Another year has gone by and Nintendo Switch 2 leaks seem hotter than ever. Here’s what we know about the upcoming new console from Nintendo: Switch 2. Amidst the rising excitement and speculation, Nintendo has its eyes set on 2024 for the launch of its next-gen console. This move promises to revolutionize the gaming landscape, with whispers already circulating about its impressive features. So far the main thing known is that the Switch 2 will be released sometime in 2024.

Nintendo’s 2024 Launch: The Details

Nintendo’s fervent dedication to innovation is evident as they gear up for a monumental release in 2024. Partner studios have already received the development kits, indicating that the launch wheels are firmly in motion. Many insiders project that the release will occur in the latter half of 2024. This timing aims to ensure a sufficient stockpile, sidestepping the stock issues that plagued rivals like PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Functionality and Features: A Hybrid Approach?

Similar to its groundbreaking predecessor, the Nintendo Switch, the new console boasts a portable mode. This hybrid functionality, combining the best of handheld and home gaming, made the Switch a runaway success. Further, preliminary insights suggest an LCD screen might be the display choice to maintain affordability. This decision could stem from the need for augmented storage, especially for high-resolution games, which are progressively demanding more space.

A Nostalgic Touch: Cartridge Slots and Memory Concerns

In a nod to the past, Nintendo’s upcoming console will embrace physical games through a cartridge slot. But as the gaming world waits with bated breath, there remains ambiguity around backward compatibility for the vast library of Switch games. Nintendo’s vision is to transition a significant chunk of the Switch’s colossal 100m+ userbase to this next-gen system. Yet, apprehensions arise, particularly among third-party publishers, who fear that legacy support could undercut the sales of newer titles.

Industry Perspectives: Strategic Timing for Nintendo

Dr. Serkan Toto, a renowned Tokyo-based industry consultant, accentuates the strategic timing of Nintendo’s move. With the Nintendo Switch rounding seven years in the market, a decline in hardware and software sales is palpable. Toto comments, “The evident solution to circumvent these mounting losses is the introduction of a new device, and a 2024 launch aligns perfectly with that thought process.”

Christopher Dring, ReedPop’s head of games B2B, reinforces this viewpoint. He draws parallels with Nintendo’s historical launch patterns, highlighting their tendency to introduce new hardware ‘mid-cycle’ relative to competitors like PlayStation and Xbox.

Challenges Ahead: Overcoming Past Hurdles

While the future looks promising, Nintendo confronts its past challenges. The primary dilemma is enticing its diverse fan base, ranging from hardcore enthusiasts to more ‘casual’ family-oriented gamers. Dring underscores the importance of features like digital libraries, Nintendo Account handling, and backward compatibility to guarantee a triumphant system launch.

Nvidia’s Ampere Technology Will Power The Switch?

Whispers suggest that a more advanced Nintendo Switch 2 might emerge than thought before, harnessing the might of Nvidia’s Ampere technology. A GitHub update recently shed some light on these speculations. The first-gen Nintendo Switch was armed with Nvidia’s Tegra X1 (Erista) SoC, a chip mirrored in Nvidia’s 2017 Shield. Unique to the Switch was its use of only the Cortex-A57 cores, leading to its marketing as a “customized Tegra processor.” Interestingly, this left the four Cortex-A53 cores unutilized – missing out on potential extended battery life for certain tasks.

Switch’s Transformation: The Transition to Tegra X1+

Nintendo was quick to enhance the Switch with an updated Tegra X1. Subsequent models, including the Nintendo Switch 1.1, leveraged the superior Tegra X1+ (Mariko) chip. The benefits were primarily around power efficiency, resulting in a battery life extending up to nine hours, a remarkable improvement from its predecessor.

Speculated Innovations: Nintendo Switch 2 & Nvidia’s Jetson Orin

Credible hardware discussions suggest that the Nintendo Switch 2 might use a custom-tailored variant of Nvidia’s Jetson Orin. The underlying speculation revolves around the T239 chip, an adaptation of the standard T234.

Here’s a glance at the speculated features:

• Comparison at a Glance
  • Nintendo Switch 2: Orin SoC, 12 x Cortex-A78AE CPU cores, LPDDR5 memory, GA10B (Ampere) GPU with 2,048 CUDA cores.
  • Nintendo Switch (Previous versions): Tegra X1+ and Tegra X1, 4 x Cortex-A57 & 4 x Cortex-A53 CPU cores, 4GB LPDDR4-1600 memory, GM20B (Maxwell) GPU with 256 CUDA cores.

Ampere vs. Maxwell: A Leap in Performance

The Orin chipset, grounded in the 2020 Ampere architecture, presents a stark contrast to the Maxwell architecture of 2014. With the GA10B silicon, developed on Samsung’s 8nm node (akin to GeForce RTX 30-series cards), the leap in GPU evolution is evident.

Although the exact specs of Nvidia’s T239 for Nintendo remain under wraps, realism suggests that it won’t harness the full GA10B capacity. Power balance is pivotal for Nintendo, and the chipset might be more in line with the Jetson Orin Nano.

Nintendo Switch 2: Not Just About Power

Beyond sheer performance, the Nintendo Switch 2 is anticipated to incorporate Nvidia’s DLSS, enhancing frame rates and energy efficiency. Speculations are also rife about potential ray tracing support, though its intensity might be GPU-demanding.

Sneak Peeks and Revelations

Rumors from Gamescom 2023 insinuate that select developers had an exclusive preview of the Nintendo Switch 2. Notable highlights include The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild running at a crisp 60 FPS in 4K resolution. Enhanced by DLSS 3.5, the game displayed significantly reduced loading times. Further, the Switch 2 showcased impressive performance in The Matrix Awakens, an Unreal Engine 5 demonstration.

Final Thoughts: A Gaming Marvel on the Horizon?

The Nintendo Switch 2, with its rumored Nvidia technology, is poised to redefine handheld gaming. With potential advancements in GPU architecture, memory, and gaming tech, the future of gaming seems brighter than ever. Only time will unveil the full scope of this technological marvel.

Conclusion: The Anticipation Builds

As 2024 approaches, the gaming community’s anticipation intensifies. The success of this new console will largely depend on its features, game line-up, and Nintendo’s ability to appeal to its vast userbase. While official announcements remain pending, it’s evident that Nintendo’s next-gen console will be a significant player in the gaming landscape of 2024.