Another week and another slew of “Switch Pro/Switch 2” rumours have bubbled up, yet again. This time, reports indicate that Nintendo has shown the alleged next-gen system to developers, just weeks ago at Gamescom 2023.
In addition to apparently running tech demos on the new hardware, certain specs are also said to have been detailed, such as the system’s RAM and feature support.
Rolling down rumour river
The reports stem from accounts obtained by unnamed sources of Eurogamer and VGC, both of which released an article detailing their apparent findings.
According to Eurogamer’s sources, Nintendo showed off a tech demo featuring an upgraded version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild running at a higher frame rate and with enhanced visuals. Apparently, it’s unclear if this demo was done merely for testing purposes or if it will be a full-scale re-release.
Beyond this, VGC corroborates Eurogamer’s report and adds to it, stating that its sources claim that Nintendo also happened to show off the technically-complex The Matrix Awakens demo running on Unreal Engine 5. This demo was originally used to display what the PS5 and Xbox Series X can do, suggesting that the Switch’s successor will be able to pull off similar visuals. But, how could a proposed portable device match that prowess?
VGC’s report further explains that this aforementioned demo was making use of Nvidia’s powerful DLSS upscaling technology and it even supported “advanced ray tracing enabled and visuals, comparable to Sony’s and Microsoft’s current-gen consoles.” The effect is achieved not by means of computing power, but with the use of AI upscaling tech to help produce similar results.
Various games on PC already make use of different versions of DLSS to boost both performance and visual fidelity, so it is certainly possible for the expected portable console to make use of the tech in a similar fashion.
These details coincide with another report that came out a few weeks ago, claiming that dev kits for the new system are already out and about in preparation for a late 2024 launch.
With reputable outlets such as Eurogamer and VGC both corroborating each other’s stories, it really does seem to suggest that these details could be accurate. Nevertheless, it’s still wise to take this all with a grain salt.
Nintendo remains airtight on releasing any sort of official details. The Switch still has a release lineup flowing into next year and the company is continuing to market the current system. Therefore, no official news of its successor should reasonably be expected until next year.
Check out more news:
New system update for Xbox Series consoles adds various new features | PlayStation Portal for PS5 is coming later this year for $200
