Nintendo's next-generation Switch 2 handheld will reportedly support all of the features baked into Unreal Engine 5, and possibly even Epic Games' just-teased MegaLights technology.
We're finding out some new information from the folks at Digital Foundry, where during their usual weekly podcast the staffers replied to a fan question asking if the Nintendo Switch 2 would support the latest UE5 features, including tech like Lumen, Nanite, and Virtual Shadow Maps. We could even see Nintendo Switch 2-specific versions of these UE5 technologies, allowing them to run with decent performance on the handheld, with some major power tweaks of course.
There is a huge amount of third-party support behind Nintendo and the Switch, so the new Switch 2 would be a huge focus for Epic Games and getting Unreal Engine -- cough, Fortnite -- ready to rock and roll on Switch 2. There's also the handheld side of thigns, with the Digital Foundry folks talking about handheld mode with the Switch 2 and the performance differences between Nintendo's new console and the Valve Steam Deck.
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Digital Foundry said that there won't be much of an impact, as the two handheld platforms offer hugely different experiences: the Steam Deck is bigger and clunkier to use (but gives you the insane base of PC games) where the Switch is far more portable and has those awesome Nintendo-exclusive games like Mario, Zelda, and more.
But seeing Unreal Engine 5 features on an upgraded Nintendo Switch 2 is going to be pretty killer in 2025.
