Nintendo’s follow-up to the Nintendo Switch is coming out at some point this year. Fans have been waiting for Nintendo to give them information about the power of the system, what games will be launch titles, and what the system looks like. So far, we are none-the-wiser. Nintendo’s only comments about the Switch 2 are that it will be backwards compatible with all Switch games and that the new system will be announced ‘within the fiscal year.’ Nintendo made this statement in May of last year—the period in which they guarantee an announcement ends on March 31st. I doubt the Switch 2 will come out before that, but I have high hopes that fans will at least get a look at the console.
Now, though, a possible leak of the system’s motherboard is circulating on Reddit. As with any leak, it is likely inaccurate. However, users on Reddit are convinced that the leaked images match up, and people are now speculating what it will mean for the console’s power, battery life, and storage.
These images are courtesy of MHN1994.
NINTENDO SWITCH 2 LEAK: WHAT THIS MEANS?
These images are sparking debates on Reddit, and users are speculating about the power and capabilities of Switch 2. If the leaks are accurate, the Switch 2 will feature an NVIDIA Tegra T239 APU and an NVIDIA Ampere 1536 CUDA SoC GPU. Turning to the Ampere for a moment, the OLED Switch’s GPU was capable of 256 CUDA; the Switch 2 may be capable of 1,536 CUDA. CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture) is a piece of architecture developed by NVIDIA that works with a system’s GPU to increase the power and performance of the hardware. The increase means that the Switch 2 will not only be much more powerful than its predecessor, but it will also be capable of running more demanding games. The original Switch’s hardware is severely outdated now compared to the current consoles on the market, and it will hugely benefit from a more powerful GPU.
An APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) is a component that combines the capabilities of a GPU and a CPU into one neat package. APUs are more common in video game consoles rather than PCs. The Switch 2’s alleged NVIDIA Tegra T239 has people speculating about the graphical possibilities of the console. People are saying that with this APU, the hybrid console could deliver PS4 Pro-level graphics. Granted, this is not the same standard as a PS5 or Series X, but considering the Switch 2 is a portable console, it is mind-blowing.
There are two final things to take from this leak. Firstly, the upgraded RAM. The original Switch had only 4GB of RAM, which is microscopic compared to other current consoles. In the photos, we can see two sticks of 6GB SK Hynix RAM. If the Switch 2 has up to 12GB of RAM, the system should be able to deliver consistent frame rates and a high resolution.
Finally, some users have noted that the leaked images show no evidence of a microSD card slot. The original Switch had storage of only 32GB. I would imagine the Switch 2 has much more storage than this, and the lack of a microSD slot may indicate that the leaked images are not as current as they appear.
What do you think about the leaks? Are you excited about the Nintendo Switch 2? Let us know in the comments below!
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