The recent grand unveiling of the Nintendo Switch 2 has left fans and gamers buzzing with excitement. However, amidst the fanfare of new Joy-Cons, a revamped kickstand, and a larger form factor, the technical specifications of this new console have remained shrouded in mystery. Yet, a brief glimpse of Mario Kart 9 during the reveal video may hold the key to understanding the Switch 2's potential power, according to indie developer Jerrel Dulay of Sungrand Studios. With his extensive experience working on titles for the Wii U and 3DS, Dulay offers a seasoned perspective on Nintendo's hardware.
Mario Kart 9 - First Look
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In his latest YouTube video, Dulay delves into the Mario Kart 9 footage, suggesting that the Switch 2 is poised to be significantly more powerful than its predecessor. He highlights the use of "physically-based shaders" on the cars and other textures, which can be dynamically affected by reflections and lighting. This level of detail would have been challenging for the original Switch due to its hardware limitations.
Late last year, Digital Foundry provided an in-depth look at the Switch 2's speculated hardware, pointing to the Nvidia T239 ARM mobile chip. This chip is rumored to boast 1536 CUDA Cores, a 500% increase over the original Switch's Tegra X1 chip, which had only 256 CUDA cores. Additionally, leaks of the Switch 2's motherboard hinted at an 8nm chip, further supporting these claims.
Dulay emphasizes the use of physically-based rendering for shaders in the Mario Kart footage, noting that such complex shaders would have caused performance issues on the original Switch. He also observed additional material reflections from various surfaces, suggesting a higher level of graphical fidelity.
Another significant indicator of the Switch 2's enhanced capabilities is the use of high-resolution ground textures. Dulay explains that these textures, which demand substantial space, necessitate high-resolution rendering, which in turn requires more RAM. The original Switch was equipped with just 4GB of RAM, while the Switch 2 is rumored to feature a robust 12GB, supported by leaks showing two SK Hynix LPDDR5 modules.
The potential speed of the Switch 2's RAM modules remains undisclosed, but similar SK Hynix parts can reach speeds up to 7500MHz, significantly boosting bandwidth and efficiency compared to the original Switch's 1600MHz while docked. This upgrade could drastically improve texture loading times, allowing for the use of more and higher-resolution textures in games like the new Mario Kart.
Dulay also points out the presence of "true volumetric lighting" in the Mario Kart teaser, a feature that is computationally intensive for any GPU. This, along with the ability to maintain a 60 frames per second framerate, underscores the Switch 2's enhanced power. He further notes the depiction of shadows at greater distances, a feature that was challenging to implement on the original Switch due to its limited processing capabilities.
The combination of increased CUDA cores, higher RAM capacity, and faster RAM speeds suggests that the Switch 2 will significantly ease the development challenges faced by developers working with the original Switch. Dulay highlights the increased number of onscreen textures, higher poly-count characters, and real-time cloth physics on flagpoles as evidence of the Switch 2's leap in power.
As we eagerly await more details and footage from Nintendo, Dulay's analysis provides a compelling insight into the potential graphical prowess of the Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo has promised a dedicated Direct in April to showcase more about the Switch 2, and until then, you can stay updated with all the latest Switch 2 coverage on IGN.
