What kind of performance is Nintendo’s next console capable of? That’s the question on everyone’s minds as more and more reports come out about the successor to the Nintendo Switch (nicknamed Switch 2 until Nintendo officially reveals it). New internal emails point to the Switch 2 having comparable specs to Xbox One and PS4.
Most of the email contents are redacted, but one paragraph states:
“Given the closer alignment to gen8 platforms in terms of performance and our previous offerings on PS4/XboxOne, it is reasonable to assume that we could make something compelling for NG Switch as well. It would be helpful to secure early access to development hardware prototypes and prove that out nice and early.”
The rest of the emails are redacted, so we can’t glean any specifics about performance specs.
It’s important to note that just because the Switch 2 has the raw power closer to a PS4 / Xbox One, that doesn’t mean it can’t pump out even better visuals.
One recent report stated that Nintendo showed an improved version of Zelda: Breath of the Wild with better frame rate and resolution and The Matrix Awakens Unreal Engine 5 tech demo. The latter is where it gets interesting. According to the report:
“The demo is said to have been running using Nvidia’s DLSS upscaling technology, with advanced ray tracing enabled and visuals comparable to Sony’s and Microsoft’s current-gen consoles.”
If Nvidia DLSS is confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2, fans will enjoy a massive bump in visual fidelity. And with a handheld’s smaller screen, any drawbacks of leaning heavily on DLSS (primarily visual artifacts) won’t be as noticeable.
We’ll still have to wait for the official announcement from Nintendo to see what they are offering. But the picture is getting a little clearer today thanks to Microsoft’s ongoing acquisition of Activision.