An indie game developer with extensive experience creating Switch titles has offered compelling evidence suggesting the Switch 2 boasts significantly enhanced processing power. This conclusion stems from a close analysis of the recently unveiled Mario Kart 9 trailer.
Nintendo's recent Switch 2 announcement generated considerable excitement, yet details regarding its technical capabilities remain scarce. While upgrades like new Joy-Cons, a redesigned stand, and a larger form factor are evident, the console's raw power remains unconfirmed.
Jerrel Dulay of Sungrand Studios, a prominent indie developer with a history working on Wii U and 3DS titles, provides insightful commentary in a new YouTube video (via GamesRadar). Dulay's expertise lends significant weight to his observations.
Mario Kart 9 - A Closer Look
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Dulay highlights the use of "physically-based shaders" in the Mario Kart 9 footage as a key indicator of increased power. These shaders, impacting reflections and lighting, were computationally expensive on the original Switch, often leading to performance drops. The trailer showcases their extensive use without apparent frame rate issues.
Digital Foundry's late 2023 report (corroborated by motherboard leaks) points to an Nvidia T239 ARM mobile chip with approximately 1536 CUDA cores in the Switch 2. This represents a substantial increase from the original Switch's Tegra X1 chip with only 256 CUDA cores – a 500% jump.
Dulay emphasizes the high-resolution ground textures and numerous unique textures present in the trailer, demanding significant RAM. The Switch 2 is rumored to feature 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM (compared to the original's 4GB), potentially operating at speeds significantly higher than the original Switch's 1600MHz. This increased RAM capacity and speed would greatly improve texture loading times.
Furthermore, Dulay notes the presence of "true volumetric lighting" and far-distance shadows in the trailer. Both are computationally intensive features that were challenging to implement on the original Switch. Their inclusion strongly suggests a significant leap in processing power. The high polygon count of characters, coupled with real-time cloth physics on the flagpoles, further reinforces this conclusion.
In summary, Dulay's analysis of the Mario Kart 9 trailer, combined with existing hardware specifications, strongly suggests the Switch 2 represents a considerable advancement in graphical capabilities. Further details are expected from Nintendo's April Direct.
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