Nintendo Switch 2 Leaked Specs: Analyzing the Latest Hardware Rumors

Leaked Specs Hint at Next-Gen Handheld Powerhouse

Leaked specifications, allegedly from dataminer ZachyCatGames and reported by TheGamePost (date unavailable at the time of writing), reveal potential details about the Nintendo Switch 2’s hardware, including a substantial boost to CPU, GPU, and RAM. These leaks suggest Nintendo is aiming for a significant performance uplift for its next-generation hybrid console.

Dissecting the “Drake”: CPU, GPU, and RAM Upgrades

The purported heart of the Switch 2 is a custom Nvidia T239 system-on-a-chip (SoC) codenamed “Drake.” This SoC reportedly houses eight Arm Cortex-A78C cores, a notable upgrade from the original Switch’s less powerful CPU. Leaked clock speeds suggest it could run at approximately 998.4 MHz in handheld mode and boost to 1100.8 MHz when docked, potentially resulting in smoother gameplay and the capacity to handle more demanding game worlds.

The GPU also sees a significant upgrade with the same T239 SoC employing an Nvidia Ampere architecture with 12 Streaming Multiprocessors (SMs). This could translate to between 1280 and 1536 CUDA Cores. Clock speeds are rumored to be around 561 MHz in handheld mode, potentially delivering roughly 1.72 teraflops (TFLOPS), and around 1007.25 MHz docked, possibly reaching approximately 3.09 TFLOPS. This places it close to, or potentially exceeding, the Steam Deck’s graphical capabilities. The inclusion of dedicated ray-tracing cores also hints at advanced lighting effects, although their impact on performance remains to be seen.

Memory receives a massive boost with a rumored 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM, a threefold increase over the original Switch’s 4GB. This faster RAM, potentially operating at speeds up to 6400 MHz docked and 4266 MHz handheld, could yield bandwidth between 68.256 GB/s and 102.4 GB/s, enabling richer textures, larger game worlds, and shorter loading times. Storage capacity is speculated to be around 256GB.

Performance Projections: Docked vs. Handheld

The rumored specs suggest a substantial performance leap for the Switch 2, particularly in docked mode. The potential 3.09 TFLOPS in docked mode could enable 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second (fps) or upscaled 4K at 30fps for some titles. The handheld mode, while likely targeting a lower resolution and frame rate to conserve battery, still represents a major improvement over the original Switch, potentially rivalling or exceeding dedicated handheld PCs like the Steam Deck. The rumored inclusion of DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) technology could further enhance visuals, especially in handheld mode.

Other Rumored Features and Considerations

Additional leaks hint at an 8-inch LCD screen, backward compatibility with existing Switch games, magnetic Joy-Cons, two USB-C ports, and a new button on the right Joy-Con. While these features add to the overall picture, they should be treated with similar caution to the core specs.

The use of two 6GB RAM modules suggests potential for advanced memory management and improved multitasking capabilities, but the exact implementation and impact on performance are uncertain.

It’s important to note that the speculated performance figures are based on leaked clock speeds and estimated TFLOPS. Real-world performance may vary based on optimization, cooling solutions, and other factors. Furthermore, even with significant improvements, the Switch 2 will likely remain less powerful than the current generation of home consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.

Disclaimer and Updates

Crucially, all information presented here is based on unofficial leaks and should be regarded as rumor. Nintendo has not confirmed any of these details, and the final product may differ significantly.

Updates

This section will be updated as more information becomes available, including official announcements from Nintendo, further leaks, or credible analyses.