Is there much more change than we thought?

The PlayStation 5 Pro has already been introduced, and now the gaming industry is looking towards Nintendo, because there is still a console to come. The Nintendo Switch 2 (or whatever it will be called) is also likely to be in the starting blocks for its presentation, and a new leak on Reddit is said to reveal the console in full, including CAD drawings of the design and the hardware installed. Important to know: The information matches the leaks of the past few months with astonishing accuracy and comes at a very interesting time.

Nintendo Switch 2: Performance above the level of an RTX 3000 graphics card

Let’s first go through the internal hardware, which most interested parties will probably have on their list. The leak on Reddit confirmed the Nvidia Tegra T239 chipset with a whopping 2,048 shader units, which has been simmering in rumors for weeks. Although the chipset is based on the Ampere architecture of the RTX 30xx graphics cards, if the old adjustments via the Tensor computing cores are correct, then we are talking about full DLSS support for upscaling (rumors already suggested this) and a performance level that could quickly approach the current RTX 4000 models. For comparison: the current Nintendo Switch, with 256 shader units and Maxwell architecture, only manages GTX 900 level. That is just three generations behind the currently assumed performance.

There is also 12 GB of LPDDR5X RAM installed, which can move data around at a speed of 7500 MT/s. The Steam Deck OLED has 16 GB, but it runs at a much slower speed of 6200 MT/s. But the best news by far is probably about the internal memory. Finally, with 256 GB, there is enough storage space for more than just two games. This is also extremely fast with UFS 3.1. However, the performance will also mean that the storage space requirements for games will increase. But it is definitely better than the 32 GB available in the first Switch.

Some of the technical data at a glance (summarized from Reddit)

• SoC (CPU + GPU): Nvidia Tegra T239 GMLX30-R-A1 (Ampere architecture)
• Memory: 12 GB LPDDR5X with 7500 MT/s (2x 6 GB in dual-channel configuration)
• Internal memory: 256 GB UFS 3.1 with 2100 MB/s, manufacturer Kioxia
• NFC chipset: NXP IPN7160B1HN
• Video output: HDMI 2.1
• Audio chip: Ruiwu ALC5658-CG
• Network connection: Gigabit Ethernet
• WiFi:
• New dual fan with copper heatsink

But everything is also cooled properly, because the performance increases significantly in this form. This results in a lot of waste heat and it seems that some tipsters were right: According to the leak, two fans are used in the new console to cool the device down when necessary. This probably doesn’t include a third fan in the dock.

New Joy-Cons magnetic, display around 8 inches, OLED not mentioned

The rest concerns the design of the console. It will probably be a bit larger than the current Nintendo Switch, and we don’t just mean the casing. The display is also expected to grow from the 7 inches of the OLED model to a full 8 inches. More display space is always good! This means that the Nintendo Switch even had a larger display than the Steam Deck OLED with 7.4 inches. However, not much is said about the display technology. There have been rumors for a while that Nintendo is taking a step back to the IPS panel. That would of course be a point of criticism.

If you plan to use your old Joy-Cons, it might not be possible this time, at least not in the sense of attaching them to the Nintendo Switch 2. Here, Nintendo could replace the rail with a magnetic system where you simply “click” the parts in. It is currently not clear whether a wireless connection with Joy-Cons from older generations is possible. But we assume that at least the old Pro Controller will work.

How trustworthy is the new leak about the Nintendo Switch 2?

The question is difficult to answer at the moment, as we cannot independently verify the information, nor do we know the leaker particularly well. However, the leak comes at an exciting time, as Nintendo is currently inviting developers under NDA to various company headquarters to “show them something”. The leaks on Reddit are said to come from this NDA, which would make the information quite plausible. In addition, many of the details have been discussed for weeks, confirming the information that has leaked so far.

This could mean that the console’s launch is within reach. It remains to be seen whether a release will follow shortly afterwards. The first Nintendo Switch was also announced in late autumn, but did not go on sale until around six months later. We could be facing a similar situation again this time.