It seems that rumors about the next-gen Nintendo Switch 2 using NVIDIA’s capabilities were spot-on, as the chip has just made its first public appearance online.
There’s exciting news regarding the brain behind the Nintendo Switch 2, which has been buzzing with talk of its impressive features, like the ability to deliver crisp 4K visuals at a smooth 60 frames per second when docked. Until now, the specifics of the chip powering this marvel had been cloaked in mystery. With Nintendo’s collaboration with NVIDIA to craft custom Tegra SoCs, anticipation was high that the new console would boast the Tegra239 chip. That guesswork has now been put to rest. A revealing image of the Tegra239 chip, tagged “T239,” has surfaced thanks to @Kurnalsalts, adding clarity to the speculation.
Though the post itself doesn’t delve into further details, we have some insights into what the Tegra239 is packing. This powerful chip is believed to house eight Arm Cortex-A78C cores, and a hybrid GPU blending Nvidia’s Ada Lovelace with Ampere features, alongside 1536 CUDA cores. Its processing speeds range from 1.1 GHz up to 1.5 GHz, depending on whether the console is docked. Additionally, it supports a 128-bit memory interface and utilizes the efficient LPDDR5 technology.
What’s intriguing is that while extensive specifications about the Tegra239 chip remain scarce, we do know it incorporates DLSS upscaling technology, enhancing the console’s performance considerably. For those seeking a deep dive into the details, I’d recommend giving our comprehensive piece on the topic a read. The use of the Tegra239 reinforces NVIDIA’s stronghold on custom ASIC designs, showcasing their continued exclusive collaboration with ARM and Nintendo.
However, the real question sparking interest is when NVIDIA plans to unveil its highly anticipated chip for the AI PC market. Rumor has it that this chip, potentially branded as the N1X or N1 series, is being developed in collaboration with MediaTek to deliver a cutting-edge ARM-focused SoC. Yet, concrete news on this endeavor remains eagerly awaited.
