You can tell something is up when credible insiders, namely Tom Henderson, start to talk about something.
After previously leaking PlayStation’s upcoming lineup of accessories for the PlayStation 5, including the now-sold-out PlayStation Portal, Henderson is at it again. This time, he’s talking about the next Nintendo Switch.
While Henderson didn’t really go into the specifics, merely saying “We’ll see “Launching on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC” a heck of a lot in 12-18 months,” is more than enough to get fans excited.
Really excited for the Nintendo Switch 2 and its tech.
We'll see "Launching on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC" a heck of a lot in 12-18 months.
— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) September 30, 2023
Do remember that just a few weeks ago, we caught wind of reports that Nintendo was at Gamescom 2023 to showcase the power of its next console. It was there that, among other things, Nintendo showed off The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild running on a more powerful platform that’s capable of running the Matrix Awakens Unreal 5 demo, which impressed on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X two years ago.
By taking full advantage of Nvidia’s proprietary upscaling technology, DLSS, the Switch 2 can punch above its weight, or so to speak.
DLSS, which stands for Deep Learning Super Sampling, is, in a nutshell, a way of using AI technology to cheat our eyes and renders frames at a lower resolution than they’re displayed at but making it look like as if it’s rendered in its native resolution. For example, DLSS can render a game’s frame at 1080p resolution and upscale it to 4K resolution with nigh noticeable difference between its upscaled 4K output and a native 4K output. It’s considered a more cost-effective alternative to other more taxing rendering techniques and benefits less powerful hardware the most.
Compared to AMD’s equivalent, FidelityFX Super Resolution, DLSS is the superior upscaling technology. It’s why there was so much uproar about Starfield partnering with AMD and not supporting DLSS natively.
Now, going back to the Nintendo Switch 2, Henderson’s statement was cleverly worded not to say that the console will be as powerful as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X. Instead, it teases two things: a late 2024 or early 2025 release for the console and it will, at the very least, allow developers to release their games on it at the same time as the PS5 and Xbox Series S/X ports.
Truth be told, the Nintendo Switch 2 was never going to be as powerful as the PS4 Pro or Xbox One X let alone the PS5 or the Xbox Series X. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be.
Nintendo has proven how much magic it can work on the Nintendo Switch. Earlier this year, it ran The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on the “weak” console. It’s true that there’ve been a couple of duds, namely Mortal Kombat 1 and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. But, you can’t deny that the Nintendo Switch, if optimized, has surprised plenty by running a handful of graphically intensive titles like Fortnite, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and so much more, relatively smoothly.
With the Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo can achieve parity with Sony and Microsoft – the first time this will happen in decades.
Unfortunately, despite all the hullaballoo, it’s still unclear what the name of the Nintendo Switch 2 is going to be. At this point, it wouldn’t surprise us if Nintendo went with something such as the Switch U or maybe even the Super Nintendo Switch. Actually calling it the Nintendo Switch 2 isn’t off the table either.
In any case, the timing of Henderson talking about the Switch 2 suggests that Nintendo was at the Tokyo Game Show once again to drum up hype for it.
Hopefully, once it’s finished rolling out its upcoming slate of exclusives, including Super Mario Bros. Wonder, it will give us a glimpse of whatever it’s been working on these past few years.
