Nvidia confirms the Nintendo Switch 2 has DLSS and real-time ray tracing

Nintendo’s Switch 2 tech specs yesterday vaguely said that the console is powered by a “custom processor made by Nvidia,” but in a new blog post, Nvidia has shared a little more detail about how it’s powering the device.

Nvidia says that its chip enables DLSS support on the Nintendo Switch 2, allowing the console to upscale games and provide better performance, much like how DLSS powers Nvidia’s desktop and laptop GPUs. Nvidia doesn’t mention which version of DLSS will be supported on the Switch 2, nor whether there will be any frame generation capabilities.

The Nvidia GPU inside the Switch 2 also has “dedicated RT Cores and Tensor Cores,” according to Nvidia. These RT cores will deliver real-time ray tracing on the Switch 2, with the promise of “lifelike lighting, reflections, and shadows for more immersive worlds. The Tensor Cores will “enable AI-powered face tracking and background removal in video chat use cases, enhancing social gaming and streaming.”

Nvidia also says that the console has “10x the graphics performance of the Nintendo Switch,” which is a performance claim that’s almost certainly related to the use of DLSS. The Switch 2’s variable refresh rate in handheld mode is also powered by Nvidia G-Sync technology.

Nintendo, from the outset of working on the Switch 2, wanted to improve its power over the original Switch, according to an “Ask the Developer” interview published yesterday. The company says that its improved performance enables things like letting you destroy “anything you want” in Donkey Kong Bananza “without restrictions” and the seamlessly-connected courses in Mario Kart World.

The Switch 2 launches on June 5th. It will start at $449.99.