1, its gpu would be 3.75W undocked and 7.5W docked. The lowest clock speed I can find for any Ampere gpu is 401 MHz on the AGX Orin 64GB. At that speed, an 8nm 1536 CU Ampere gpu die would use 5.95 watts. To go from ~6W to 3.75W, we'd have to underclock the T239 to 196 MHz, far below anything 8nm Ampere could ever do. Using 8nm would cut battery life by 25% compared to the 20nm Switch 1. It'd be ~3.64x faster undocked (6W), which is ~41% below the Steamdeck. Docked, it would be 2.46x faster (7.5W), ~25% below the Steamdeck. Now, let's look at 5nm, with its -36% power usage. Idk it's minimum frequency, so I'll use the same 401 MHz figure as before. That gives the 5nm T239 a minimum power of 4.39 watts. It's still 17% above our target, but we might be able to underclock it more. To get to 3.75W, we'd need to reduce the 5nm T239 to 313 MHz, which might actually be possible. It would be 3.18x faster (4W) than the Switch 1 undocked, and ~49% below the Steamdeck. Docked, it would be 3.33x faster (7.5W) than the Switch 1, ~1% above the Steamdeck. I also wouldn't be super surprised if they increased the docked Switch 2 gpu power to match the 9W -> 25W SOC power jump. That would give the gpu ~17W. On 8nm, it would be 4.36x the Switch 1, 32% faster than the Steamdeck, and 30% below the PS4 Pro. On 5nm, it would be 5.31x the Switch 1, 61% faster than the Steamdeck, and 15% below the PS4 Pro. TLDR: 8nm Ampere is too power-hungry for the portable Switch 2. 5nm works way better and could surpass the Steamdeck significantly when docked.

[@kolbyking2315]

@@gamble777888 I spent some time modeling Ampere clocks and wattage, and I'm very skeptical that Nintendo will use 8nm for the Switch 2. The original 20nm Switch Tegra gpu was ~3W undocked and ~6W docked, with a 16 whr battery. The 16nm Switch gpu was ~2W undocked and ~4W docked. If the Switch 2 gets a 20 whr battery and similar battery life as the 20nm Switch 1, its gpu would be 3.75W undocked and 7.5W docked. The lowest clock speed I can find for any Ampere gpu is 401 MHz on the AGX Orin 64GB. At that speed, an 8nm 1536 CU Ampere gpu die would use 5.95 watts. To go from ~6W to 3.75W, we'd have to underclock the T239 to 196 MHz, far below anything 8nm Ampere could ever do. Using 8nm would cut battery life by 25% compared to the 20nm Switch 1. It'd be ~3.64x faster undocked (6W), which is ~41% below the Steamdeck. Docked, it would be 2.46x faster (7.5W), ~25% below the Steamdeck.

[@kolbyking2315]

@@gamble777888 The Switch 1 gpu used ~3 watts undocked. Because of Switch 2's bigger battery, let's assume it has 3.75 watts available. On 8nm Ampere, you'd need to underclock the T239 to 196 MHz, when the lowest we've seen it go is 401 MHz. We could get close on 5nm, 4 watts at 349 MHz.

[@see.eye.2361]

I’m wondering how this aligns with that rumor a few years back about a private showing of Breath of The Wild running at 4K 60fps, was that nonsense?

[@cyrus8886]

I mean botw won't be a tasking game for this system it's completely believable

[@treesnip5667]

I mean Breath of the Wild is a Wii U game and I doubt that the demo was native 4K to begin with.

[@jahnotreal]

My guess is that it IS 60fps… but the resolution is dynamic & using upscaling with a maximum resolution of 4k. I doubt it will be hitting 4K most of the time. The majority of people don’t actually need or care that much about resolution if the frame rates are stable & the overall graphics look great. It could also be that the actual TV output was 4K, but the internal resolution of the game engine was not. The 60fps and no load times are most likely real given the hardware leaks.

[@davidrenton]

get a PC and run it at 120 at 4K

[@hooky17]

with upscaling? I don't see why not

[@olafpayne6562]

Lateral thinking with withered technology has been a winning formula for Nintendo.

[@mikeuk666]

IPhone 15 Pro rrp is also up in the 4 figures....

[@Zelielz1]

It will run at 720p with 40/60 AI fps

[@tuntitommosille]

It's really unfortunate if this thing has poor battery life and a 60Hz LCD screen - doesn't really feel like an improvement over Switch OLED.

[@vectoralphaSec]

It wont be a big improvement.

[@Terron29]

Im extremely excited for switch 2. I primarily play docked anyway. I am thinking if you compare switch 2 to ps5 it wont come off looking well power comparison wise but switch 1 vs switch 2 its looking like quite the jump. Playing stuff like tears of the kingdom and metroid prime remaster on switch makes me very excited to see what Nintendo and other companies can pull off on switch 2.

[@Chaoskae]

You’re excited for mediocrity👀👀. TOK doesn’t run well like Metroid tho

[@Terron29]

@Chaoskae no not at all but i would hope nintendo can finally at least get a consistant 30fps with switch 2 on their first party titles now. I look forward to seeing the next zelda, metroid and xenoblade on switch 2. All the big demanding 3rd party games I just buy on pc.

[@easyygo3008]

Comparing switch 2 to stuff like legion go S which will be a $499 device will result poorly aswell. Is very dated hardware again. The APU and the RAM are on the super weak side

[@MrBl3ki]

@@easyygo3008 If the leaked specs are true, they will be close in strenght, despite Legion having much more RAM.

[@Dredgeon]

Questions about performance? Yeah, it would be such a shame if the Switch 2 didn't live up to the legacy of lightning fast performance that the Switch established.

[@BMW-sd6nn]

I mean look at all the amazing looking games that were made on the original switch which is a dinosaur now. This new switch will be vastly more capable. Its going to be amazing lol.

[@xhappymasksalesmenx4092]

One thing I can say about Nintendo is they are kings of optimization relative to other companies. The real kings are fans making crazy good games that work well,play well and look nice day one. Thanks gaming community the real heros Also people don't expect high end graphics from Nintendo. That gameplay is what they do best. Zelda series is older than me and still putting out solid games. Game of the year was astrobot which is a Mario clone/PlayStation ad.

[@gundamzerostrike]

Digital Foundry about the Switch 2 before launch: "Very weak, it's gonna have ports of PS4 maybe, very sad, at least it's gonna have some good Nintendo games" Digital Foundry about Switch 2 a few years after launch: "Yeah, we made a lot of videos about the impossible ports the console got, very impressive stuff, it was able to run some of the best PS5 with decent performance, great little machine"

[@yimmmmy]

Someones feewings got hurted

[@gundamzerostrike]

@yimmmmy why?

[@JamesBurdon-gu5yu]

It didnt run "The best PS5" and they jever said it did. Stop srawmanning like a toddler embrassing.

[@JamesBurdon-gu5yu]

@Gumdaz Because they are strawmanning and fabricating rhetoric digital foundry never said or implied. There is no "PS5 ganes running on the switch as it cant even handle PS3 ganwa

[@gundamzerostrike]

@ Dude, WTF are you even on right now?