The unveiling of the Nintendo Switch 2's hardware last week left many impressed, yet Nintendo has been notably silent about the technical capabilities of its new handheld. While we've seen clear enhancements like new Joy-Cons, a redesigned kickstand, and a larger form factor, the exact power of the Switch 2 remains undisclosed. However, a brief glimpse at Mario Kart 9 in the reveal video might offer some clues about its potential.
In a recent YouTube video, indie developer Jerrel Dulay of Sungrand Studios, who has extensive experience with Nintendo hardware from his work on the Wii U and 3DS, shared his insights. Dulay suggests that the Switch 2 is significantly more powerful than its predecessor, based on the new Mario Kart footage.
Mario Kart 9 - First Look
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Dulay pointed out the use of "physically-based shaders" on cars and other textures in the Mario Kart footage. These shaders, which can be affected by reflections and lighting, indicate a significant leap in graphical capabilities. A late 2023 report from Digital Foundry suggested that the Switch 2 might be powered by the Nvidia T239 ARM mobile chip, boasting 1536 CUDA Cores—a 500% increase over the original Switch's Tegra X1 chip with just 256 CUDA cores.
Dulay noted that the original Switch struggled with complex shaders, often leading to framerate drops. In contrast, the Mario Kart 9 footage shows additional material reflections and high-resolution ground textures, which require substantial RAM. The Switch 2 is rumored to have 12GB of RAM, a significant upgrade from the original's 4GB, as evidenced by leaks showing two SK Hynix LPDDR5 modules, each offering 6GB.
The potential speed of these RAM modules, which could reach up to 7500MHz, would greatly enhance texture loading and overall performance. Dulay emphasized that the new Mario Kart not only uses high-resolution textures but also a high number of unique textures, suggesting a substantial increase in graphical fidelity.
Furthermore, Dulay highlighted the presence of "true volumetric lighting" in the Mario Kart teaser, a feature that is demanding on any GPU. This, along with the ability to maintain 60 frames per second, underscores the Switch 2's enhanced power. The trailer also showcased shadows at far distances, another computationally intensive feature that was challenging on the original Switch.
Dulay also pointed out the high poly-count characters and real-time cloth physics on flagpoles, further demonstrating the Switch 2's leap in power. As we await more details and footage from Nintendo, Dulay's analysis provides a compelling preview of the graphical capabilities we can expect from the Switch 2. Nintendo is set to reveal more in a dedicated Direct in April, and you can stay updated with all the latest on IGN's Switch 2 coverage.
