Earlier this month, rumours surfaced that Nintendo plans to release a revamped Switch console sometime later this year. Now, a new report is claiming that Nintendo may leverage Nvidia’s DLSS tech to help support better graphics.
So far, info regarding Nintendo’s upcoming Switch revamp has been relatively light on details, with planned upgrades largely revolving around the move to a higher quality 720p AMOLED built-in display and support for 4K video output while docked.
Now, according to sources who spoke to Bloomberg, it seems Nintendo is also planning to rely on a new or refreshed Nvidia processor with possible support for Nvidia’s DLSS tech to deliver higher-quality graphics.
DLSS or Deep Learning Super Sampling is an advanced graphics rendering process that typically renders graphics at a lower resolution, and then uses AI and other techniques to upsample graphics to a higher resolution, thereby reducing the performance hit needed to produce high-def graphics. Depending on the content or the specific title, DLSS has been known to boost framerates by as much as 75% to 100% — which on a portable device already constrained by its size and design could result in some pretty significant performance gains.
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The potential downside is that for games to full take advantage of DLSS, they will need to be updated with new code or instructions, which means support for DLSS may only show up in future games and may not be backported to existing titles. Aside from support for DLSS, Bloomberg says Nvidia’s new chipset will also feature a faster CPU and support more memory, which is always a good thing.
While Nintendo has yet to officially confirm the arrival of a higher-end Switch model, Bloomberg and other sources claim the updated Switch could go on sale as early as the 2021 holiday season. Pricing is also unknown; however, between a new OLED display and faster components, many are expecting this new Switch to command a $70-100 premium over the current $449 Switch.
The one thing that could throw a serious wrench into Nintendo’s plans is the current global chip crunch, which has been limiting the availability of a wide range of gadgets including GPUs, mobile processors, automotive chips, and of course, video game consoles. So while there’s a fair bit of time before the holiday roll around, it’s probably anyone’s guess if Nintendo will actually be able to release a new Switch before the end of the year.