Nintendo Co. plans to adopt an updated version Chip from Nvidia Corp. with better graphics and processing for a new Switch model planned for the holiday shopping season, according to people familiar with the matter.
The new iteration of the Switch will support Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling, or DLSS, a new rendering technology that uses artificial intelligence to deliver high-fidelity graphics more efficiently. This will allow the console, which is also configured for a Update of the OLED display, to reproduce game visuals in 4K quality when connected to a TV, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plan is not public.
The new chipset from the American company will also bring a better CPU and more memory. DLSS support will require adding new code to games, so it will be used primarily to improve graphics in upcoming titles, people said, including several game developers. Bloomberg News previously reported that the new switch is likely to include a 7-inch OLED screen Samsung Display Co. and join the launch of the console with an abundance of new games.
Nvidia and Nintendo representatives declined to comment.
Nintendo’s release schedule for Switch games remains largely empty for the second half of the year, although the company announced on Tuesday a new partnership with Niantic Inc. in augmented reality apps for smartphones, set to start with a Pikmin app in 2021.
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Analysts expect the new switch to be offered at a higher price than the current $ 299 model, a level unchanged since the initial launch of the switch in 2017. Matthew Kanterman of Bloomberg Intelligence predicts an increase of up to $ 100.
“$ 349.99 will increase the device’s value proposition, but I still think Nintendo can drive strong demand even at $ 399.99,” he said.
DLSS was first introduced as an image enhancement feature in 2018 and remains exclusive to Nvidia graphics cards. It is an unusually advanced addition for Nintendo based in Kyoto, which tends to opt for a more mature and low-cost technology than its rivals Sony Corp. and Microsoft Corp. adopts with its consoles. The new switch will still lag behind the overall performance capabilities of its more expensive rivals.
“What we value is how much new technology contributes to the fun experience and how comfortably a consumer can play,” said Ko Shiota, Nintendo’s senior executive, last year.