News Overview
- A video teardown of a presumed Nintendo Switch 2 development kit chip reveals architectural details suggesting performance comparable to the Steam Deck’s GPU.
- The analysis suggests a custom Nvidia Tegra chip with improvements in memory bandwidth and potentially more efficient architecture compared to previous Switch models.
- The “bricked” chip was painstakingly delayered to expose its internal components for analysis.
🔗 Original article link: Check out this brilliant video breaking open a bricked Nintendo Switch 2 chip to see what makes it tick, and why we’re looking at around Steam Deck GPU performance from the new console
In-Depth Analysis
The article centers around a teardown video analyzing a chip presumed to be from a Nintendo Switch 2 development kit. The teardown, performed on a non-functional chip, meticulously delayered the silicon to expose its internal architecture. Key observations from the analysis include:
- Nvidia Tegra Customization: The chip is believed to be a custom Nvidia Tegra design, building upon previous Switch hardware but with significant architectural enhancements. The improvements are focused around boosting GPU performance and memory bandwidth.
- Performance Target: Based on the analysis, the potential performance target for the GPU is estimated to be in the same ballpark as the Steam Deck’s AMD GPU. This would represent a substantial leap in graphical capabilities compared to the original Switch.
- Memory Bandwidth: The teardown hinted at improvements to memory bandwidth that would greatly benefit both resolution and framerate improvements in the next-generation handheld.
The video analysis provided no concrete specifications regarding clock speeds, core counts or exact architecture, the video gives hints about the GPU performance. It should be noted that this is an early look at a potential development kit chip, and final specifications may differ significantly in the released console.
Commentary
If the analysis is accurate and the final Switch 2 delivers Steam Deck-level GPU performance, it would be a major win for Nintendo. This would allow for higher fidelity graphics, smoother gameplay, and potentially even ports of more demanding PC games. This level of power would also help maintain the Switch’s relevance in a market increasingly crowded with handheld gaming PCs like the ROG Ally and Legion Go.
The increased performance would greatly influence game development, allowing for increased complexity and visual fidelity. However, Nintendo will need to balance performance with battery life and thermal management, which could be significant challenges. The implication is that Nintendo could once again redefine the handheld gaming landscape by offering a truly portable device capable of running modern games.