Nintendo Switch 2 specs suggest GPU performance similar to a GTX 1050 Ti

[DragonSlayer101]

Something to look forward to: Nintendo confirmed the Switch 2 in January and shared more details last month, but it still hasn't disclosed the full specifications of its next-gen handheld. The lack of official information has fueled speculation, and a new leak now points to key details about the device's processor.

The information comes from respected YouTuber and hardware modder Geekerwan, who obtained a Switch 2 motherboard from known tipster and analyst Kurnalsalts. In a new video, Geekerwan confirms the Switch 2 runs on Nvidia's Tegra T239 SoC and shares new details about the CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage.

Geekerwan analyzed the SoC using a Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscope and discovered that Samsung combined elements of its 10nm and 8nm nodes to manufacture it. The design largely mirrors the 8nm process used in RTX 30 series GPUs, though Samsung retained some 10nm features to cut costs.

Die-shot analysis of the Tegra T239 reveals a CPU with eight Arm Cortex-A78C cores, each paired with 256KB of private L2 cache and a shared 4MB L3 cache. The chip also features a 2.4 sq mm Ampere GPU – likely based on the GA10B die – with 6 Texture Processing Clusters and 12 Streaming Multiprocessors, totaling 1,536 CUDA cores. According to Geekerwan, the entire SoC spans 207 sq mm.

Other notable components include 12GB of LPDDR5x-8533 memory in a 2x6GB configuration and 256GB of TLC-based UFS 3.1 storage supplied by SK Hynix. The system also features a 34W power supply unit and includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules from MediaTek.

Geekerwan also tested the gaming chops of the T239 SoC by emulating its performance using an underclocked RTX 2050 laptop GPU. According to his tests, the chip's performance matches the GTX 1050 Ti when docked and a GTX 750 Ti when used in handheld mode. While that sounds underwhelming, VideoCardz notes that it is still a seven-fold increase over the GPU performance of the first-generation Switch.

These results are based on synthetic emulation and may not accurately reflect the T239's real-world performance. A clearer picture should emerge once comprehensive reviews appear after the Switch 2's official launch on June 5.

Permalink to story:

Nintendo Switch 2 specs suggest GPU performance similar to a GTX 1050 Ti

 

[yRaz]

The switches lack of AA/proper 4k was killer. And, frankly, I don't think Nintendo would make this if they didn't think it first switch was behind when it was released.

 

[Squid Surprise]

The switches lack of AA/proper 4k was killer. And, frankly, I don't think Nintendo would make this if they didn't think it first switch was behind when it was released.

Didn't the Switch make a KILLING for Nintendo? They've sold more than 150 million of them....

I think Nintendo has proved that "killer hardware" isn't necessary for a console. HOWEVER, they've also proven that if you're not going to use current hardware, your console needs to bring something new to the table.

The Wii and Switch both did that (as did the Gameboy, NES, etc) and were highly successful. The Gamecube and Wii U, on the other hand, brought little to the table - and didn't do so well...

I suspect that the Switch 2 will go the way of the Wii U - they're not bringing anything new to the table.

 

[yRaz]

Didn't the Switch make a KILLING for Nintendo? They've sold more than 150 million of them....

I think Nintendo has proved that "killer hardware" isn't necessary for a console. HOWEVER, they've also proven that if you're not going to use current hardware, your console needs to bring something new to the table.

The Wii and Switch both did that (as did the Gameboy, NES, etc) and were highly successful. The Gamecube and Wii U, on the other hand, brought little to the table - and didn't do so well...

I suspect that the Switch 2 will go the way of the Wii U - they're not bringing anything new to the table.

The thing is, AA hasn't been part of killer hardware since the 2000. they made a killing selling it and most of what they're going to sell to repeat customers who wanted AA/4k in the first place.

 

[Kotters]

Didn't the Switch make a KILLING for Nintendo? They've sold more than 150 million of them....

I think Nintendo has proved that "killer hardware" isn't necessary for a console. HOWEVER, they've also proven that if you're not going to use current hardware, your console needs to bring something new to the table.

The Wii and Switch both did that (as did the Gameboy, NES, etc) and were highly successful. The Gamecube and Wii U, on the other hand, brought little to the table - and didn't do so well...

I suspect that the Switch 2 will go the way of the Wii U - they're not bringing anything new to the table.

The Wii U did poorly because nobody knew it was a console. People know what the Switch 2 is.

 

[Squid Surprise]

The Wii U did poorly because nobody knew it was a console. People know what the Switch 2 is.

They knew it was a console… what they THOUGHT was “how is this different than a Wii?”

 

[ArmorJr]

In 2025 they sell you a GPU from 2016 for more money

 

[Kotters]

They knew it was a console… what they THOUGHT was “how is this different than a Wii?”

No. Very famously, there was a lot of confusion because Nintendo refused to show anyone the actual console. The focus was so squarely on the controller and the name so similar, people literally did not know it was a successor to the Wii.

The confusion began immediately. People assumed it was a peripheral for the existing Wii hardware. Jimmy Fallon didn’t seem to understand the hardware on his show. “This is the new system. You add it to your Wii or you don’t even need to use the Wii. Do you need to use the Wii? You can just use it on your own, but you can also use it with the Wii,” Fallon said. He was later corrected.

CNN ran a story saying the Wii U was “a solid accessory that will bring a fresh element to Nintendo gaming.” The story was soon updated, but the comments discussing the issue live on.

“With the Wii U, it had two major problems,” Matt Scott, founder and CEO of family games-focused publisher Little Orbit, told Polygon at E3 this year. “One is that they didn’t lock the demographic down, they had just a bunch of everything. And two, I believe that they mismarketed it. By calling it the Wii U, everybody thought it was an accessory for the Wii, they thought it was a tablet for the Wii.

“Why not call it the Wii 2?” he continued. “I just think there was consumer confusion and it’s hard to un-ring that bell now since they’ve been out for almost two years.” Scott was optimistic about the system’s chances, but called it “challenged” in the marketplace.

Nintendo even released a commercial to try to explain the differences, and to make it clear that it was a new system.

When the Wii U was originally announced, they put a lot of emphasis on the tablet controller, but near nothing was mentioned about the console itself. Hell, some people weren’t even sure this was a new console at all.

Having worked in retail, it was a job where I would be in the position to sell games consoles, one of which was the Wii U. I would often have customers coming to me with boxes of Skylanders, Disney Infinity, basically all the titles the kids seemed to love. All these boxes would have a big Wii U sticker on them. Before selling them the item, I would have to ask them whether or not they even owned a Wii U. The majority of customers would just stare at me blankly, some even looked scared, as if I asked them something possibly offensive or personal. This look clearly meant that they had no clue what I was banging on about, this would lead to me showing them what a Wii U was, their reaction: “I thought that was the same thing as the Wii”.

Throughout my time in video games retail it became abundantly clear that the average consumer had no clue that the Wii U was a new console, to them it was simply the Wii. Nintendo’s target audience for the Nintendo Wii was the average consumer, not those who studied the new consoles or those who were so pants-pissingly excited that they knew absolutely everything about the product.

This is also joined by the point that the Nintendo Wii was never just a console with your standard controller, it was a console with a plethora of peripherals, you could purchase wheels, balance boards, even a little addition to the controller to make it look like a sword or lightsaber. Basically, it had a lot of add-ons, this meant with the unveiling of the tablet controller, and the fact that the Wii U looked scarily similar to its predecessor as well as having a similar name meant most consumers just couldn’t tell the difference between the two.

 

[Hollow1838]

It will be successful like every other Nintendo consoles, Nintendo games have that special vibe.
It only sells because most of their games are exclusives.

 

[Billybobjoey]

If they can pull off 4k60 (I'm sure it's probably upscaled from 1080p or maybe even 1440p) for Metroid Prime 4, I feel like it's got a bit more oomph than a 1050ti. Maybe that just comes down to the architecture improvements, but I'm interested to see how more recent third party games shape up.

 

[Squid Surprise]

No. Very famously, there was a lot of confusion because Nintendo refused to show anyone the actual console. The focus was so squarely on the controller and the name so similar, people literally did not know it was a successor to the Wii.

That lasted a few days… but it didn’t sell long after that wore off… even the name counted against it… why would I spend a few hundred bucks on the same thing with a gimmicky controller and a “U” in the name?

It will be successful like every other Nintendo consoles, Nintendo games have that special vibe.
It only sells because most of their games are exclusives.

The Wii U didn’t sell - and the N64, while awesome, was destroyed by the PlayStation… not to mention the Virtual Boy… just cause it says “Nintendo” doesn’t make it an automatic winner…

 

[Vulcanproject]

My concern here (which is probably not shared by the Switch audience) is that DLSS will be used as a crutch by third parties. Arguably it is in the PC space anyway, at least there you're still trying to hit 60FPS and beyond at 1080p and beyond. DLSS works a charm if you're at 1440p and above.

Here I can see it being used to scrape up to 30FPS from absurdly low resolutions to get some ray tracing, with frame generation also employed. This will not be pretty or bring about responsive games. The only clue so far was the Cyberpunk demo. It was horrible. Blurfest, sluggish looking laggy mess.

I dearly hope that game improves and also that does not end up the target for developers on mobile chipsets like this. Crisp native or near native games with simpler visuals and emphasis on artwork and stylised design is always the way to go on limited chipsets. Nintendo usually know this. Many others don't.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Nintendo appeals to a lot of casual players. Both the Switch and the Wii excelled because they were *cheap* relative to the competition and filled a niche the competition didn't. Both consoles are perfectly at home at a "casual's" house, someone who is going to pick up 3-4 games over the life of the console tops.

The low barrier of entry + the brand name recognition really helped both Wii and Switch.

Switch 2 is not cheap, nothing about it is cheap, and its less cheap in a time where a lot of stuff is no longer cheap and vying for the consumer's limited discretionary funds. If someone already has a switch that that still works that they've used for 3-4 games, Switch 2 is priced a bit too high for more of the same.

It's not in "impulse purchase" territory and that's going to hurt it.

 

[Kotters]

That lasted a few days… but it didn’t sell long after that wore off…

You didn't even read the article excerpts. One of the people quoted was speaking more than 2 years after launch.

 

[Squid Surprise]

You didn't even read the article excerpts. One of the people quoted was speaking more than 2 years after launch.

Yeah… there’s always a few fools… but that’s not the reason it didn’t sell.

 

[Kirby1]

The switches lack of AA/proper 4k was killer. And, frankly, I don't think Nintendo would make this if they didn't think it first switch was behind when it was released.

They did this for one reason.

Because Switch one sales are going down.

 

[AnilD]

A GTX 1050 Ti in a handheld form factor with modern RAM and storage sounds modest on paper, but it’s actually a huge leap from the original Switch. If Nintendo optimizes their software like they usually do, this could punch way above its specs.

 

[AndreV]

Didn't the Switch make a KILLING for Nintendo? They've sold more than 150 million of them....

I think Nintendo has proved that "killer hardware" isn't necessary for a console. HOWEVER, they've also proven that if you're not going to use current hardware, your console needs to bring something new to the table.

The Wii and Switch both did that (as did the Gameboy, NES, etc) and were highly successful. The Gamecube and Wii U, on the other hand, brought little to the table - and didn't do so well...

I suspect that the Switch 2 will go the way of the Wii U - they're not bringing anything new to the table.

Neither did the PS3, PS4 and PS5. Nothing majorly changed or additions, only improvements, which is exactly how Switch 2 is.

 

[manowar51]

The switches lack of AA/proper 4k was killer. And, frankly, I don't think Nintendo would make this if they didn't think it first switch was behind when it was released.

Killer? How in any way shape or form was the switch "killed"? Its literally the third best-selling games console of all time behind only the PS2 and Nintendo DS!

Hardware really isn't that important if you know how to make games. And Nintendo do. They also cost a fraction of a standard AAA title to develop and usually sell for much more. Nintendo are giving us the bare minimum in terms of hardware. Im sure if they tried, they could find a more powerful graphics solution, pretty certain modern smartphones have more horsepower than this. But then they would have to sell it for more and make less money.

 

[ThanosTitan]

Meanwhile, in other news regarding the switch 2, Nintendo can brick your console if they suspect you have been tinkering with the console.
In other words, we knew you never owned the software, but now you do not even own the hardware after you have bought it, so it's on permanent lease.

Dafuq Nintendo??

https://www.gamefile.news/p/nintendo-emulation-hacking-brick-warning-terms-of-service

 

[yRaz]

Killer? How in any way shape or form was the switch "killed"? Its literally the third best-selling games console of all time behind only the PS2 and Nintendo DS!

Hardware really isn't that important if you know how to make games. And Nintendo do. They also cost a fraction of a standard AAA title to develop and usually sell for much more. Nintendo are giving us the bare minimum in terms of hardware. Im sure if they tried, they could find a more powerful graphics solution, pretty certain modern smartphones have more horsepower than this. But then they would have to sell it for more and make less money.

I have a switch and I can't stand the pixilated graphics. The lack of AA is what keeps me from ever getting immersed in BOTW or TOTK

 

[Squid Surprise]

Neither did the PS3, PS4 and PS5. Nothing majorly changed or additions, only improvements, which is exactly how Switch 2 is.

They had class-leading hardware… my point is if you DON’T have that, you need to bring something else to the table. Switch and Wii did… Wii U and Switch 2 don’t…

 

[manowar51]

They had class-leading hardware… my point is if you DON’T have that, you need to bring something else to the table. Switch and Wii did… Wii U and Switch 2 don’t…

I wouldn't be so ready to throw the switch 2 in the same bucket as the Wii U. The Wii U absolutely brought new things to the table, they were just poorly implemented. And many of the unique features on the switch 2 were on the Wii.

Like all consoles, It will be about the games, if Nintendo can make a good set of their line up hits the console will sell. I know I will probably buy one and I barely game these days. But its something you want to have if you if you have friends over and you start talking about mariokart. It would be nice to get a Nintendo that can utilise my expensive OLED TV.