The Nintendo Switch 2 will be the first console to take advantage of Nvidia’s DLSS image reconstruction technology. Compared to AMD’s FSR, DLSS offers much better image quality, but the Nintendo Switch 2’s version of the technology will lack one major feature.
According to a report by Nintendo leaker Nate the Hate, Nvidia’s DLSS 3.5 will be present on the next-gen handheld. However, this latest version of the technology will lack frame generation, an AI-powered tool that increases the framerate of games.
DLSS frame-gen was added to the image reconstruction technology last year. The technology uses an advanced form of motion smoothing to input generated frames during playback to essentially double framerates and lowering input lag.
At the time of writing, DLSS 3’s frame generation is only available on Nvidia 40-series graphics cards. Due to the intensity of the software, reports claim it won’t be usable on Nintendo Switch 2, at least on launch.
Other DLSS features also have yet to be leaked. While leaks claim that the Nintendo Switch 2 supports hardware-accelerated ray-tracing, there’s no mention of the new DLSS ray reconstruction technology which improves the quality of ray-tracing while cutting down rendering costs.
With Switch 2 dev kits out in the wild, multiple developers are already working with the Nintendo Switch 2 specs to deliver launch titles for the console’s 2024 release date. While most games won’t hit super high resolutions, reports claim that Nintendo’s Switch 2 Breath of the Wild tech demo reached 4K 60fps via DLSS image reconstruction.
There is a chance that some form of DLSS frame generation could come to the new Nintendo console at some point in the future. With Nvidia’s software optimisations enabling the technology on weaker cards over time, there is a chance that frame gen could be possible on the Switch 2.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is currently expected to sometime launch next year. No price has been reported yet.