If rumors are to be believed, then it looks like Nintendo will place some Nvidia guts inside its upgraded Switch console, due later this year.
New Switch to Use Nvidia System-on-a-Chip
According to a Bloomberg report, sources close to Nintendo’s forthcoming “Switch Pro” have confirmed that the next-gen handheld device will make use of an Nvidia SOC (system-on-chip).
According to the report, the new Switch will be conversant with Nvidia’s DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) image upscaling technology. This means you can look forward to improved graphics on the updated device.
Because it is an SOC, the one chip will also take care of CPU duties and memory. So we should see increased performance power, too.
Currently, we have no comment from Nintendo or Nvidia on the matter.
What Will the Nvidia SOC Do?
As mentioned, if rumors are true, it will deal with the graphics on the new Switch. So, we can look forward to seeing 4K output from the next iteration of the popular Nintendo console, when plugged into an external display.
The Nvidia SOC will also provide improvements in terms of the CPU, so games will run faster and loading times will be shorter. With upgraded memory coming too, it seems like the new Nintendo Switch will be capable of handling next-gen games.
What Is the Nvidia SOC?
It isn’t just Nvidia that produces SOCs. Many companies design and manufacture such chips; it just so happens that Nintendo appears to have chosen an Nvidia model for the next Switch.
An SOC is, in very basic terms, an all-in-one chip. It is an integrated circuit, which means it deals with the tasks normally associated with three separate chips, namely the CPU, the GPU, and storage.
An SOC integrates all of these components into one unit. This means that the SOC will consume significantly less power than three separate chips. Despite this lower energy consumption, it may execute tasks faster and more efficiently than those chips on their own.
For now, though, we have no official details relating to the internal machinations of Nintendo’s new Switch device, so we’ll have to wait for it to spill the beans.
When Will We Know More About the New Switch?
Your guess is as good as ours. We know the new Switch may have an OLED screen, which will be nice. We also expect it will be capable of 4K output. As always, though, Nintendo is maintaining the world’s most intense poker face. No surprises there.
Some might say that the current Switch and Switch Lite have peaked after four years of service, so we’re looking forward to finding out how Nintendo plans to tackle Sony and Microsoft as the console wars ramp up.