If the Switch 2 can't perform at the same level as the Z1 Extreme Asus ROG Ally even with Nvidia's DLSS, then Nintendo is in trouble

1 week ago 4

(Image credit: Future)

Digital Foundry suggests the Switch 2 will use Nvidia's DLSS upscaling, but likely won't target 1080p or 4K output resolutions
It's expected to target 720p and 900p in demanding third-party games
It might not compete with handheld gaming PCs performance-wise as a result

The long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2 has still not been unveiled despite Nintendo's confirmation of an official announcement slated within the fiscal year - and new suggestions reveal that Nvidia's DLSS upscaler for the new handheld could target 720p and 900p output resolutions for third-party titles.

As relayed by Wccftech, the tech genies over at Digital Foundry suggested in a podcast episode that the Nintendo Switch successor will not target 1080p and 4K output resolutions when using DLSS in both handheld and docked modes - it could fall even lower than 720p in some games. This could be the case specifically in demanding triple-A games that often require heavy graphics settings adjustments.

Considering the numerous games that have been released that are more demanding on your hardware (especially those using Unreal Engine 5), the Switch 2 could be in for a rough time when it comes to providing good image quality and performance.

Upscaling methods have already become a huge factor in performance stability for consoles and gaming PCs (and handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally). Despite the purported use of DLSS, it looks like the rumored new Nintendo handheld might not be able to compete with them.

Will the Switch 2 manage to outperform handheld gaming PCs?

When considering the fact that multiple handheld gaming PCs already have access to upscaling methods and frame generation (notably AMD's FSR 3), the Nintendo Switch 2 might not even come close to competing with any of them if these claims are accurate. The ROG Ally is capable of running most games at 1080p with FSR 3 without too much fiddling in the graphics settings, and that's a handheld that launched way back in mid-2023 - not to mention the incoming next-gen Ryzen handheld chips.

It's important to note again that there is no official info on what the Switch 2 will have to offer, but the Nintendo Switch was released in 2017 - I've been expecting a new rendition from Nintendo to at least take a small step to close the performance gap with current-gen consoles and handheld gaming PCs. With rumors like this already circulating, it doesn't look like that'll happen.

Of course, this is all speculation on Digital Foundry's part, and there is a chance that the Switch 2's performance while using DLSS will be noteworthy in comparison to other currently available portable devices, but we should wait for Nintendo's official reveal of the highly anticipated handheld before making any judgment...

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Isaiah is a Staff Writer for the Computing channel at TechRadar. He's spent over two years writing about all things tech, specifically games on PC, consoles, and handhelds. He started off at GameRant in 2022 after graduating from Birmingham City University in the same year, before writing at PC Guide which included work on deals articles, reviews, and news on PC products such as GPUs, CPUs, monitors, and more. He spends most of his time finding out about the exciting new features of upcoming GPUs, and is passionate about new game releases on PC, hoping that the ports aren't a complete mess.

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