Rumors about the Nintendo Switch 2 console have been circulating for a few years, with increased intensity in recent months following credible reports that the Nintendo Switch 2 was showcased privately at Gamescom.
Most of these rumors have primarily centered around the hardware specifications. According to reliable sources, it’s expected to feature an NVIDIA Ampere GPU with 1280 Cores and 8 Cortex A78 CPU Cores, 12GB of RAM, enhanced ray tracing capabilities surpassing those of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X (although the overall performance is estimated to be around 15% lower than the Xbox Series S). Additionally, it’s said to support NVIDIA DLSS, including Super Resolution and Ray Reconstruction (excluding Frame Generation). The display is anticipated to be an 8-inch LCD, and the internal storage is reported to be 512GB. Furthermore, there are hints of support for High Dynamic Range displays, as indicated by a job listing.
The question of whether the Nintendo Switch 2 will offer backward compatibility with the existing Switch is uncertain. While it might appear to be an obvious choice considering the current console’s immense success, Nintendo has made significant mistakes in the past, such as with the Nintendo 64, GameCube, and Wii U generations.
In a recent interview with Inverse, Doug Bowser, the President of Nintendo America, seems to imply the possibility of backward compatibility as he discusses efforts to reduce the sales decline between console cycles.
“Well, first I can’t comment — or I won’t comment, I should say — on the rumors that are out there. But one thing we’ve done with the Switch to help with that communication and transition is the formation of the Nintendo Account. In the past, every device we transitioned to had a whole new account system. Creating the Nintendo Account will allow us to communicate with our players if and when we make a transition to a new platform to help ease that process or transition.
Our goal is to minimize the dip you typically see in the last year of one cycle and the beginning of another. I can’t speak to the possible features of a new platform, but the Nintendo Account is a strong basis for having that communication as we make the transition.”
Relying solely on the shared Nintendo account system for achieving that objective doesn’t seem sufficient. As Bowser stated, he can’t provide details about undisclosed features, but the Nintendo community is growing more optimistic about the prospect of backward compatibility. It would be disappointing if recent titles like Super Mario Bros. Wonder were abandoned in the process.
Confirmation of this remains uncertain for now. If the rumor regarding September 24th, 2024, holds true, there’s nearly a year before the launch date, and Nintendo is unlikely to reveal the complete set of features until well into 2024.
Via Wccftech