Nintendo Switch 2 DLSS Might Not Be as Powerful as It Sounds

We still don’t know that much about the successor to the Nintendo Switch, but whatever form it takes, it may struggle to output in 4K.

Sources have reportedly told Digital Foundry that the custom Nvidia T239 chip rumored to be in the next iteration of the Nintendo Switch does not include deep learning accelerator (DLA) capability, which may have a big impact on its DLSS upscaling capabilities. With DLA, DLSS upscaling would effectively be “free,” or at least require quite a bit less CPU power. Without it, the Switch 2 may be limited to 1080p, or “possibly 1440p if you’re lucky, depending on the game.”

These estimations are based on broadly equivalent hardware and remains far from confirmed. However, it potentially puts a dent in the Switch 2’s capabilities, which have been rumored to be in the range of the Xbox Series S.

DLSS (which stands for Deep Learning Super Sampling) has been at the center of the rumors swirling around a potential Switch 2 for over a year now, with the first references to DLSS and the Tegra 239 graphics chip as potential Switch 2 features popping up in the massive NVIDIA hack that occurred in March 2022. Earlier this month, Digital Foundry published a detailed deep dive into the rumored custom processor and its likely capabilities.

Nintendo, for its part, remained tight-lipped on the subject, with president Shuntaro Furukawa denying rumors that it demoed the new hardware to partners. Rumors continue to swirl around the new platform, which is expected to be revealed sometime next year. In an NVC column earlier this year, we explore some of the worst-case scenarios for the Switch 2, including the possibility that it won’t be backwards-compatible.

We’ll like learn more in the new year. In the meantime, check out our guide to everything we know about Switch 2.

Charlie Wacholz is a freelance writer at IGN.