Switch 2 Speculation

Some recent rumors, maybe early 2024 with 4k and HW ray tracing? Though not from sources with a reliable track record in consoles.

The Nintendo Switch's days seem to be numbered, speculation on its successor has been around for years but now it definitely seems like something is coming. From reports that the Switch 2 was secretly at Gamescom to talk of a massive raytracing upgrade, information is coming fast, and according to the latest set of rumours, so too is the console.


Reputable Samsung leaker Revegnus took a break from the Korean giant to tweet that the Switch 2 will be dropping "early next year". That's news to us, with Nintendo insisting that there is life in the Switch yet (at least until April 2024), perhaps it could be a pint-sized Switch mini?


Also emerging is talk about the performance of a Switch successor. The console is starting to show its age compared to the likes of the PS5 and Xbox Series X (understandable given its 2017 release) so a performance upgrade is overdue. Regardless, the mooted performance of a new console has my mouth watering.


According to Korean site Chosun Biz the Switch 2 will feature a next-generation OLED panel from Samsung display. A gorgeous display paired with the rumoured addition of DLSS and 4K support would make for a console that's hard to put down.

Read in T3: https://apple.news/A_0hMrO11S5yg0edhNfs1Aw
 
None of this is really as sensational or all that revelatory as it might seem.

If they want it out on shelves in 2024 than it would be hardly surprising if they want to start the marketing and announcement in early 2024.

4k support is really just a vague buzzword, not being able to output 4k would actually be surprising. We're long past the point in which output support meant the games actually run native (or near native) at that resolution.

Massive ray tracing upgrade would be a given since that the existing Switch has 0 hardware acceleration, unless they actually purposely remove RT support.
 
Hmmm wondering if they'll use oled in SDR or hdr
On the one hand, they have the opportunity to do so many cool things by controlling the default screen everyone uses.

VRR by default, hey look "FPS targets" are a bit arbitrary now (there's some interesting stuff about even frame pacing making motion clearer but that's truly niche stuff). Make it an LTPO screen that could go down to 24/48hz etc. lower if someone wants to make really "cinematic" cutscenes or even anime style cutscenes at 16hz or whatever. Turn HDR, even if it's just 500 nits, on and 10bit P3 color by default for everyone look how shiny! I'd love to see Rainbow Road in HDR.

On the other hand, it is, sadly, Nintendo, trying to force them to do something cool can feel like trying to give an unwilling dog a bath.
 
I dont think you can 'utilize' HDR from a game design standpoint.
Only thing you can really do is use overbright to hurt the player's eyes! Run the game darker so they acclimate, then go full bore bright for a flashbang, or have a heavenly aura that it hurts the eyes to gaze upon. Maybe you could use the natural contrast to have details in dark areas hidden and need the player to cover a light source wtih an in game 'hand' or whatever so they can make out the dark details without the contrast of the light-source affecting their dark-vision sensitivity.
 
Maybe you could use the natural contrast to have details in dark areas hidden and need the player to cover a light source wtih an in game 'hand' or whatever so they can make out the dark details without the contrast of the light-source affecting their dark-vision sensitivity.
Even that would be difficult to do properly depending on the brightness of the environment you're in.

Good brainstorm, though. lol
 
Switch 2 to have 8-inch display but they will go back to LCD?


Why not keep the 7-inch OLED and upgraded internals? Not much details about the silicon though:
In November, Digital Foundry engaged in some informed speculation on the potential hardware power of an upgraded Nvidia chip that it thinks is the "best candidate" for use in a Switch follow-up. Reports from over the summer suggest developers have been shown demos of the upcoming hardware supporting modern graphical effects like ray tracing and DLSS.




Other reports from later in the summer suggest the new console will still include some sort of cartridge slot for physical media. Thus far, though, Nintendo has offered only vague answers to whether the next Switch will be backward-compatible with games designed for the current model.
 
No idea if it's true but that would be a very Nintendo thing to do. Have slightly lower costs at launch and a "free" way to create hype for a mid-gen refresh which a good number of people will buy again which Nintendo have a history of doing. If it is an 8" screen and has small phone-like bezels it'd be only slightly larger than the original Switch from a rough guesstimate, hopefully they'd use a good LCD panel too.
 
Switch 2 to have 8-inch display but they will go back to LCD?


Why not keep the 7-inch OLED and upgraded internals? Not much details about the silicon though:
Costs. They want an appealing price (and at a profit). If they want a good amount of storage and RAM, cutting costs on the screen makes even more sense.
 
They were never going to have oled as anything other than a premium option, either at launch or later.

I cant remember what the Switch screen is like, but the one in my daughter's Lite is quite good from the limited time I've spent with it. Better than the Steamdeck's.
 
They were never going to have oled as anything other than a premium option, either at launch or later.

I cant remember what the Switch screen is like, but the one in my daughter's Lite is quite good from the limited time I've spent with it. Better than the Steamdeck's.
Yea, it's an entirely adequate IPS screen. Good colors, great viewing angles, reasonable brightness.

I very much hope they keep the Switch successor as just some standard plastic device with another 'adequate' LCD display and whatnot to keep costs down. If it's gonna be another hit platform for Nintendo, cost of entry needs to be as reasonable as they can get it. And yes, that means cheaping out in certain areas.
 
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