The core hardware of the Switch 2 has reportedly been leaked, before the console has even been announced.
Photos of what appear to be the console’s motherboard have been posted on Reddit, showing the brains of the upcoming handheld system.
While these do not tell us too much about how the Switch 2 will run games, they do suggest it will have an Nvidia chipset, just like the original Switch.
That company has become radically more valuable since the days of the Switch launch.
Back then, Nvidia stocks traded at around $2.70 (£2.17). Right now, they are valued at $135 (£109), in part because the company makes many of the chips that power AI features and software.
Nintendo Switch 2 render based on leaks.
— Kābī (@KirPinkFury) December 29, 2024
If true, it's beautiful. pic.twitter.com/j4KufPPeSp
Centro Leaks claims the photos suggest the console is not actually using the latest chipset architecture, which typically results in lower performance per watt of power used. However, with no confirmation of the actual hardware, this is speculation on already unconfirmed leaks.
This leak links in with another piece of recent Switch 2 news. On December 31, Nintendo filed a patent detailing how it may use Nvidia’s DLSS upscaling in games.
Such tech, also used in the PlayStation 5 Pro with Sony’s own PSRR implementation of the concept, allows games to be rendered at lower resolutions while making them look much like a higher resolution version. This lowers performance overheads and, as outlined in the Nintendo patent, could be used to dramatically reduce how much storage a game’s textures take up.
This is doubly important for the Nintendo Switch 2, which is expected to continue to use cartridges. Where many Xbox and PlayStation games require an additional download to get games working, even after you buy a disc version, Nintendo’s Switch games can be run directly off the cartridge.
Nintendo has also announced the Switch 2 will also be able to play original Switch software, although we do not yet know if this extends to original Switch cartridges, too.
The company says it will make an announcement on the Switch 2 within this financial year, which ends on March 31.
