The next version of the Nintendo Switch, often called the “Switch 2,” is creating a lot of buzz with new leaks. Recently, a patent from Nintendo revealed plans to use AI-powered upscaling technology to optimize games for the console’s cartridges.
This new method aims to compress large 4K texture files, making them smaller. By using techniques similar to Nvidia’s DLSS or PlayStation 5 Pro’s PSSR, the technology allows native 1080p assets to be upscaled to 4K resolution. This means that games requiring a lot of storage—such as a native 4K title with a 60GB download size—can fit into the 32GB storage of current Switch cartridges.
The patent, filed in July 2023 and recently made public, shows Nintendo’s effort to balance technology improvements with user-friendly physical media. Industry expert Laura Kate Dale highlights the benefits, especially in keeping download sizes manageable while ensuring high-quality visuals.
Perhaps the most interesting piece of this, after a lengthy read, is that one example use case given is explicitly to reduce overall game sizes, to fit a modern game onto “smaller capacity physical media”, e.g. Switch carts, which get exponentially more expensive for larger cart capacities.
The example given is that a game witth native 4K textures might need a 60GB download, but a 1080 native version might only need 20GB (which would allow it to fit on a 32GB Switch Cart, the current max size Nintendo produces for Switch 1). The idea being to do a 4X upscale on the device in realtime.
In addition to the patent news, new images of what seem to be internal components of the Switch 2 have appeared online. These leaks confirm earlier glimpses of the console’s design, including its motherboard and a second USB port at the top.
The photos suggest the Switch 2 will keep much of its predecessor’s hybrid design but will include key updates. Reports indicate a slightly larger size, magnetic Joy-Con attachments, and a new “C” button on the right Joy-Con, whose purpose is still unknown.
Nintendo has not yet confirmed any details about its next-generation console. However, the company has stated it plans to reveal the Switch 2 before the end of its current fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2025.
