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Nintendo Switch 2 with 6x Switch GPU power guesstimate comes up as next-generation Switch alluded to in Microsoft-Activision acquisition document

The question nowadays is more "when" than "if" in regard to a next-generation Nintendo Switch launch. (Image source: Nintendo - edited)
The question nowadays is more "when" than "if" in regard to a next-generation Nintendo Switch launch. (Image source: Nintendo - edited)
It is possible that the next-generation Nintendo Switch console, often called the Switch 2 despite not yet having an official name, has been referenced in an official document in regard to the proposed acquisition of Activision by Microsoft. This development has encouraged some guesstimates at what kind of power a Nintendo Switch 2 device could serve up.

There are many reports currently claiming that the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has confirmed a next-generation Switch console is in the works. Despite this almost certainly being the case anyway, the appearance of a possible, although redacted, mention of a Nintendo Switch 2 console has caused quite a ruckus across tech and gaming sites and forums. It’s worth remembering that Sony apparently started work on the PlayStation 5 almost immediately after the PlayStation 4 had started shipping, so it’s likely Nintendo has been working on the Switch successor for a long time now.

The next-gen Switch-related fuss has been caused by a section of a CMA document concerning Microsoft’s attempted acquisition of Activision Blizzard. As spotted by an eagle-eyed Redditor, there is a portion in Appendix C, section 7, which reads as follows:

(Image source: CMA)
(Image source: CMA)

Of course, the redacted part could have mentioned a multitude of devices, but many have reasonably presumed it relates to the next-generation Nintendo Switch (“Switch 2”). It could even be that Nintendo Switch Online will be made available on the PC or for smartphones in the near future, with the Big N exploring other cloud-gaming revenue avenues beyond the Switch console. But with some belief that a Nintendo Switch 2 or similar could turn up by 2024, this recent development has encouraged some observers to guesstimate how powerful a Switch successor could be, and it’s going to be a beast…at least in Nintendo terms.

There has been a previous rumor that a next-gen Switch could operate with a mysterious Nvidia Tegra T239 chip, which could support up to 4 TFLOPs of GPU processing power. Considering the original Switch manages 0.3932 TFLOPs (0.5 TFLOPs when docked), this would be an over 10x performance increase. However, a more-conservative and arguably believable guesstimate has been provided by @foxygames_uk, who reckons the Nintendo Switch 2 might offer in the region of 2.4 TFLOPs, which is around 6x the current Switch and somewhere between PS4 and PS4 Pro GPU power, which for a Nintendo console would be incredible. In addition, the likely ray-tracing-capable Switch 2 could offer up to 4K upscaling from 1200p-1440p while docked and 1080p from 720p in portable mode.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2023 02 > Nintendo Switch 2 with 6x Switch GPU power guesstimate comes up as next-generation Switch alluded to in Microsoft-Activision acquisition document
Daniel R Deakin, 2023-02-22 (Update: 2023-02-22)