Switch 2 uses NVIDIA DLSS upscaling tech, Nintendo confirms

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Digital Foundry may not have had any luck spotting proof of DLSS in the Switch 2 Direct, but Nintendo has confirmed the Switch 2 does indeed utilize NVIDIA's upscaling tech.

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The Switch 2 does indeed use NVIDIA's proprietary DLSS technology to facilitate gaming in 4K resolution and 1080p 120FPS, Nintendo Switch 2 director confirmed at a recent press event in New York. It was also confirmed that the Switch 2's new chipset, which is believed to be based on NVIDIA's newer Orin Tegra line, supports raytracing.

"We use DLSS upscaling technology and that's something that we need to use as we develop games," Dohta said, speaking of the Switch 2's hardware, as noted by IGN's Wesley Yin-Poole.

"When it comes to the hardware, it is able to output to a TV at a max of 4K. Whether the software developer is going to use that as a native resolution or get it to upscale is something that the software developer can choose. I think it opens up a lot of options for the software developer to choose from."

The Switch 2's new chip helps Nintendo push more visuals and performance from the console. The Switch 2 is capable of 4K gaming when docked and hooked up to a 4K UHDTV, and comes with a 1080p screen that can hit up to 120Hz. The system is capable enough to better run modern games, and from the fusillade of announcements yesterday, it feels like most games that didn't come to the original Switch are coming to the Switch 2, including heavy-hitters like Cyberpunk 2077.

The exact nature of Nintendo's use of DLSS remains unclear, e.g. whether or not the company has some sort of customized toolset that it uses to train its games. Nintendo's R&D department has been investing in deep learning since 2019.

Elsewhere, Dohta says that the Switch 2 has raytracing support:

"Yes the GPU does support ray tracing,. As with DLSS, I believe this provides yet another option for the software developer to use and a tool for them."

As for Switch 2 GPU specs and info, we won't see breakout details from Nintendo. The Switch 2's tech specs page is barebones and simply lists the chip as a "custom processor made by NVIDIA."

Dohta does say that NVIDIA could reveal details about the Switch 2's new chip.