The rumored new Nintendo Switch might use AI to upscale images in real-time

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Nintendo has had a rumored OLED model of the Nintendo Switch for years now, but a new Bloomberg report has it coming later this year, with a sweet feature. Thanks to an updated Nvidia chipset, the new Nintendo Switch could feature DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling), which will mean games won’t take the performance hit that displaying images on 4K TVs bring.

DLSS basically uses AI to upscale images in real-time, so you end up with a higher-resolution image without the image quality hit that traditional upscaling methods bring. It’s a perfect fit for the power-constrained handheld console, which normally runs at 720p, or at 1080p when plugged into a TV via the dock.

Our review of the Colorful RTX 3070 iGame Ultra OC-V focused on the boost that using DLSS gave to frame rates, but that was limited to 1440p performance. The Nintendo Switch currently runs at 720p handheld, but what about reducing the pixel count further? Well, that’s what YouTuber 2kliksphilip did, running Death Stranding at 320p, upscaled to 720p. Check it out below, and see what you think about how well this AI upscaling does.

The current Nintendo Switch uses the Nvidia Tegra X1, which came out in 2015. That was the last general-purpose mobile chip released by Nvidia, but it seems they’re back in the mobile game to create the chip for the upcoming successor for Nintendo.

Updating the architecture used to include DLSS might even mean ray-tracing cores on the Switch, which would bring more eye-candy to best use the improved OLED screen. Bloomberg says the OLED version will be released this holiday season, but it remains to be seen if stocks will be high enough for you to actually buy one.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.