The next Nintendo Switch will use a new Nvidia system chip with support for DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), according to a report by Bloomberg. The chip brings improvements in GPU and CPU performance, with DLSS serving as Nintendo’s solution for displaying high-resolution images on 4K TVs.
DLSS was introduced with Nvidia’s RTX 20 series GPUs, based on the Turing architecture. It makes use of neural networks to reconstruct game images in real time and with superior quality. Different versions of the technology depended on the GPU’s tensor cores and the AI training in specific games, but the result is that you can render a game at a lower traditional resolution and get a much higher output with a minimal performance penalty.
This theoretically makes it a good fit for the Switch, which often struggles to achieve its own native 720p resolutions in portable mode or 1080p on a TV screen. It is also not surprising to hear that the new Switch would require an entirely new chip design from Nvidia; the original Switch used a Tegra X1, which was announced in 2015 before Nvidia stopped producing general purpose mobile SoCs. With the success of the Switch, however, it is undoubtedly worthwhile for Nvidia to deliver a new custom design.
Bloomberg has already reported that the new Switch will have a 7-inch OLED screen. Today’s report says the device is planned for this holiday season.